Las Vegas optic. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1908-1921, 1909-03-31
Cutoff WILL
BE BUIl.l
At once
RELIABLE lNFoRMA7
PHELPS DODGE con ~
WILL ccasrR0cr 4 Il
AT OUTS With ROCK
RuMoRED coAPAalEs
BOTH REFUSE e
PRESENT ACRE
WILL UsL SANTA Re fRAs :
ROCK ISLAND WILL REACH
PAso BY WAY OF RIO
cRANDE DIVISION.
AT OUTS With ROCK
RuMoRED coMPAfliEs
BOTH REFUSE Ne
PRESENT AeRE
WILL UsE SANTA FE IRA,
ROCK ISLAND WILL REACH
PAso BY WAY OF RIO
cRANDE DIVISION.
The Phelps-Dodge company

The Phelps-Dodge company y
begin the work of constructing ~
cutoff from Torrance or Duran
through Las Vegas to Dawson, con
Meeting the Ell Paso G Southwestern
with the company's big mining camps,
this summer, is the declaration q
those who are best informed in rail-
road affairs in New Mexico. Many
declare that there S not particle of
doubt but that the cutoff will be con-
structed almost Immediately.
The cause for the renewal OF the
rumors of the construction of this
project, is due to the changes con
templated by the Rock Island rail
road. The Rock Island has had a
traffic agreement with the El Paso 8
which expires July 4:
The latter railroad has refused to ~
new it and as result the Rock Is
land has entered into deal with the
Santa Fe to go over its lines to Ei
Paso, instead Of over the Southwest
ern.
By the terms of the present
agreement The Phelps-Dodge com
pany, to get to its mines, runs its
cars over its own road as far as
Santa Rosa. From there to Tucum
carl the trains go over the Rock Is
land, and then over the Dawson rail-
road, their own line, to the mines.
The Rock Island used the Southwest
ern from Santa Rosa to FL Paso and
then got to the coast over the South
ern Pacific.
If the Phelps-Dodge company refus-
es to enter an agreement with the
Rock Island, allowing that road to
get into Ell Paso, it is hardly likely
that the Rock Island will allow the
to run its trains over its
road from Santa Rosa to Tucumcari.
The agreement was made for five
years and still has about two years to
run. This gives the Phelps-D Dodge
company plenty of time to construct
1 cutoff, which has already been sur
veyed three times through Las Veg
rs. Should the company not get the
cutoff done in time, it can at least
reach Las Vegas and run it's trains
over the Santa Fe to French and
hen up the Dawson road, until the
north end of the cutoff is completed.
The statement has appeared in
number of territorial papers, that the
New Mexico Central railroad, con
iecting with the Rock Island at Tor
'ance, has been purchased by the
Topeka & Santa Fe. and
hat the Rock Island will effect y
raffic agreement with the Santa Fe|
or use of the Central and the .AlbJ-
Iuerque Eastern into Albuquerque SO
hat the Rock Island can get intd El
'aso over the Rio Grande division Of
he Santa Fe.
Later developments indicate Rt,
he Rock Island intends to pa at
he Southwestern tracks for a distakg5
# fortVthree miles. from Santa Rosa
o vauehn There it will strike the
santa Fe tut-off. By using this road
he Rock island trains can go to Be-
en- and then down the Rio Grande'
Iivision Of the Santa Fe to Ell. Paso.
But regardless Of what route the
Rock Island takes 10 get to Ell Paso
is foregone conc1nsion that the
Rock Island wi|| <ancel It's agreement
With the Southwestern for the use Of ?
is tracks from Santa Rosa to Tu-
'umcari. This leaves the PheIps
Dodge people with but two alter1a
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