Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-03-03
Arizona our Back Country.
San Diego Union.

city to the Southern Pacific in Yuma, would confer more lasting benefits upon San Diego, than any other line which has yet been proposed or projected"
 The speaker was the Hon. Patrick Hamilton, of Arizona, who has been i'll San Diego for the past five months, on account of ill health. MT. Hamilton has lived in the Territory since 1872, and is as thoroughly posted as to its grea natural gifts and advantages, as any other liv- ing man. For six years he filled the of flee of Commissioner of Immigration, and during that period visited every town, mining camp and farming settlement within its borders His work, the "Re- sources of Arizona" passed through three editions, and IS looked upon as standard authority, in all that relates to the 'sun kissed land" Being an old newspaper man, MT Hamilton takes as naturally to the interviewer as the duck does to it's watery element. He Is en- thusiastic about the future of the Terri tory, and believes that its three great sources of mining, farming and stockgrowing-will surely make of 1t prosperous as well as populous state.
 What Is the general outlook down there at present." asked the Union re- porter.
 ''lt was never brighter. The late rise in copper has given great impetus to | that branch of the mining industry, and many claims in all parts of the Territory which have lain idle for years, are al- ready being actively worked. The cop | per deposits of Arizona are among the most extensive and richest in the world; and If the present price of the metal or anything near it--should be main tained for any length of time, the out put will be very large.
 "The cattle industry is also in a healthy financial condition. The boom in Southern California has opened mar kets for all the beef which Arizona has to sell Instead of shipping to Kansas City or Chicago, there is now a nearer and more lucrative market either in San Diego or Los Angeles. While mining and stock-raising are in prosperous condition, the development of our az ricultural resources present a still more cheering picture. It is popular opinion that the agricultural capa bilities of our Territory are rather limited, but like much else relating to Arizona it has its origin and foundation in ignorance of actual facts.
 ''You must remember" continued the
 Arizonian, "that agricult ural operations are not entirely confined to the valley oi the Salt river. The Gila valley from
 Yuma to Florence is likewise being open. ed up to cultivation and settlement. Not less than score of canal enterprises
 have been projected, and many are now
 under construction in that region. The
 area of land which those waterways vii
 add to the domain of civilization will not
 fall far short of million acres. Every
 variety of grain, grass, vegetables ant ' fruit which grows ill this State, gives {
 bountiful yield down there. The valleys
 of both the Salt and the Gila seem to bt
 especially adapted to fruit culture, an(
 it is only question of few years wher they will become one grand vineyard anC orchard. There Is now a steady inflow of settlers and the country is rapidly fill
 ing up. When the canals now undeI way are finished there will be homes fo } thousands and hundreds of thousands. "Now," continued MT. Hamilton, "thI extensive region, and in fact all o Southern Arizona, is naturally tributar, Ito this country. With branch road t. 3 Yuma every pound of material consumes 3 in Southern Arizona would find its wa,
 through this port And not only Ari
 zona but New Mexico could be reache' by your merchants. In return we woul
 send you our early fruits-which, by tn way are ripe a month earlier than il r Southern California-our juicy alfalf s fed pork, our fat beef, and our rich al falfa hay I look upon the region
 speak of as much a part of San Diego back country as Fl Cajon Of EscondidC s Of course need say nothieg about man other benefits which this city would de l rive from the building of road.
 would materially shorten the distance
 San Francisco and open up the extensiv e mineral and timber resources of tn r mountain regions of San Diego County , A large portion of the overland trave ;, which now finds its way to Los Angele " would be turned to this place and u : discomforts of the dreary Colorado de }. ert could be avoided"
 ''In fact" concluded Mir. Hamilton, |;
 he turned to go, ''the advantages of
 Yuma connection cannot be overestima u ed by your people, and now that the IS are thinking of giving subsidy to u h next road that unites this city with IT. trans continental line the Yuma projec
 ed route should be their first oh oice. J