Arizona weekly citizen., 1891-06-13
ON THE WING.
Reflections On the Famous
Santa Cruz Valley.
THE GREAT BANK COUNTRY
Of the Ancient and Honorable
City of Tucson.
One Of the Finest Valleys in the
Worle-Need OF a Railroad to
Eogeles.

am not sorry that decided 10 come
hers via the Tucson and NoG6les stage
instead Of by railway, for by sodoing
Was afforded good view OF large por
ton of the Santa Cruz valley, thus OBJ
taini1g q more comprehensive idea OF
its W ,nderful possibilities, and the great
commercial advantages that of necessity
must ultimately accrue 10 tucson, Toy
reason of the development inaugurated
through the Santa Cruz Water Storage
Company. whose operations In the con-
struction OF reservoirs, canals, ETC., are
on the eve of commencement.
For about sixty miles our route lay
southwark through the heart OF this
valley, which varies from five to twenty
miles in width.
Leaving Tucson early on the morning
or the 9th, we were soon ia full view OF
the celebrated Old mission church on our
right, less than ten miles from tho city.
Us we sped along ct Lively rate, with
miles Of valley on either band, and our
eyes actually firing in gazing upon The
lnterminable level stretches beyond,
We could not help thinking how strange
that such beautiful land, and SO produc-
tive, rs is amply demonstrated by occa-
sional ranches on the route, should so
long have remained an idle waste. The
more remarkable does this fact appear
when We are told that an abundance of
water is annually permitted TO pass IN
utilized TO the great Pacific ocean, IN
stead Of having been stored and convert
ed to a protitab use in irrigation.
While our neighbors east Of the Rockies,
as has been exhibited in Oklahoma anG
nfhnr rocI-y 70
dergo al manner of hardship and pTiya-
ton fer the privilege Ct settling upon
wild and sterile land, having long, bleak.
and inhnspitable winters TO contend
against, here in the lana Of almost per
petual sunshine, and what may easily
be made the land of beauty also, has
lain for untold ages, and still remains,
these many thousands of broad acres
Of unimproved lands in such favored |
climate that by the aid Of irrigation
and intelligent culture can be made to |
produce aOundantly anything that can
be grown in California.
OF course 1t must be admitted that
without the expenditure Of considerable |
capital these opportunities could not to |
a large degree have been made available, |
but on the other hand large sums have,
ard are still beng eXpen ded in lrriga- |
ton enterprises elsew here on the Pa |
citic coast that do MOI promise d 1.-THE |
Of the returns in profit that does the /
scheme OF placing this great santa Cruz /
valley under a competent system of |
irrigation. Go into either OF the "bCom" |
districts Of California and talk to any |
1ne of the score Or more Inhabitants /
tn staked OUT city Of several |
nllfs square. and ask him upon what |
he support of the embryo metropolis de-
1ends, and he will readily inform you
With the utmost assurance that the |
place has "a great back country" and so
I might be said with the greatest pro-
)riety of the ancient city; she has also
treat back country, the possibilities Of
which have rarely been exaggei ated.
In many parts OF the valley water lies
,ut few feet beneath the surface, as /
,ould observe from wells sunk by the
and wind mills are used to
Iood advantage on gardens and small |
ields, while in other places large fields
f grain-about the best have noticed
Turing my recent traveling-Were irrigat-
d by water conducted in bitches from
he river. The larger per cent of the in
labltants / saw were Mexican.
Another thought that presented itself
o my mind was that there should |
De a railroad up the Santa Cruz from
tucson 10 Nogales, thus placing The ne
ropolis OF Arizona in direct and speedy
with the most important
ines of Mexico. There would appear to
e DO engineering difficulties to over
ONE, and very little expense in prepar-
ton for the ties and rails, as there
7ouid not be hill TO cut through in
be entire distance of about seventy
niles between the two points. Ii is TO
'e hoped that the much talked Of pro-
ect of building such road will become
reality in the near future.
Since NY arrival have met nu nber
f etaunch friends Of the "CITIzEN,"
mong them Geo. Christ, proprietor OF
he Montezuma hotel. and t. A. Jones
f the International. Both these houses,
,eing Of a good class, are deservedly
veil patronized. j. w. Roberts, an old
inner of Tucson, officiates as clerk Of tn
after.
Several gentlemen prominently identi
led with the extensive mining enter
Drises in Sonora. ana other adjacent dis
riots, are now sojourning at Nogales.
/ expect to visit the CerrO Blanco
nine, Sonora, within the next day or
40, and on my return shall note some
he many interesting features of this
lively town Uf tie border.
F.B.L.
Nogalee, June Sth, 1891.