Arizona citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Pima County, A.T. [i.e. Ariz.]) 1870-1880, 1870-11-05
SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAIL-
ROAD.

Southern Pacific Railroad. The fact
is, that he has been an incessant wor-
ker for it ever since he first reached
Washington. AS an evidence, we now
print his testimony regarding the 32d
parallel route as given before the Sen
ate committee on the Pacific Railroad,
April 4th, 1870:
Hon. Richard G. Mccormick, dele
gate from Arizona. For two hundred
miles you follow the valley of the ella
River. For half or two-thirds of the
year it is large river, and the other
part comparatively small one. It is
not navigated. The valley of the ella
is narrow in many places. The high
lands on the river on each side are Of
ten good, but they do not extend far
back from the river, excepting at in
tervals.
There are, perhaps, in that two hun
bred miles six or eight valleys con-
tanning several thousand acres of good
land each, and there are number of
settlers.
The chairman. Is there plenty of
timber?
Mr.. Mccormick. Plenty of cotton
wood aud mesquite wood. That is %
black wood, low, scraggy tree Of the
locust species, which makes magnif-
cent fuel-the best fuel in the whole
country; the timber we use for house
beams and sills and lmtels it is very
hard. 1 do not know that it would
make good railroad ties. 1 think it
would.
The chairman. Is there plenty of
it?
Mr.. Mccormick. Yes, sir; and
there is great deal Of cottonwood.
Back of the river, on each side, the
land is destitute of vegetation to
great extent; but we think that it is
because of the lack Of water, water
never having been taken to it.
Wherever we have been able to take
water it raises almost anything we
,,lant.
The chairman. Do you find an al
Kali soil along there?
Mr.. Mccormick. Some; but this
produces fine vegetables, and corn and
rheat.
The chairman. What is the aeri-
cultural character Of the country as
you go on eastwardly through Arizo-
ma?
Mr.. Mccormick. after you get up
to the Pima and Maricopa reBerva-
tons, about two hundred miles, there
is g magnificent expanse of country,
the valley Of the Gala, and the valley
Of the Salt River Americans have
not settled here much until lately.
Three years ago some Americans star
ted settlement called Phenix, near
the junction of these rivers, and I had
a letter yesterday stating that they are
doing remarkably well. The impress
sion when they first went there was
that the climate. was SO warm in mid
summer that Americans could not cul-
tivate the land; but they find that
they get along very successfully, en-
Toying good health at all seasons, I
believe. A large acequia,, or irriga-
ting canal, has been constructed, and
fine crops are grown annually. A
number OF Texan families have settled
here. At camp Mcdowell, On the
Verde River, a tributary OF the Salt
River, and at q point some twenty-five
miles northeast from Phenix, there is
a tract of superior land, and a govern
ment farm, (now in private hands, J
produces much corn, wheat, barley,
and sorghum. Up the ella, forty
miles from the Indian reservations,
there is town which was established
by Americans and dexicans about the
same time, called Florence, which is q
thrifty place, and they ind the lands
there to be exceedingly rich. The
crops Ct corn, wheat, and barley raised
there are equal to those raised in Cal
ifornia; but these places are yet COM
paratively small. An impression in
that country is that this railroad, if
built, viii 20 up the ella Valley to its
junction with the San Pedro, and up
the San Pedro Valley, by 1t. Brock
enridge, now called camp Grant, to
the thirty-second parallel. Some
think that would be q better way than
to run direct from Ft. Yuma, on the
thiirty-sacond parallel, but OF this l
am not sure. Is may b3 best to go to
Tucson, crn,o CHA Ran1