Daily Arizona silver belt., 1910-01-26
Nhaky Lumber Co., and PIan9 Mill 't s f', sss sa t e4

hS"'y 1'NiShl libih tht Nh''"h'AN seaboard to the Pacific coast to avoid the heavy grades on the main line of the Northern Pacific railroad between Lordsburg, New Mexico and the Mescal summit west of Benson, Arizona; that 1t Is represented to your committee that this will be the lowest trans conri. mental route across the continent, hay. ing a grade through the canyon of .042 per cent; this line having the great advantage of being free from snow as well as mountain ranges. Your commit. tee are informed that a number of oth- CT surveys for proposed railroads have been made through the canyon, espee- ially one termed or called the 'high line survey" that it is represented to your committee that such high line sur vey is not practical on account of the increased grade and curvature, which grade would be increased to .059 Ter cent or even l per cent, thus increasing the cost of operation so that this line would have no advantage over the pres ent Southern Pacific railroad line through the territory. Representatives of the Arizona X Eastern Railroad com pany have stated to your committee that they will absolutely moi build a line through the canyon in ease the proposed dam at San Carlos, or any other dam which will interfere With the , low line, is constructed, stating thai the additional cost of construction, OF eratidn and maintenance wonld render such a line, if constructed, of no greater utility than the present Southern Pa n,E, of cuHh h line of railroad will bring Globe with in 30 miles of a trans-continental line of railroad instead of 125 miles there from as at present, will place us with in few hours ride of Phoenix, the cap ital of the territory and from ten to fifteen hours closer to the Pacific coast and from ten to fifteen hours closer td the Missouri river and eastern points. The construction of line of railroad through the canyon, if trans-conti. mental route, would place the merchants and business men of Globe in a posi- | ton to demand more favorable freight rates on account of shortening the haul | from the trans-continental line and shortening the time within which 1 freight could be delivered at Globe. The railroad, if constructed on the high i line, would be on the south side of the Gila river and wholly within Graham and Pinal counties; if constructed on the low line it would be on the north side of the Gila river and wholly within Gila county until it reached point west of Winkleman, thus increasing the assessed valuation of taxable property in Gila county
 Your committee has received let ter from the commissioner of the gen eral land office, Washington, D. C., stat. ing that on December D, l9U9, no ap- plication had been received at that of. flee applying foE- any of the proposed reservoir sites, but on the other hand your committee has been informed that on or about that date such application had been forwarded for the San Carlos site by private parties; it was also stated by the commissioner that the low iine for the railroad right of way had been applied for; and that the same had been referred to the commissioner of Indian affairs; that several protests has been filed against the approval of said low line and that the appliction was on that date pending before the commissioner of Indian affairs under such protests. Your committee have learned that the Arizona < Colorado Railroad company is now actively en- gagged Tn surveying, locating and ore parlng to construct a line of railroad rom Durango, Colorado. south tbrouyh northern New Mexico and eastern Ari. zona, which will pass through GIobe and connect with this transcontinental me of the Arizona & Eastern at San Carlos This line will open up rica and valuable territory and make if contributory to Globe, and will furnish Globe with cheap fuel, her great need Tn the reduction of ores, and open up large timber section and country rich Tn minerals. It IS represented to your committee by the railIoad company that Tn order that such north and south line from Durango pass through Globe that the San Carlos basin remain unob. structed by inUndation of water from such dam site; that the San Carlos ba. sin IS the natural and best gateway Tor the passage of railroads through eastern Arizona, whether these railroads run north and south or east and west;
 
 1t Is the practical gateway through winch railroads running north and south Tn eastern Arizona can pass and the only gateway through which an east and west low grade trans-continental line can be constructed.
 It IS represented to your committee that the tract of ground now occupied blythe government, and which would be inundated by the San Carlos dam, is the only available junction point for such north and south road with such sentimental route, making it ab solutely necessary for the railroad to occupy this ground for such junction point purposes, and at this point, if the San Carlos dam is constructed, the sur face of the tract as surveyed under tht low line, would be inundated to depth of about twenty-three feet.
 In view of the conditions and of the facts and statements above recited in this report, your committee is of the opinion that unless some evidence is brought before the chamber of com merce showing that the construction of l rN,, ..,,1