Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-04-18
Some Ranches.
OLD HAT, Sierrss de Santa Cstalinas, {
 April s, 1886.

OLD HAT, DleETbr uc Shulh SdthAiunrs
 April s, 1886.
 EDITOR CITIZEN: To-day have made two calls on gentlemen who own ranches in this part of the country and ana so far impressed by the air of com fort and prosperity that both present that send you a brief sketch of each:
 It would be difficult to select a more favored or beautiful spot than wheru the headquarters of I. E. Clark, Esq.'s Granite Ranch IS situated. On a rising slope of ground, just aboye the Old Hat canyon, where a silvery stream of water tlnkles along, making the pleas antsst music, stands Mir. Clark's house. This is very pretty and substantial struc. ure of adobe walls with a fine shingle roof, and affords ample shelter for four rollicking youngsters and the good wife, who make up the family. By the way, 1t being dinner time as came by, It affords me pleasure to testify to the good cheer afforded by my hostess, and not to 20 into details Rs to bIll of fare. for l fear that some Tucsonltes might not credit me, l will only say that all that the most fastidIous could wish for graced the hospltable board.
 But It was not of dinner l began to write. After that was over Mir. Clark showed me his garden and orchard and initiated me into the mystsrles or an elaborate sysem of iron piping, used to afford water in just sufficient quantity as needed. neither too much nor too 1 little, to each individual tree, vine, veg etable, etc. I can not dwell upon thls too fully, as 1 have seen nothing Of the ! kind that answers the purpose so ade- quately. The water Is taken by pipes ] from a spring that never fails. about SIX | hundred feet away from the garden and [ at a somewhat higher level up the can yon. Being conducted Tn pipes none is absorbed as IS the case Tn the ordinary ditch and the supply Is always the same. A faucet or cock turned here or there m
 tbe garden or orchard allows the water ! to flow from the main into delivery pipes | that ramify to the points where it Is to be distributed, and when the ground IS | sufficiently moistened the water IS easily | turned of again.
 In the orchard I noticed peach, pear, apple, apricot and plum trees, as well as many thrifty grape vines and some oi the smaller fruits, such as entrants, gooseberries, a patch of strawberrles, and so on. Good potatoes, onions, lettuce and vege' ables too numerous to mention graced the gardens. Another enclosure rather nearer the house afford ed shelter to numerous hens and tur
 keys. This IS tue only attempt at a
 poultry yard l have seen Tn this region
 and Mir Clark tells me that It IS very essential at night. In the day time the gates are opened and the poultry allow ed to range at will, but with the shades ' of evening, all safely housed, the gate are closed, and the predatory wild cat, the sly fox, and ubiquitous skunk, sees m vain to scale the fifteen foot fence, that carefully protects and enclosure Of rath- ] er more than seventy-feet square.
 We next went to the corrals, two ID number and circular m shape, and about
 seventy feet Tn diameter. They are con structed of cedar posts placed as close together as possible and firmly bound together by poles and raw hide. Lead ing out from one of the larger cOrrals, Is ! a smaller one for the calves of the milk COWS and here were L. dozen as pretty
 youngsters of the bovine tribe as one
 would wish to see, while not far of on the surrounding hills graZed theIr moth CTS, accommodating the nouTlshlng fluid
 both for their young and for the family
 nse. Nobody 1 am told cares to own | inst how great or small are their worldly possessions and. ss l have learned that the cattle man is no exception. did not ! put the question point blank to friend | Clark, but l fancy that the beautiful ! samples of cows, steers and bulls that I saw coming to water or grazing about are multiplied into many hundreds at least at the rounding up time.
 I thought 1 could give yOu ny im- pIessiOn of tine two ranches in short letter and yet I have oLly begun to ! write about the first. Not a word about the bands of horses, nor the kinds of grass and scarcely hint as to surround ings. Not line as to the range of the mercury, the year round ID this most | delightful of climates nor of the kinds | of trees and thelr abundance, nor of the game furred and in feathers. Neither nave said that all these improvements have been made since last May, less than a year ago when NIT. Clark moved to his present location. Well must get some of this into a second letter to ' on, | else I can fancy MIR. CITIZEN" now rife with rumors of war Tn Europe, and ap- ] condiments by the new administration not to speak other matters equally val | uable, having to Use a sciZZOrs or my copy" So close to continue as lO the | serial stories. only unlike them them may be not at the most exciting point. Very truly,
 Ac-IPrrKR.