The weekly Arizona miner., 1871-12-30
MINING AND FARMING.

While it is well-known and admitted fact that this Territory Is rich in metals and minerals, it's people know--to Gheir sorrow that, so far, all their efforts to induce capital ists, or skilled metallurgists, to come here and lend hand in the exploitation of ores ot the precious metals, have failed, and that, owing, principally. to the want of success in this line, mining matters are quite fiat. Not alone this The scarcity of water, during the past three years, has prevented our miners from helping themselves, as they would have done-to greater or less eNtent-had the trio of years just passed been as prolific of water As the three that preceded them.
 During the fall, hopes were indulged that, ere the Christmas just passed would have been celebrated, every creek, gulch and ravine in our mountains would be brimful of water, and that, of course, arastras, sluiccs, rockers and pans would he kept in full play, rolling out of quartz rocks and gravel the wealth which they contain. But alas these bright anticipations have not been realized, and our people, while submitting, gracefully, to their seeming hard luck, and hoping for speedy change, are fearful that the present winter may pass without giving the Territory that thorough soaking of which it stands so much in need, in which case water would be ex ,eei,Sg.y scarce the coming Spring and Sum mer.
 This fear has not yet taken possession of us; there is yet abundant time for one or more heavy falls of snow or rain, and, at present, and for several weeks past, the signs in the heavens arc and have been of nature to encourage the hope that another month will not pass without giving us a saiiciency of water for both mining and agricultural miners, but, also, farmers, to prepare their grounds for working, so as 10 be ready to take advantage of water when it does come, as come it will, and that before another month shall have passed away.
 We say this in no spirit of prophecy, but from our abiding faith h Providence, and the signs which Ho has placed above us, in the Heavens.
 Lest people at distance should imagine, after having perused the foregoing lugubrous remarks, that Arizona is, and has, always, been too dry for the carrying on of continu- Ous and successful mining and farming opera tions, we will inform them, truly, that these remarks are meant to apply, only, to the mountain regions of the Territory, where there arc but few large streams, owing, most ly, to the rpid passage of what water does fall upon steep z.ssntSiiu aides, to the great valleys through which flow the San Pedro, Gila, Salt, Verde, Colorado and other large rivers of the Territory, in most of which val leys farming has been followed with success, and may, hereafter, be pursued with certain ty. And, in close proximity to these rivers, are mines of great richness, some of which have been worked with success while others, again, owing to the "rebcllious" substances in close association with the precious metals contained in them, have remained idle, from want of proper machinery and capable men to work them
 Nor must we be interpreted as saying that water-for quartz mining-was not to be had in the mountain regions, away from our large rivers, as all previous developments go to prove that many mineral veins contain enough water for all working purposes; that, at several points on our mountain streams, mills and reduction works could have been run nearly every month of the past three dry years, and that, had our farmers tried for ar tesian water, many of them would have found sufficient to have enabled them to have saved their crops from drying up, previous to the coming of the summer rains, which--in the driest year yet experienccd-were heavy enough, in most mountain localities, to make good crops.
 Sad experience has taught the farmers of this vicinity that it will not pay them, to re- ly, entirely, upon heavenly irrigation; that in winter or spring, they must, if possible flood their driest fields, with water from Heaven or Earth that if the former does not come down of it's own accord, they can not force it to eone, but, with the expendi- ture of some labor and capital, many Of them can force water from away down in the Earth. where, we know, it is plenty. Should the creeks be filled up, this winter, persons owning farms adjacent to them should lead the waters of said creeks over their fields and let it sink into the soil, there to be stored until the summers sun attracts it to the sur face, to invgorate and keep alive the corn, wheat, barley, vegetables and grass, until