The Arizona sentinel., 1885-08-22
The Mohawk Valley.
BY CAPTAIN J. A. MELLON.

-~~N years, thrown away thirty thousand dol lors In prospecting for mineral in Ari- zona, and many are following in his foot steps every day. The above reflection was intensified while visiting the Mohawk Valley on the 31st ultimo, with George W. Norton, Superintendent ofthe Mohawk Valley Canal Company. While riding over that alluvial body of land, thought how different it would have been with my friend had be invested his thirty thousand dollars in the Mohawk Valley! He could have had, with that amount, improved three large farms and could have had them now paying handsome dividends, No where else in this wide world, is there so fine body of land near to railroad to be entered by any citizen of these United States. The reason, presume, it has not been settled, is the conviction among most people that the title is vest ed in the Southern Pacific Railroad Com pany. The Interi.r Department has lately deciced that it belongs 10 the public do- main, and tEe land should not remain long idle, but contribute its quota to the 2ros- perity of this Territory and especially to Yuma county. Last Fall 1 had the pleas- ure of visiting the most of the far-famed Santa Clara Valley, California, and saw no land in it's original state that exceeds in natural advantages the body of land of which write.
 Persons who doubt the ability of this climate to produce the finest tropical fruits, would suggest that they visit c. II. Brinley's, w. H. Tonge's, and Miss NJ. E. Posts gardens on Madison Avenue, this city, and there :hey will see what Nature has done under adverse circum- stances-there being lack of sufficient water. This difficulty will not be met with in the Mohawk Valley. The Mohawk Canal Company will insure sufficient supply for the thousands of acres that comprise this beautiful valley. The head gate is located at Texas Hill, about sixty miles east of Yuma. A better location 10 take water from the Gila does not exist in the entire length of that stream-lt be- ing the key to the Mohawk Valley. The river, at this point, runs on the b d-rock, and its banks are granite walls and resist all action of the water, combining two re- ouisites in taking water from running stream. In 1879 my business called me to that point, which season was the dry est within the memory of the "o.dsst inhabitant," and there was, st that time, an abundance of water at the point where the head gate is located. That Simmer of 1879, was also ILe dryest ever known throughout Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. Most of the feeders to the Colo rado river became dry and that stream was lower than ever known, I mention these facts to show how absurd the state- ment is, that the Mohawk Canal Con- D ,ny's waler supply will not be perma. nent. There are some rich mines in Yuma county, but her richest mine is the Mo- hawk Valley, and when that Valley is settled up, Yuma will hold no second place to any county in Arizona. ex- pect to liye to see ihe day when the Mo. hawk Valley will have ten thousand happy homes embowered in beautiful! groves offruit-producing trees.
 cannot say too much for the energy and enterprise of George W. Norton, who, 10 bring this fine body of land to the notice of the public, is now the cor tractor for building the ditch, and he, being an engineer of much experience, gives him many advantages over his work. The day visited the Valley, was the warmest of the season, and, although I rode oyer most of 1t on a buck board, at no time did feel uncomfortable. neither did the teams that were working on the ditch seemed oppressed with the heat.
 There is water in the Valley that does not come from the Gila river. The men working on iEe ditch have a we'll of water not over nine feet in depth-belng several feet higher than -tbe-S1atOr=in in -ths- river. Mir. Norton informed me that north of the Valley, on the Mesa, there were springs of good water, and possibly the water in the we'll comes from that source. The Val ley is protected Ion the north by high Mesa, and on the south. along its entire length, some thirty miles. runs the South. ern Pacific Railroad, giving exoellen: faci- lities for transportation.