El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-09-10
WILL E PASO
GET LObOS
OUTLET?
Road Is Being Constructed
For the Benefit of Arizona
Mining Companies.
BIG BENEFIT TO
ACCRUE TO Ell PASO

Will Ell Paso be given a tidewater
port via Tucson, Silverbell and Port
Lobos over the FL Paso & Southwestern
extension operating in connection with
the Arizona, Mexico & Gulf of Call
fornia railway. which is now being pro-
jected from Silverben to Port Lobos
on the gulf of California?
H. J. Simmons, general manager of
the Ell Paso & Southwestern system,
says no. Frank Murphy and others
are now promoting the Port Lobos line
and the repeated rumor is that the
Southwestern's extension to Tucson
will eventually include Silverbell, the
point where the Port Lobos line ends.
Contract for Pier Let.
1t is definitely known that the con-
tract has been let for the pier which
is to be built from Port Lobos proper
out into the gulf of California to deep
water facilities for the vessels which
are expected to dock there when the
new line is completed. c. ]. Lantry of
Kansas City and John Scott of St Louis
have the contract for the building of
this pier. The other work on the line
is to begin as soon as Murphy and
his men can finance the proposed road
The promoting company is known as
the Development Company of North
America, organized under the laws of
Arizona.
1t is also known that the Southwest
ern is not planning to end its extern
sions at Tucson. Tucson is not what
a railroad man would call a terminal
point, according to local railroad men.
1t has been frequently reported that
the Phelps-Dodge company would
build to the coast by way of San Diego.
Other reports are that the Southwest
ern line would build into Phoenix and
would make traffic arrangements with
the Santa Fe from Phoenix to the coast
Now comes the very latest report
To ship Copper by Water.
This IS that the Southwestern is
seeking a tidewater outlet for its cop
per mat which is now shipped to New
York by rail at freight rate which
clips several ciphers from the annual
dividend of the Copper Queen company
each year By building a line from
Benson, its present terminal to Tucson.
and from there to Silverbell, the cop
per could be shipped to Port Lobos
over the A. NJ. & G. c. line to water,
from Port Lobos to New York by way
of the isthmus of Tehuantepec BY this
circuitouS route the copper could be
laid down in New York at exactly half
the present cost of transportation by
rail, it is said, and even if the Port
Lobos line never paid aside from this
business, it could be operated at a
profit
Purpose of the Road.
The announced purpose of the Port
Lobos line is to give the Imperial Cop
per company an outlet at Silver
bell But the Silverbell mines are
not producing to an extent to
warrant the construction of such
a costly line to the gulf. What
sounds trGer to the Arizonians who are
in touch with the situation is that the
Southwestern is. financing the Mexican
line and that its present operation in
the field beyond Benson, is a part of
the scheme to connect the Copper
Queen mines and smelters with the
west coast by way of the projected line
across the international border into
southern California and to Port Lobos
The construction of such line would
mean the reduction of freight rates
throughout the southwestern country
which is reached by the present South
western system, as the water rate from
New York and Atlantic coast points
s less than half that of the transcon-
mental lines nv rail