Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-12-15
Arizona.
An eastern writer in speaking of this

"In agriculture, Arizona is yet in its infancy, but it must not be sup posted that 1t does not possess any considerable portion of valuable farm ing lands. The United States Land Office has reported there are two mil lions of acres of productive land in the valleys of the Salt, Gila and Colorado rivers and all that is needed is water applied and perseyering industry to cause these lands to produce as rich harvests as can be found in the whole world. The Territory is situated in the southwestern corner of the United States and contains 114,000 square miles, being two and a half times larger than the great State of Pennsyl- vania. From the diversiication of its geological and geographical features, it is certainly as rich, if not richer, than any other portion of the Union. In its mineral wealth it stands second to none. In 1881 it's product was eleven million dollars, and its development is increasing yearly, yet, in comparison to the min cral deposits within the Territory there
 
 there is not a mountain peak or range in the Territory that is not permeated by the rich deposits.
 Itdoes even old Arizonans good to hear a stranger talk so hatteringly of our sunny land as they, above all others, are capable of judging of the correctness of what he says, and though the above quoted writer would seem to speak most encouragingly, yet we know that though he has told the truth of Arizona, so far as 1t goes, he has not even yet told the whole truth. However 1t must be under stood that gentleman from the east, new to this peculiar country where everything is so different to what he Is accustomed, have no usual power of careful, accurate observation to pie ture us so accurately as he has from mere visit to the Territory, but this he has done, and we must say 1t is well done. He gives the outlines of the situation accurately. We think, how ever, that Arizona needs beside thous- ands of good solid labt ring men of small capital, an immense amount Of large capital to open her great treas ures of gold and silver, to thoroughly develop her vast stock industry, to store her waters and lead them over her broad ewpanse of the richest soil the beneficent Creator ever spread out to wait upon the industry of man. Large areas of farming land must needs be reclaimed by artesian water and will be some day when shrewd capital, that has pluck, shall take the matter in hand. To induce capital to do this, however, the United States should be liberal to those who shall take the matter in hand Otherwise vast are 8 of these rich lands must lie useless till the crack of doom unless the government itself in some far dis tant future age might finally discover that she had been neglecting her duty to the people and undertake the re- clamatiOn by artesian water herself But be this as it may, the develop ment of our vast mineral and agricul tural resources is the question of the day among us and enterprises that demand and must have vast millions Of money to carry them out. In the Salt River valley, which was visited by the writer of the above extract, large amount of the work of development has been done that part of it at any rate that capital might be expected tC do, the bringing of water onto the land. It now remains to people those lands. They will support in luxurious wealth the population of a family tC every fifty acres; they will support il independence family on el cry to twen ty acres ;but these families must, ,begil with, be workers, that class of famil. that is to be found everywhere through out the rural districts of the east , They will need one to two thousand of dollars to start on, should com here in the fall, not later than tn : middle of November and in six t. seven months thereafter they will b. , eating vegetables and bread from thei own lands in sufficient quantitie |, } support them.-Pnenix Herald.