Arizona weekly citizen., 1888-03-17
ARIzoNA's OPPORTUNITY


 been trying, as well as her tettered rep. resentsilon ID congress would permit, to induce the Federal Governmen. to .p- proprIate trifiing sum from the sur plus toward the development of her hld- den sources O; water supply. At last the Committee on Territories has decid- ed m favor of sscertsining the water re- sources of that Territory and New Me1i- co, With View of retaining the so- called deserts by irrigation. The com mittee has already reported bIll to the House sppropristIng S50,OOO for each of the Territories. which sum the Secretary of War IS directed 10 expend in boring srteslan wells in the public lands in those Territories, and in making 6 by drographic survey of each terrItory, and from such surveys to ascertain ss near ss may be the practicsbility of storing the waters of the Territories in reser- voirs or other receptscles for the pur- pose Of irrlgatiug the public lands. The
 
 the work to be done at as early 6 date as possible snd make full report to the Fifty first Congress. All lands reclaim ed from a desert condition by any water thus developed are to be subject to en- try as homestead claims at the mini mum price of s4 per acre.
 Errr kaF Naaaa 1a1 children of Israel out of Egypt into the Promised Land, Arizona was thickly peOpled by civilized race who dwelt in heir wslled cities, hsd theIr systems of municipal government and priesthood, tsnd cultivated large areas of fertile land. Numerous relics of this mysterious race, whose origin nobody knows, are scatter ed through the Territory, and their great water courses, which they used for irri- gstion, may still be traced for miles through what IS now a dry and deserted eKpsnse If mesa, covered with cactus, greasewood and struggling mesquite. The engineering science of this prehis- toric people IS proved by the fact thst in several instances, where modern sur veyors have followed the route of these old canals. it has not been found neces- sary to deviste foo. from the hne which they had adopted.
 The old idea of the desert character Of Arizona is gradually giving way to a better knowledge Of its resources and possibilities. The whole ;erntory con- tsins less actual desert than does the Colorado Desert in Southern CslIfor- nIg. The vast u, sRs possess a rich friable soil, which Is perfectly adapted to the growth Of grain. fruits and vines, needing only the life-giVing touch of water to produce ss lu1uriously as 1t did when a succession of cities, ID groups of seven, stretched from what IS now Southern Nevada far down into Mexico.
 A large amount of land has already been brought under irrigation by means of ditches, during the past few years, and many more are being constructed, bat there is an immense area of fertile land, upon which water can only be brought either from mountain stor- age or from srtesisn wells. How vast tn!s area Is msy be judged from the fact that the Territory of Arizona con- tains over 72,OoO00O acres of land. of which less than 2,Oc0,O0O acres are sus- cepuole of cultivation for want of water.
 The benefits that will accrue to the territory from 8 judicious expenditure of the small sum appropriated by this bill-whioh will undoubtedly psss-can scarcely be overestimsted. Arizona will now have the opportunity she has so long sought, to prove whether srtesisn water can be had upon her fertile mesas. Should the result be favorable ther. will be DO lack of capital to develop the precious fluid, and immigration will crowd into the territory. Los Angeles being Arizona's natural supply poInt, we feel much interest in anything that tends to the prosperity of that territory, and hope soon to chronicle that an am ple supply of srtesisn water has been discovered. Il. A. Times.