When the Railroad Came to Arizona

SEPTEMBER, 1935. ARIZONA HIGHWAYS 7 to Arizona Southern Pacific Rails Reached Colorado River in 1877

banquet hall, where Col. Crocker and the members of his party were served with a sumptuous repast, and felicitations upon the advent of the "iron wheels of progress" were exchanged between hosts and guests. In responding for the Southern Pacific, Col. Crocker said: "You have here the material elements of a great State . . . I am confident of Arizona's future. . It has been decided to push on as rapidly as possible to the Gulf. connects us with the Christian world. Asking your benediction."

The feature of the entire celebration is the story of the telegrams which were sent from the banquet hall to the world without. The telegraph, like the railroad, was an innovation, and the Tucsonians of 1880 determined to christen it thoroughly. Over the signature of Mayor Leatherwood, messages of greeting were sent to the President of the United States, to Governor Fremont, to the Southern Pacific Company at San Francisco, to the Mayors of San Francisco, Los Angeles and Yuma, and to his Holiness the Pope, at Rome. In sending the message to the Pope, Mayor Leatherwood was joined by the Very Rev. J. B. Salpointe, and it read: "The Mayor of Tucson begs the honor of reminding his Holiness that this ancient and honorable pueblo was founded by the Spaniards under the sanction of the church more than three centuries ago, and to inform your Holiness that a railroad from San Francisco, Calif., now Great excitement was created in Tucson a few days later by the delivery of what was thought to be a reply from the Pope. A very brief message failed to mention the railroad or to extend congratulations but asked laconically "Where the hell is Tucson?" It later (Continued on page 17)