Weekly journal-miner., 1920-06-30


 defunct Prescott 6, Arizona Central Railroad has ben brought into re- lief during the last three days in a conference held in the court house between the county attorneys, most of the supervisors, and other of ficials Of Pima, Maricopa, COconino and Yavapai counties. The confer once was held pursuant to a sugges- ton made by the supervisors of these counties in a recent meeting held in Phoenix, for the purpose of considering ways and means. of de- irving the benefits of a land grant made by congress in the enabling act under which Arizona was admitted to statehood. It will be remember
 ed that congress in that act granted to Arizona 100000 acres oi land for the purpose of paying off the bonds, with accrued interest, issued iby the four counties above nameu in aid of certain railroads, including, Iof course, the bonds issued by Yav- .apai county in the principal sum of .$2o20OO, to aid in the construction of railroad from what is now Selig- man to Prescott It was also in- tended that the land grant should reimburse Pima county for bond issue of $l50,000 in aid Of the con struction of the Arizona narrow guage railroad (which incidentally was never built, although the promo
 ters got the bonds and cashed them); that Nlaricopa county should get back the $2O00OO and interest representing her bond issue in aid of the road built from Phoenix to Maricopa. and that Coconino county should he made whole on account of the payment by her of one-third of the bonds issued by Yavapai county in aid ol the Prescott & Arizona Central All these bond issues were made pursu- ant to acts of the territorial legisla- tive assembly in 1883 and 1885. The three counties then interested, Coco nino county not having been created until 1891, were required by the legis- lative acts referred to issue these bonds as certain sections Of the roads, were completed. Yavapai county paid at the rate of $4000 per mile as each ten miles was completed. Mari copa did substantially the same Pima county, by some mischance, deliver cd all of its bonds before any sub stantial construction had been com pleted, and, after getting the bonds, the company proposing to build the Arizona narrow guage did not seem to think the trifiing matter of build ing the road amounted 10 anything, so it was never built MaricOpa and Navapai did at least get railroad for their investment, and one of them the road from Phoepix to Maricopa. is still running. So is the interest on the bonds. The railroad from Selig man to Prescott, although it paid enormously during the time it had a free hand. did not survive competi- ton with the present Santa Fe, Pres colt & Phoenix, and went into the junk pile about the year 1894. Traces of it are still visible on the old line, and for some distance between the Dolly ranch and the traget range the wagon road is located upon the old railroad grade. Other traces of it, more distinct. are found in the aA- nual tax levies.
 About the year 1894. Pima county having revolted against paying inter est on its railroad bonds for which it received absolutely nothing, law suit brought to recover this interest
 reached it's conclusion in the supreme court of the United States In that action, the court held that the act of the legislative assembly Of Arizona authorizing the issuance of these bonds was in excess of its powers; consequently the bonds were held to be void.
 The effect of the decision reached the bonds issued by AIaricopa and Tavapai counties, which depended on similar acts oi the legislature, and rendered them also void.
 Then there was something doing. The holders Of these bonds. then ag gregating nearly a million dollars, with interest, got busy with congress, which on June 6, passed a validating act respecting these bonds, waCn. as the supreme court of the United States thereafter held, had the effect of making them perfectly good and valid obligations against the counties Issuing them. Possibly congress was moved to its action because of a memorial adonte5 hIy thP legislature