Arizona republican., 1909-04-24

of Arizona.
 The success of the Roosevelt and Laguna dams is now well known and the returns from them will, within the next five years, provide sufficient funds for the beginning by the reclamation service of the Parker project. Better to wait twenty years for the govern ment, than have it botched otherwise. Appeal to congress to kill the Flint Chuckawalla Land and Development company bill.
 Sure As Fate.
 Daily events noticed here and there show conclusively the inward work ings of great capitalistic bodies toward the reclamation of the now known wealth of the desert waste Years agOne in the building of the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe railroads, the main object was to get to the Pacific coast and little heed was given by their engineers to the fertile valleys and mineralized hius through which they staked their lines. In the imme- diate desire at that time to reach Cal .ifornia, the Southern Pacific excluded the rich, fertile valley along the Salt and Gila rivers and the great mineral wealth in the mountains to the north of them. Since that time what has
 the Southern Pacific to show in the way of development. One important town, Yuma, between Tucson and San Bernardino. The Santa Fe was com pelled also to reach the coast and in so doing it fared a little better than the Southern Pacific, for it had the coal of Gallup, forests of Coconino, the minerals of Mohave county and stock interests to draw from. Still it was the Santa F'e first to recognize that a cog had been jumped in the general haste to reach the orange groves of California and that the immediate strip of that country hitherto uneXplor- ed farther than rumor. lying between the two roads was worthy of expert examination. To accomplish this Frank M. Murphy. some six years ago, out fitted a corps of engineers who spent several months between Wickenburg and Bengal. Cal. They made a com plete report upon every feature con nected with the route which is now known as the Arizona and California railroad. Being personally acquainted
 
 party I was permitted at that time to published such information as thought to be of interest to the public. and therein was expressed the great min eral possibilities adjacent. on both sides of the proposed railroad The Santa Fe got busy and at once threw down 105 miles of track and at it's present terminus, the Colorado river is spanned with s1.000,00O steel bridge
 The mentioning of this bridge in jects another thought Go and exam inc the Southern Pacific bridge at Yuma: also that of the Santa Fe, be- low the Needles. and then take a look at the bridge at Parker. True and worthy old structures, are the first mentioned crossings of the Colorado river but they have to a large degree l served their time and purpose. Exig | encies of the times have demanded al- | most double the weight of rolling stock. | and these bridges. daily growing weak CT. were not intended in the beginning | to sustain the strain now being put | upon them. Their day is coming, and | that this assertion has been recog- | nized by the great developers of pub lie interests and care-takers of Its | traffic, I point with assurance to the steel structure across the Col orado at Parker.
 Railroad rumors are in the afr With in the last week we have read press reports stating that Spreckels will com mence next month to build east from | National City, Cal, to Imperial valley His engineers. now out of Imperial val ley, were in Yuma recently after sup plies, and reported there that their survey would end at Parker Again, it S reported that a line is soon to begin It Phoenix, pass through Buckeye. ross the Hassayampa, skirting the Eagle Tail, Big Horn and Piomosa entering and passing through fifty miles of agricultural land between Ehrenberg and Parker.
 I have heard of the San Diego Rail Oad coming to Phoenix for the past wenty years. and have now arrived at he conclusion that the reason why it las not made the effort. was because { did not know how or where it was O cross the Colorado river. To the ordinary thinker. the crossing of this nurky old creek might be thought 'asy enough, but those who have made t study, know different. It is very probable that the only practical rail- oad crossing between Yuma and Needles is the one at Parker. I sur mise this from a limited acquaintance with the meanderings of this river. and Im further warranted in my opinion in that the best engineers in he United States have built for per nanency a bridge here that will han He for the next one hundred years all he traffic that can be brought to bear lpon it. I never tire of telling of the future f this place. A valley capable of 5O.00O, probably 100000, ouls: it's surrounding mountains, in mining. providing for as many more; he river, supplying enormous horse lower; the railroad, which at Parker rosses on a bridge which defies the dement's, and has the longest low per ent grade to be found on the conti- lent; which, in truth. means that the ,ulk of the traffic and freight, both ast and west, to and from California, vil in the future. cross the Colorado t Parker.
 Thus Parkerites need have no fear IS to the ultimate results. What will 'e, will be; and what some of our peo- ,le now know, all will know in a short s..t, sNF tl,@ l