The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1891-11-21


and see the voters, will not be
troubled much in the first of the
coming winter to vote for or
against our constitution. The Rey-
inert group Of mines, which were
formerly worked quite extensively,
are in charge of keeper. San
ford, formerly a thriving town
three miles below Florence, now
looks sad and desolate, reminding
one of Goldsmith's Deserted Viii
lage. And yet the board of super
visors have kept up the assessment
roll by fcticious values, last year
that they might lilies gally issue the
Globe road and bridge bonds, and
this year because it would not do
to let the outside world know that
we are going backwards, but it
goes all the same. Look at the
vacant houses on Main street of
this town and other parts of it that
have been closed for months. Does
this look like progress?
Is there a man in this territory
that does not want statehood, if
there is he must be an idiot. Who
would not rather a thousand times
live under State government than
a territorial, mere colony, as it
were, of the federal government.
But we must wait awhile my
friends it is too early yet.
There is another thing that 1
had overlooked, the lands We are
going to acquire when we become
a state. In the address of the
committee who framed the consti-
tuition, we will acquire about 4,
595,330 acres of land. You all
know what that land is worth if
you have ever travelled much in
the territory. There are thousands
upon thousands of acres not worth
one cent an acre. The most of the
cuitivable lands that are subject to
irrigation have already been locat-
ed. The timber lands in the
northern portion of the territory
have been acquired by the A. & p.
r. r. and lumber syndlcates and
what is left is not of easy access.
Sec. 6, article 8, says the school
lands shall not be sold for less
than ten dollars an acre. There
are some sections of school lands
in the salt river and Gila valleys,
that are worth more than that. the
balance will go begging at the
government price. Five per cent
Of the sale of the public lands, will
not amount to much, about twenty
seven hundred dollars, for the
southern district of Arizona, which
will not go very far towards pay
ing even the interest on the terri
toriai debt, and the sales will be
much less in the future, as all the
choice irrigable lands have been
located.
| am told upon every occasion,
that after we are admitted as
state, that everything will boom,
The mines, the real estate, and all
kinds OF property, stock of all
kinds, especially water stocks will
be way up, also that capital is
very timid. This has been told
to me 50 often, that | begin to be-
ieve it, especially when | look
around i'll Pinaf county. That
there Is no security for the Invest
nenC Ot capital, ETC., etc, now
What lot OF stuff and nonsense.
has capital, mining capital especi-
ally, Ucen backward in Investing
ng III Montana. Idano, Utah,
" yoming. or even in Ariz.n
We have over one thousand miles
)f railroad lii operation, and if all
,he.e buHcumDe notices claiming
exemption that were nled short
lme ago with tne don. Secretary
Df the Territory 90 IN to operation,
am afraid we Will have few too
l.aAY. l would like to know if
my vi our legislatures have ever
passed any la is, viii h " uld pre-
Vent cap -, ,.n comi z here; On
;he con , ley have held out
every IlduCe atnt.
| have lived the best portion of
NY life III Arizona-it Will be
,nIrty-eight years next spring.
Every thing | have with a tritling
aYcantion iC here I bava battlod