Weekly journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1908-1929, 1910-04-20
NEWVERS|0N0F.
BOX CANYON
GIVEN
Hon. E. 5. Ives Gives
Southern Pacific
Side of Affair
Interesting Account Of
Determined Fight For
Right Of Way

31st, says;
A new version Of the famous fight
en- the ella River Canyon, Arizona,
between construction gangs OF the
Hartman lines and the Phoenix 4
Eastern Railway company, not long
after the acquisition Of the Southern
Pacific by Mr.. Hartman, was told
yesterday before Special Examiner
Sylvester q. Williams, who is hear.
ing testimony here in the govern.
nent's suit to dissolve the Union
Pacific merger.
In the early stages Of the govern
nent's suit the ella River Canyon
6ght received much attention and
many stories were told Of how the
hardy graders in the employ Of Eiar.
yiman and the Southern Pacific hurl
ed rocks down upon the heads Of
the construction gang OF the Phoenix
q Eastern, how the opposing factions
set off blasts OF dynamite under
each others very noses, and how
bitter the feeling ragged between the
opposing gangs, each trying to blast
its way first through the canyon.
In the early stories all the blame
Of this fight was placed upon the
Southern Pacific and upon the men
Who had just come into control, or
st the time Of the fight, for Harri.
man was trying TO blaze way
through Arizona and New Mexico
for his projected trsnseontinental
railway system.
The lawyers who represent the
Union Pacific in the present suit re-
served the company's version Of this
Sight In the canyon until the closing
hours Of the defense, and yesterday
they called upon Eugene 3. Ives,
general counsel for the Hartman
lines in Arizona and New Mexico, 10
tell the railroads version Of the
fight.
1.-THE Phoenix & Eastern was or
gained by Frank Murphy, an Ari.
IONA promoter, to build a road, ac-
eording to its character, from Phoe.
nix 20 Benson" said Mr.. Ives, who
halls from Tucson, Ariz. "The con.
srruetion proceeded along the south
bank OF the ella river. There was
no interference Of any kind from us
with the construction nor were legal
proceedings brought by any repre-.
sentatives Of the Hartman lines.
'The construction Of the road
would have proceeded 10 Benson with.
out interference II Murphy and his
men had not departed from their
own right of way and crossed to
the north bank Of the <ssxsr and had
attempted to file n location on
which the Hartman interests had
previously filed.
"This act by the Murphy people
was regarded as an attempt TO Oh.
struct the Hartman lines in the In.
terest of the Santa Fe road In the
construction Of low grade Southern
Pacific transeontinental line by way
OF the ella RIVER Canyon TO Bowie,
Arizona.
"The two sets Of graders came to.
gether about sixteen miles west of
the canyons mouth. Instead of the
Southern Pacific graders hurting
rocks Mt the Murphy people, as has
been said, there was blasting by both
sets Of graders.
"The Murphy people dislocated
quite ms many rocks as did the Har.
riman men, and for awhile there was
a lively time, each set of graders set.
ting off mighty blasts, which en-.
dnngcrcd the lives Of those on each
side. -
Ives also told how the Southern
Pacific bought out the Phoenix 4
Eastern from the Santa Fc, and ex.
pended more than 100000 in the
canyon, where work il still going
on. He declared that progress had
been delayed by the government 8
reclamation project, by which It was
TO build dam in the can.
yon.
'This reclamation controversy"
Ives said, chad been settled during
the last few days in favor Of the
Southern Pacific, and work In the
canyon will from now on be push
ID
The upshot Of the ella River Can
'on fight for the right Of way, ac-
'ording to Ives, was that when the
southern Pacific took over the Phoe.
tx L. Eastern the Santa Fe reserved
he right 10 use its tracks.
The testimony Of Promoter Frank