Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1907-11-01
SUIT RECALLS AN
EARLY DAY
SWINDLE
Pima County Asked To Pay
S354,000 for Ten Miles of
Railroad That Never Was
Operated Stung,
Tucson citlzen.)

Attorney S. L-Kingan was instruct
ed at special meeting of the board
of supervisors this forenoon to repre-
sent Pima county before the Supreme
S....-. = ~ Ir.s.el S.n.es IN Wash
ington at the hearing of the narrow
gauge bond suit. This hearing is
scheduled to be held on November 10.
Involved in this suit is 1854, 900,
which Pima county viii have to pay
should a Judgment be rendered adj
verse to the county. In return for
this suit the county has but mem
ory of a narrow gauge road which
was to connect Tucson and Globe.
Twice before this suit has gone to
the highest court in the United
States, but each time it was on tech
nicalities. However, the third hear
ing. which viii come up within the
next two weeks win be final. it is
stated, and its outcome means much
to the taxpayers of the county.
The suit is without question the
biggest ever brought in this territory
and the amount involved should the
county have to make it good will fall
as a heavy burden on the taxpayers.
ii is for this reason that a determined
fight is being made and no legal OPP
portunity is being overlooked to land
the county a victor in the case.
More than a score of years the
suit dates back and its recital is a
tale of sharp, shrewd scheming on
the part of Eastern promoters who
had "frenzied finance" down to a
fine point. A syndicate made a prop
osition to the county in 1888 to build
a narrow gauge railroad between
Tucson and Globe. Their proposition
was to take county bonds in exchange
for railroad bonds. The exchange
was agreed upon and the first pay
ment was for $4,000. This was Civ
en- before any work had been done.
Another payment for 100000 was
made after ten miles of the road had
been completed. All of the payments
were In county bonds and in ex-
change railroad bonds we're received.
The bonds. with interest, have
mounted rapidly until in the space OF
"a years they reach the alarming TO
tai of 1854 900.
Pioneers who lived here when the
first ten miles of the railroad was
completed still tell of the great cele-
bration. 1t was considered a gala
day in Tucson and all of the Dromi-
nent citizens were invited to ride on
the special train. With the cheers d
almost the entire town ringing III
their ears the citizens who had been
fortunate enough TO get seats on the
train started on the trip over the
! line. They wen ten miles QUITO
/ the end of the road. at that time. aHo
then they were brought back again.
I No one recalls that another train
was ever run over the road. IL was
one ride that should The county lose
its suit will have cost Si7,T00 per
mile for the train.
Construction work on the line sud
denly ceased after the big excursion,
and the promoters returned to the
East, leaving Pima county citizens
1 holding an empty sack with ten
( miles of narrow gauge railroad and
a small train equipment.
Finding that it had been given an
underhand blow the county declined
to settle for its bonds. which had
been given in exchange for the worth
less narrow gauge bonds.
/ Litigation followed and for years
the case has dragged through all the
( courts, having twice gone to the Su
/ preme Court. It is coming up next
month before the highest tribunal
, for q decision on a mandamus pro
LazAdines 1.nznnal the sunerYfsOrs
I here to levy special taxes to make
: good the bonds. Victory for the
/ county means that the bonds are
worthless. Defeat will mean thai
/ the taxpayers win have to make good
( the bonds together with the interest
for nearly a quarter OF a century ant
the entire total OF expense aggre,
( gates $354. 900.