Arizona citizen., 1880-04-10
FROM SAFF0RD.
An Interesting Letter-Agricultural Prospects Around Safford-How the Mormons Impress an old Resident.
SAFFORD, Arizona, April 1.


 Mormons Impress an old Resident. SAFFORD, Arizona, April 1.
 EDITOR CITIzEN:-I see something concerning all parts of the county but this. The crops along the Montezuna canal beginning at Solomonville and extending to Stafford distance of al most nine miles, are in fine condition. That being q choice section of the county, and is owned mostly by Mcxi- cans, who have over four thousand !, acres planted in small grain, such as wheat, barley and alfalfa. In the midst of these fields are some fine horses and hogs, the latter unequaled in the coun- try. Americans in the same locality have planted about five thousand acres in barley and have every prospect for q full crop. On the lower lands grain shows the effect of heavy frosts, but a few weeks of warm weather will again bring it out as satisfactorily as one could wish. One mile farther north begins large farming country, which has been planted in small grain, three fourths of which is barley. MT. Mark ham has sown about one hundred acres of the Chivalier barley, which he says produces handsomely and is the only feed grain that can be raised in this valley at profit. Owing tothe tariff we pay for grinding our wheat every body sows barley.
 We have only one mill in this con- munity, and the proprietor charges seventy-fve cents per hundred for grinding, and discounts all wheat he grinds five pounds on the hundred and only glves the farmer sixty pounds of flour to one hundred pounds of wheat If there is no other mlll put up here thls year the farmers will be forced to raise something else in the place of wheat, although wheat would be the best crop we could raise in this portion of the county if the people could only get it ground on reasonable terms, but we must have change or quit raising wheat, and get our flour from some other country.
 1 West of this place is settlement of Mormons, J. K. Rodgers being the FL der and Peoples Counselor. They have Just finished their ditch, and are now planting their grain. They have taken up about eight hundred acres of land which they will put in cultivation thls year. 1 had heard a great deal about the MUrmons back in the states, 1 but 1 never saw one until 1 came here, and the first one l saw came to my 1 house. When he said he was a Nor mon 1 looked for horns on him and expected to hear distant thunder and my self to be knocked into oblivion. I stared ard shook with fear and trem- bling. After looking at the creature a short time I came to the conclusion that a Mormon, from his shape and ap- pearance, must be a descendant of Adams race, so l summed up all the courage I could, and after talking to the man some time, came to the con- clusion that he talked and acted like a gentleman. After 1 became acquaint- ed with him and all the balance of the Mormons, found them to be perfect gentlemen, and as for the ladies l can say I never met a more sociable and ladylike set of women in all my travels. They have large school going on, and say they are going to keep it going all the year. They say to the people out here, we came to try to build up homes and expect to abide by the laws of the country; we did not come here for the purpose of breaking the laws, out to help enforce them" They have shown every disposition to that effect sinre they have been here.
 Mrs. Kirkland, wife of W. N. Kirk. land, brought forth fine boy few days since, which goes to show that some people are trying to keep the commandment, "Go forth and multi ply and replenish the earth" And I can say for the people of Stafford that they are keeping this commandment
 Yours truly, JAS. HAYS.