Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-04-15

BIoom-Homes for Thousands of Far.
 mers-whs,t Enterprise and Money |.
 Accomplishing in Arizona
 From time to time bitz Of information hav, l been given Co the public concerning the great
 uuds-t ,king of irrgating large area of rue ! agricultural nd near Gila Bend. which is now ! a barren and desolate stretch of deser land. II ! Is desert only m the sense of its lack of water l the soI being unsurpsssed.
 | Many years ago r-e present project of -upply-
 ing the neadfui water over this tract of land
 was undertaken King Wool-ey. Mir. Becker ef Bsckers station on the old stage road up fhe Gila rver. and | Mr. Bailey, of BAuey's station. They ex- ! pended large sums % money iT the coustl ucrIan
 uf a canal, and had about completed their work
 when a heavy fr,shet swept away aHuut ;yro miles of their ditch Efforts were made to ra-
 par the damage, but lacz of engineering skin
 and practical judEment conbi1ed to ttvi.rt their
 designs. Time claimed aIl that was mortal of
 "oolsey, and Becker finally succlmted to it- re-
 mor-eless grasp, and Mr. Bailey was unable to
 longer struggle In SO gigantic ar undertaking
 s-ngie handed and ho religluisled the work.
 The old canal Ir Che meantime, lad shared m
 t1e mutahiity of an earthly affairs and the el.-
 mcnts wrought changes in It during the past
 twelve years that have almost obliterated traces
 of lt m some place-, and practically ruined it throughout lt- entire length. except lg a- gen erll guide for the rer- Esrz now iraul.ur,ted.
 On the 9th day of November l-sa the articles of incorporation Of the Gila Bend Canal Com psny were fled iH the office of the Secretary of the Territory and In tie Recoriers ofice of Ma ucopa County, by Mr~srs Jos W Robbins Ridr- ley C. Powers and Royal A. Johnson. and at their
 meeting of December 2ud lss2 the original ir- corporators were elected directors for the fr~t year. The capital stock was divided into lpo) shares of the uar value of SlOO each.
 At meeting of the stockholders held on Feb ruary 16tn. l,S3. several changes were mrae ia the articles of Iuco -purarion. The uu brr Of shares were increased tp lUlJp and the par value reduced Co Sl0 each, the amount of capital stock remaining the same. The numue- or directors vas also changed from thlee ta seven. Tn. amended articles were tled with the Territo-iaI Secretary and with the Recorder of Maric5pa county, and the sJorkholiers' meeting elected as directors Messrs. J. W. Robbins Ii c. Powers. John W. Gray. <. ". Fi-Ler, ,Yol1ey Elstun. R. N. Laird and Royal A. Johnson. The directors elected W. Robbins President: K W Fisher. Vice President, and Royal A. Johnson. Secretary and Treasurer.
 thorough and detailed survey was made. hoth of the land and water, and the soil was tested as C. depth and quality. A profile of the pro- posed canal made showing the grade, and the available amou z Of va.er WIS a-certained. IL w.s found that at the point where the canal leaves The Gil.. the rIyer Is eig feet w.ta. and lurr tAe low e- water for the past ten years it has maintained an average depth of two feet At the present time the average depth is four feet. The river has a fall of seven feet to the mIle.
 The cite for a dan should one he-eaf-ef ae deemed necessary, is ftty-two miles south west or Pheuix. and rw- nty-sisit mil,-- from Gala Beni station. The Gila .akes au abrupt bend from @ general westward course. .o |. ue south. aud 1T is on The east side of th5- portion of -he riyer that this great irrigation schemeis Is being accomplished.
 The company has entered into a contract with Mr. R. C Powers To build a levee rom The mountains east of the dan site uo the river. across broad wash which. during heavy storms. had brought down the rood- that had producel al the ;r ubles of the past. This feve- ha- base forty feet vlde and it Mil 3e eight feet high, carahle Of resisting a volume of water
 a and turn it into the river ca .uneL
 The water will be taken from the river. for the present. without the l-a of dam. The coutu.e. calls fp- fine completion of tae ley-e i.d two u.5 1r tl- canal ay June i~t. This will hr.r it t5 ,sa .,n.-t ,,aae tle remains 3r ta.olI -a .-.-t. dr- eco t-ast c1s-r= t... cpr-traet.o. 0t . -t--held, built IT, wooden -uu. sixteen f.a. lal-. zen feel acrr-- tla bottom. and tlra- feel . r. ca. o- tI- va-le- over ta. tap al tls calaL The l canal p-aper is to ay taa feet wide the bottom a.d about tvaly. feet at rle t,p. !, i- Jo be e,- cfyated three feef deep winch. with the earth l .rBun upon eac4 -.de, v.l make l- I..lctica ly | four and a half feet deep. TVely. te1m- and !. -erauers are now engaged in the work. and as l many men are employed as it is possible Co se- cure.
 The OlI canal IS Iu very bad shape, and it will | require va-t amount of work to put It In good l repair. Mir. Povers also has the contract Co dost .bi- work. which mu-f be ready to turn in the ' Q st-r .y June |. There are ten mules of this | vorkJa be completed. The fall ID the .,rs.e of | the canal i- m DO case to be less taln two and | half feet Co the mile.
 Ab ut i5lHu acres of hue agricultural land | can be brou-h; under cuiJIva'on iu thi- vicinity |
 
 and of which have .ireaIy been taken up under 1 he desert land act. The soil can not be exceued | anywhere. IL is rich, brown luaI, deep and | easily cultivate. It is covered w-th de..-e growth of mesquite brush. and can be readily . rIeareI for cultivation. There vii quite an | area Nrsueht under cultivation r!I- summe~. | and -zte1--ve preparations are contemplated for l full rrop- next year. On similar soil acro-- the | river land irri gated by the Webb ditch winch l carries I-ng inches of water, hHs frequently pro Iuc-d forty bushels of wheat to the acre. Fruit | t--,-- will he chirfy planted. and extensive vine yards set ont. The -oil i- capable of producing | any product that can be grown m similar climate elsewhere
 Mr. S. ". Fisher will visit the works abou, | ter day- hence. being empowered by the com | raIsy to inspect a-i accept the work done under | contract.
 The value of this great eHterpri1a to Arizona. | and more particularly Co Marcupa county can l scarcely bs computed large settlement VII ! result and people will acquire home- and wealth | ther- and as the ages roll Dy the rch earth will | steadily c.ye forth an ahurdr-ce of those thirE- l nece--.ry for the comfort and s1-teualce of th- l people. Whether OF not the projectors of this | vast scheme of reclamation succeed il ama-- | sns great fortuue- from it. they will have the | satisfaction of knowing that they were Ia-tru- | mental in transforming a desolate desert into @ | blooming garden of thrifty and luEuriuI- vege- 1 tatiol-a recompeI=e worthy of every effort.