El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-08-06
SPRECKELSS RAILROAD DREAM Isl
COMING TRUE, AFTER TEN YEARS.

AFTER al these years. the Sau Diego and Arizona rail-
road is approaching completion and the project which
good many of feared would materalze is about
to do So Coast papers state that only II miles of the road
remain be constructed and that the next six months viii
see the line in operation.
It was about ten years ago that the San DegOATizona
railroad to furnish short line between San Diego and
Yuma Arizona began to take form. It born Of desire
to give San Diego terminus for transcontnental rail
road A. B. Spreckles and J B. Spreckles fOsteTed the
dream and turned their millions and their credit pre-
sumably to make the dream come true.
The project presented many construction difficulties It
was planned to make the direct line possible
in order to save mileage competing lines 1t also
planned to make the grades less than to be found
other lines for the sake Of economy in hauling Further
It was planned make the road scencay attractive to
passengers The problem of building short straight line
with slight grades rendered difficult because much Of
the route to travesed lay through very rough country
For instance the II miles remaining to be constructed
there to be 10 tunnels.
Construction Of the road undertaken the
surveys completed but it has gone ahead very slowly
For year at time, the fact that railroad build
ing was way almost lost sight Of by the public
Infrequeny little items published to show that work
still under way II appeared that al no time were large
forces Of work the line If southwesterner had
been asked year ago what had become of the San Diego
Arizona railroad project the chances that he would
have said either that he didn't know that It had fallen
NOW we have word that the road is almost finished and
coupled with that announcement that this line viii
afford the shortest anscOntnenta connection between the
east and the Pacific coast, by way Of the e. Paso and
Southwestern Southern Pacific and San Diego and Arizona
railroads Either FL Paso Tucson and Yuma viii be the
interchange points
Those who have been the line say it presents
remarkable scenic attractions along with its easy grades
For short distance It through Mexico Just south Of
the line This nay necesstate sort Of arrangement
between the American and Mexican governments for fac
tatng the Of freight and passengers back and
forth the border and particularly special passport
passengers This IS surmse. Nothing official has been
announced concerning It But there should be difficulty
making any necessary arrangements It stands to rea
son that the Mexican government would be glad to do
everything necessary make the railroad success, while
approval Of the United States IS evidenced by state
ment that the railroad administration has given its ap-
prevail to expenditure Of s5OooOOO to complete the line
and equip It IN readiness 10 handle transonnental and
local traffic
On the road as has been built, than
20 tunnels from 200 to $500 feet length and some Of
them cut through granite The principal stations begin
nuing with the terminus viii be San Diego, Palm
City Tia Juana Matanuco Jacumbs, Carriso Gorge Dos
Cabezas Coyote Wells, Seely FL Centre, Caezico and
Mexcai Thence the Inter California Railroad the
trains viii proceed to Yuma
when the line IS completed It viii stand as an evidence
of the industry faith and perseverance Of the SpIecke
family carrying through to big project in spite
Of all obstacles and regardless Of the time required Opera
ton Of the road VIII open up section Of the border country