The Osceola times., 1880-05-15
ARIZONA.
Its Resources and Increasing Population
Everything There But Water
The Climate
San Francisco Chronicle


mountainous country of which we have
anv knowledge presents such diversity
of mesa soil and mountainous lorma-
ton, and, IN fact, the only respect IN
which they agree is in the common arid
appearance OF both. We see here none
Of the graceful and agreeable sweep and
curve Of mountain outlines notable in
the California landscape, but instead a
sharp, broken, jagged outline, bare and
blistered by the glare of centuries OF
suns. No vegetation to speak of crowns
them; only here and there a cactus, and,
at great intervals, a copse of brushwood.
On the plains grow pola verde, grease
wood; sage brush, ironwoOd and cactus.
II is not, however, from lack Of fertile
elements in the soil that the landscape
of the mesas are so bare, but from scar
city of water. Wherever irrigation is
possible, wheat, corn and trees grow
well This problem Of water is one that
will in the future be solved, and proba-
bly, by sinking arteslan wells. While
several attempts at reaching water that
wav have failed, still they were not
made in a way to test the problem.
With plenty of water, one-half of this
now arid, bistered, God-forsakcn land
scapc would in few years assume the
aspect Of tropical valley. The cactus
would die of too much dampness, while
more pleasing and useful plants would
take its place. When this idea will be
fairly tested cannot De foretold in numer-
ais, but il Is safe to say not until all those
portions of the United States where Wa
Ter is plenty is crowded with people who
must have homes elsewhere. Every
thing is here but water. Agriculturally
speaking, Arizona is in the condition OF
Col. Sellers Oriental Eye Water, that
needed only one Ingredient TO make il
marvel and Il bencfJctOr. Water is the
needed element here, and if ever OBJ
tained, will work rs marvellous change
in the appearance Of this Territory a.
that remedy of "Gllded Age" was to
perform on the optics of the world.
What the soil is in the northern portion
of Arizona we do not know, as our travels
have been confined to the middle and
southern portions. As the name inn
plies. bv either of the theories of its der
ivation, il is the land of the sun and
arid land. With an atmosphere 80 clear
and pure that distance is obliteratCd,
and peaks seem to be near while long,
thus spreading out a landscape of such
magnificent distances that what vegeta-
tiou there is seems dwaried, We get an
impression ol barrcnnoss that Is scarcely
just. BY going down into the slight de-
pressions that form the basins OF the
rivers, we are IN the midst OF trees OF
mesquite and cottonwood often medsur-
inga foot in diameter and twenty IN
be ght. In the Santa Catarlna noun
tains are red cedars measuring two feet
In diameter, while in the deserts from
Yuma to Casa Grande is not enough
vegetation 10 support bir and rabbits.
For miles not q living thing can be seen
as the train flies over the alkaH sands.
Not even the rayen-that "gaunt, un-
gainly bird Of yore'-ilits its sombre
wings across the scene Of dazzling sun
light and dosolation. Solitude sits upon
the scoriated peaks of the mountains
that lie on either side Of the Ciila Valley,
some thirty miles away, while silence
mu.ely answers from the valley. The
water from ,his river steals as noisoless-
" along as the glide Of aserpent through
oole, and the few fish that live in 1t
when caught, scarcely yacitatc themselves
into decent furry. 1t is too lonely for
the iack-rabbit and coyote. Nothing
was ever known 20 live there but the
Apaches-a better people would have
starved and died Of ennui.
Mining il the great resource Of Arlzo-
ma, and If the number Of mining loca-
tions and the confidence of the people
constitute any criterion of value, they
are rich enough in gold and silver to
flood the world with those precious met
ais. Now that the Apache has washed
off his war-paint, every day new loca-
tions are made, specimens from which
assay from few dollars up to the thOus-
ands. A steady stream is coming across
from New Mexico, and in very short
time we will have enough population to
entitle us to place in the Union as a
State. For a time many Of these men
went southwark into Sonora, but the
condition of the country is such that
they generally return, if they can, IN n
short time. There may be rich mining
properties there, hut if SO the disadvan-
taCes under which an American would
be compelled to operate them would in
sure disaster and loss. Most of the
mining properties Of that section have
been discovered and worked years ago,
some of them as far back as 100 years,
and as nearly all of them are now and
have been for years abandoned, and MS
the Mexican, to whom time is nothing,
can work lower grades than the Ameri-
can, it is safe to conclude that Arizona is
far better for the miner than Sonora.
Besides, there is no assurance that there
Will not be a revolution every month,
and between the successive raids of BAN
dts and revolutioni5ts, breaking in upon
the property, pilaging and burning,
there would scarcely be anything for
dividends. III that c Juntry is ever the
property of the United States then min
ing may pay in some of the locations.
but when that will be is the question,
Here in Arizona we want 1t, but for us,
unfortunately, we are lar from q major
ity of the p, ople of the Union. Occa-
sionally hardy son of the frontier ac-
quires property down there and holds
it, waiting for better times, and Is not
molested. But let a rich company be-
GIN operations, and between the plum
dering Of the Government every few
months, bandits and rcvolutionists at
odd times, they would scarcely be able
TO realize any profits, for to insure safety
they would be compelled to maintain a
kind Of armed neutrality, even curing
times of peace, A proper estimate OF
enterprises OF this kind in the present
state Of affairs may be had by glance
at Mexican history and the probematic
character for mining everywhere. The
climate and soil of Sonora is better than
that Of Arizona, though warm enough to
make one wish himself at the North
Pole in summer. The winter climate is
delightful, it being OF that mild type in
which You forget that there is such