El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-06-11
SOUTHWESTERN WANTS To
BUILD THROUGH ARIZONA
Only Question of Whether the Lines to Tucson and
Phoenix Will Pay-Would Give the Rock Island an
Outlet Over Santa Fe at Phoenix Spreckles
Road Out of the Question for Connection.
Belongs to the Southern Pacific

There is nothing whatever 10 con-
ceal. The FL Paso & Southwestern rail-
road Will build from Benson 10 Tucson,
and Phoenix, Arizona, if the cost of
building is not toe much and we think
the lines will pay when completed
This was the positive statement of
H ]. Simmons, general manager of the
road.
We have had surveyors in the field
for some time and we still have them
in the field" he continued, but con-
struction has not been decided upon.
No such decision was reached at the
meeting recently in Bisbee. and no such
decision will be reached for some time
to come.
The surveyors are going over sew
eral routes for the proposed lines and
we will select the best one We are
making no effort to get a coast out
let; the Southwestern considers itself
purely local road. handling tho ton
mage originating or coming into it's own
territory. Our sole purpose in building
to Tucson and Phoenix is to reach the
farming section OF Arizona in the Salt
river valley and bring vegetables
fruits. hay, grain and farm products
into the mining camps which we serve
and to develop the country and origi-
nate what tonnage we can enroute.
Therefore, we will build through the
section OF the territory that offers most
for the future, where the expense is
not too great"
Exact Route Undecided.
This, then, settles the speculations
about the road building in this direction
or that. Surveys are being made west
of Tucson to Phoenix in several direc-
tions-up the San Pedro river through
Mammoth and Kelvin, and in other di-
rections-but all talk as to the exact
route is nothing but speculation.
AS to the Southwestern fighting the
Southern Pacific, Mr.. Simmons merely
said, THE Southwestern and the South
ern Pacific are perfectly friendly"
What the Rock Island might have in
view or how the Rock Island might
profit in getting it's trains to the Pa
Southern Pacific, Mr.. Simmons said he
did not know
Rock Island and Santa Fe.
But it is known that the Rock Island
is anxious to see some outlet opened
up by which It can get out to the coast
without having to use the tracks Of the
s. P, which may refuse any day to
handle its trains, owing to increased
business on the S. P. from it's territorial
and Mexican lines.
1t is pointed out by railroad men that
if the Southwestern builds to Phoenix,
IT will thus give the Rock Island an
outlet over the Santa Fe, which would
be as short If not shorter than over the
present s. P, since the Santa Fe is
building its cutoff from Phoenix to it's
main line in Los Angeles and shorten
ing the distance so very greatly.
Spreckles Road $. p. Property
The possibilities of a conjunction be-
tween the Southwestern and the Spreck-
els road at Yuma, to give the Rock
Island an outlet to the Pacific at San
Diego. is no longer a possibility. This
is now out of the question, for the
Spreckels road is no longer an indie
pendent line. 1t Is now we'll known in
railroad circles that the S. P. has taken
over the Spreckels project and Is back
ing the line from San Diego through
the Imperial valley and the northern
part of lower California, to Yuma. This
has been looked upon for a long time
as a possible outlet for an independent
transcontinental line, but this is now
out OF the question.
Outlet to Port LObOs.
Then, if the Southwestern is to give
the Rock Island an outlet when it ex-
tends it's lines west, that outlet will
have TO come over the Santa Fe lines
from Phoenix TO Los Angeles. or over
the proposed Port Lobos road, which
Frank Murphy contemplates building
south from Tucson to the Gulf of Cali
fornia. This would give the Rock Island