Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-06-04
ROCK ISLAND TO
BUILD TO COAST
IN THREE YEARS
Surveys Made from Tucson to
San Diego and Announce
ment Will Be Made Soon,
Says Good Authority.


! Los Angeles. Cal. June 3-Thcre
will be another great railroad into
southern California By ieiS--and II
will be the Rock Island.
This assertion has the backing %
a railroad general manager VINO Is
In position 10 speak with authority.
but for obvious reasons does not
wish To be quoted.
II have Il from one close TO the
Rock Island management that sur
veys have been made from Tucson
90 san Diego and that an announce
ment Of the proposed work will be
made shortly" stated this man to
the Los Angeles Times. THE back
crs OF the new road are the Reid
Moore and Phelps Dodge interests.
controlling the Rock island and the
~ paso A. southwestern systems
You will have observed that Rock
Island and El Paso a Southwestern
officials have been paying numerous
visits to the Southland the past few
months One 0t them. Vice Presi-
dent RidEWhy of the Rock Island OPP
Grating department. spent a month
here. or rather. divided his time be-
tWNtH AtAtH aANs anu rau AfiNhus
I'm interviews these officials were
innocuousiy quoted as here To secure
business and 20 tighten traffic rcla-
tions with the Southern Pacific They
were within the facts In making thcs"
statements. but they effectively con-
cealed the important fact that they
have an important extension about
ready for announcement.
Unity % Interests.
II wish 20 make ono thing plain.
however. and that n. ahat the Rock
Island Is not the owner OF the NJ Paso
a Southwestern. In fact. u IN the
other way about The Phelps Dodge
interests, with james j. Douglas. are
the owners OF the last named road.
They are also heavy stockholders IA
the Rock island, This. of course.
means a unity of interests between
the roads; a closeneEs OF relations
that in effect makes the RI Paso a.
Southwestern merely an extension of
the Rock Island.
when the new road IN built ! am
safe in saying that the money will
come from the Phelps Dodge and
Douglas interests. They financed the
M PasO a. southwestern extension
into Tucson and they viii finance "a
beyond. particularly as the Tucson
san Diego extension Will opon up
country In which they have mining
and smelling interests
Just between YOU and me. do
not believe that the spreckles road
viii form any part of tho new line.
In fact. ! am In possession of infor-
nation that leads me TO suppose that
the surveys lead due west from Tue
son. then dip below the border into
sonoca. then across into Lower calf
ofrnia, and enter San Diego from the
south. This II a country OF great re-
sourccs-yOu an know what the Mex
ican end Of the Imperial valley is
and Is now Reariy without railroad
mileage"
within the past few months there
have been recurrent rumors that the
Santa Fe or the Southern Pacific
would Join hands with the Rock ISL
and In this Tucson San Diego extern
sion. These rumors have been de-
MED time and time again by officials
Of the two roads. from Presidents
sproule and Ripley down.
In fact. they have been laughingIy
denied. 40 the spectacle OF either ono
II these railroads assisting a com
potltor in getting into southern CALI
fOrnia II one that appeals 10 the rail-
road mans disabilities, The Santa Fo
particularly. has always been the IN
dependent among railroads u has
always steered csear of ontangilng az
liances and has made money there
by ~ for the Southern Pacific, az
fairs ~ that road viii probably be IN
siatu quo for some time 10 come, ow-
ing 10 the dissolution through which
Il will be- deprived Of the support of
the Union Paclnc and the Hartman
backing. both OF which have heen
wonderful aids 20 the road In other
words. the southern Pacific will have
10 effect iis own forlincatlons and see
Ia their adequate manning, lest some
Of the lucrative business u ~ now !
handling Is stolen by competitors. /
who In many cases can give rathei
more satisfactory handling than the
southorn Paeihc. divorced of the Cen
trail Pacific, wh.a last now seems
probable.
That the Rock Island-El Paao a
Southwestern Interests have the