Arizona republican., 1910-02-28
DURANGO REJO|CEs
 OVER RAILROAD NEWS
Raised stoc.ooo 10 Secure Rights Of
 Way and Terminals.

The news of the formation of the with capital stock of s4e.000. 900. having for it's purpose the construc
 ton of a great railway system auxil- iary to tho Southern Pacific, with one main line going direct from Central Arizona to the coal fields or Durango. Colo, was received with gcrat satis- faction in Phoenix few weeks ago. But up in Durango the event was positive festival of joy. IL was to
 hat locality what was to Phoenix. the news that the government had dccid cd 10 build the Roosevelt dam. sign of deliverance from bondage, to freedom and prosperity. In recogni- ton of what the railroad means to Durango. city of only between five and ten thousand people, big mass meeting was called and responsive to the request of railroad representatives sl0O.000 was pledged by the citizens. for the securing of rights of way and terminals insand near Durango.
 T. w. Dobbs of this city. a recent arrival from Durango. yesterday re- ceived from there a copy of the Du
 rango Evening Herald dated February r.. containing a report of the meet
 ing. The paper has been snow bound ever since on the circuitous route now necessary for the mails to take be- tween Durango and Phoenix.
 That the meeting was a great one is evidenced by the fact that the ac- count of it occupies the greater part Of the paper which is creditable sev- en column publication. The story is captioned in box car letters. Duran gO's New Birth" Durango is long way from Phoenix but extensive ref erence to this meeting is well justi
 fled by the mutuality of interest in this same event. All Phoenix knows about Durango now. generally speak
 ing. is that it is little city hidden away in the rocks of Colorado some where. built over one of the greatest coal dcsposits in the world. Durango has hitherto had about as much in fluence on the social and business life of Phoenix as have Dawson City and Rio de Janciro but if promises are fulfilled, in a year or two they will both be important points on big railroad system with only day and night between them
 Ia Plata county of which Durango is the county scat is said to be one of Colorado's richest subdivisions in point Of natural, resources. but is hid den away. impossible of development for lack of transportation. Its main outlet is d narrow gage branch of the r q ~ tr. rango to SilVcrton. La Plata county is said to be the equal of any section in the world for the raising of apples and potatoes. two products which this part of Arizona consumes raven ousiy and produces but sparingly. But most important of all of course are the great coal deposits of that county which are sorely needed for cheap fuel all over southern and Cen tral Arizona and which are worthless to those who own them until the building of this or some similar rail road. .s
 The meeting referred to was held in the court house at Durango and it is said the crowd was so big not more than half the people could get Into the building. All the great men Of the town were on hand with en- tlluSiastic speeches. the nature of which as published. reminds one of the water meetings held in this val ley six or seven years ago. At the of the oratory the people were introduced to subscription list and so many wanted to sign that not all could be accommodated tha: day and tho rest had to wait until a later day to secure their turn The terms of the subscription are that the railroad must have a line completed and in operation from some point on the Santa Fe Pacific into Durango by March 24. 1911. whereupon the sub scriptions will be due and payable.