El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-04-23
ANOTHER ROAD
To PACIFIC
LIKELY
Southern Pacific May Force
Rock Island to Get Out
Some Other Way.
ROCK ISLAND rs
NOW BOTTLED UP
Circumstances to Force Ell
Paso Onto Another Trans
continental Line.

That the Rock Island railroad is GO
ing to have a Pacific coast outlet
that it will be forced TO get such an
outlets considered a certainty by
people in this section who pretend to
know anything of the railroad situa-
ton, and all the circumstances point
10 a move on the checker board Of
North American continental traffic In
that direction.
At present the Rock Island ends no.
where; it's noes points towards the Pa
cific, but it only reaches the waters OF
that ocean by the kind consideration
Of the Southern Pacific railroad, and
people who know the past policy OF
that Institution. do not believe that this
kindness will continue very long The
Southern Pacific at present hauls Rock
where; its nose points towards the Pa
cific coast because the business west
of FL Paso rs not sufficient to tax the
trackage and operating facilities Of the
company. The country is sparsely set
tied and the Southern Pacific. TO in
crease its revenue and make the invest
ment a better paying one, handles the
Rock Island business
business Enough.
The Southern Pacific Is reaching out,
however. 1t is building into Mexico.
a regular network OF roads; it is build
incorporated and surveyed for a line
across the two territories TO Durango.
Colo, to reach the coal fields of that
state With the completion OF these
Mexican and territorial lines and the
increase in business through Arizona
and New Mexico attendant upon the
present rapid settlement of the two
territories, the Southern Pacific. 1t IS
plain TO see. will soon have all the
business it can handle. Then what Of
the Rock Island? the people ask And
the Rock Island people are no doubt
also asking this Ara no doubt thu
Rock Island people have not been Sleep
ing while other people were talking.
Railroad operations in this part OF the
country do not indicate as much.
Two Ways to Pacific.
There are two ways in which the
Rock Island can reach the Pacific coasr.
One is through Mexico, and the other
is by the port of San Diego, Cal Rail-
roads are being built in both directions
with which the Rock Island can form
traffic arrangements, and it is reported
to be looking in each direction The
F s Pearson interests. owners of tho
Mexico Northwestern, now completed
lis miles south of ri Paso and extend
ing south in the direction of the Mexi-
can Pacific coast. declare their inten-
ton of completing the line TO tidewa-
ter and claim 10 hav-. money TO do it
It has been reported from various
sources that a coalition between the
Rock Island and the Pearson interests
would be made and. that the Rock Island
would reach the coast in this manner,
bringing freight for the United States
and carrying freight for the Orient.
through Mexico in bond.
To San Diego?
But there is another matter that en-
fpr int Sif Tbo 4.
Southwestern road "a Phelps-Dodge en-
terprise), over which the Rock Island
comes into FL Paso from its southern
terminus at Tucumeari, N. NJ, a dis
tance of something over 500 miles, -
planning to build west and the SprecE-
els railroad out of San Diego is build
ing eastward in the direction OF Ell
Paso- 1t has been reported for some
time that the SpreckeIS road would
build as far as Yuma, anf there be met
by the FL Paso & Southwestern, thus
forming q through line to the Pacific.
The Southwestern now has a line run
ming west Of FL Paso as far as Benson,
Ariz-, paralleing the Southern Pacific.
and has announced it's intention OF
building TO Tucson and Phoenix Sur
veyors have been in the field for some
time running these lines and already
the company is soliciting business Com
pleted to Phoenix, it is a fOregone con-
clusion that the Southwestern would
build to Yuma If the Spreckeis road
builds that far, and the Spreckels road
is now in course of construction out OF
San Diego
If the Southwestern does build such
a line it is more than possible that the
Rock Island will operate its trains to
the Pacific over this track. almost par
alIeling the Southern Pacific, and use
the port of San Diego for an outlet and
inlet for its tonnage.
The Big Fight.
The PheIps-DOdse company is a DOW
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