Arizona citizen., 1879-04-25
The facts About ArIzond.

We clip the following from an i1
 fiuential eastern paper, the Washing
 ton Star:
 Tucson is situated in the center of ;
 large desert or sage brush plain,
 small creek flows through the town
 furnishing just water enough for th'
 inhabitants of the place, and 10 irri
 gate about two hundred acres of land
 As there is no timber on the plains
 and the nearest mountain ridges ar,
 barren, all rirewoOd has to be brought
 from great distance, and is very eX
 pensive. The larger part of the popu
 lation of the town are MeXicanS, who
 work for from fifty 10 seventy-fivt
 cents per day, and whose style of liv.
 ing is more filthy, if any thing, than
 that of the Chinese More miners are
 out of work and prospecting around
 the country than are actually employ
 ed in the mines. and these are work
 ing for such small amount that, con
 sidering the very eXtravagant prices of
 all commodities, they barely obtain a
 very poor living. In certain parts of
 Arizona there may be found some very
 fine stock ranges and agricultural
 lands; but not within one hundred
 miles of Tucson.
 The foregoing was written with q view to warning certain people who are talking of emigrating to Arizona and it was meant to apply to the whole country as well as Tucson, this place
 being mentioned on account of its prominence. It was perhaps, provoked by some eXtravagant laudations of the country indulged in, by certain gentle men, at a meeting in Washington, a few days before; but we think this is a good text, and now a good time to give just the facts in regard to the matter in discussion.
 Tucson stands at the lower end of the Santa Cruz Valley, here about a mile in width, but elsewhere. from two to three miles wide and. in all. at least twenty-five miles in length. By "valley" is meant the cultivable lands along the stream. The desert al- luded to is mesa" land, mostly only needing water to make it grow good crops peculiar to light soils It may here be said that the water for this purpose is now unattainable. except by artesians wells. There is absolutely no sage brush in this vicinity. and but very little any where in the Terri ! tory. The Santa Cruz is an under ground stream andSrequires a dam every few miles 10 make it flow on the [ surface. Lees mill is two miles above Tucson, with an abundance of water which is not used after it leaves the mill, for any purpose, though there are fully 2000 acres of the best land all around it. Opposite Tucson is Warmers mill, also with plenty of water, while as much as he uses is taken out above the mill for irriga- , tiOn. As to the amount of land ir- I rigable, which the Star writer puts at 200 acres, we may state that crops are now growing on about five thou sand acres within sight of this town. The seed for these crops was sown in February, and as soon as harvest is over, about the 1st of June, the ground will have another planting of corn to be grown during the Summer. The own does not use river water for any purpose, but is supplied by springs and wells. Wood is abundant at about S5 per cord. Tine manners and cos tunes of the MeXicans here will com = pare favorably with the tenement e house denizens of the East and the ,olored population North and South. Probably the statement that more miners are out of work and prospect ng around the country than are ac- ', ually working in the mines" is true, put it must be understood that "pros- i, oecting around is a legitimate busi- .. less to which every mine discovery is indebted, and that real mining" is IS vet hardly begun in the Territory. i Wen who wanted it, have thus far " arely failed to get work We have ,nly to mention the stock ranches of Fully & Ochoa, Vail S Harvey. the Iienega, DavidSon's, Maish ,S Dris- " oll, Lord & Williams, Roddick * U Brown, and many others far within . % miles of Tucson, tO contradict the g. alter part of the Star statements. n :, Something is said also about the v extravagant prices of all commodi es, ," in this locality, and to the end =, hat the truth may appear, we publish ~ elow the market prices of standard ', oods at retail in Tucson this morn " lg: "
 PROVISIONS.
 Sugar-MeXican, Gets; American, c s@25; beans, s@l0c To; potatoes, lOc =. }; rice, 20@25c. maccaroni. 25a4Oc our, Sj.5O@7OO cwt; pearl barley. " 'c; salt, 4910c; coffee, 3O@35c; tea, '' @S100; cheese - Mexican, be; " merican, 35a 40c; crackers. 2Oa3Oc; VI V, lied fruits, 15@25; honey, 2O@25c; " S2.O0@2.50; canned vegeta- -'' les, 4Oe75c; canned fruits, 5Od 75c ' lcon 20@ 25c; hams, 25c; fish. 3Oa35c: '' ackerel kits $500; lard, 25c; butter. i,'