Arizona weekly citizen., 1893-12-23
CANAL IMPROVEMENTS
The Order of the Day Near
Florence.
An Era of Great Prosperity Now
Opening For The ella
Valley.

tuiO VI NONfS0 oCPOoiO0 Al VIC HcO-
nix Gazette:
FLORENCE, Ariz, Dec. AT present
this section of sod is not prolific of
happenings worthy of the chronicler's
n tice, and efforts at news-gathering,
results mainly in waste of energy
| Many Of our people have gone to
Tucson to testify in the Kibby case
and the remainder are pursuing the
even tenor of their way, struggling to
make both ends meet II such time as
statehood; the rehabilitation of silver,
of some other potent measure of re-
lief shall have become an accomplished
| fact.
| Two causes have operated to en-
| force condition of general stagnation
here, namely; the financial crisis and
| the mismana. ement of the Florence
canal. The former is generally under
stood, the latter needs explanation.
The mismanagemento of the canal dates
| from the commencement of the
construction work. The projectors had
no experience in the direction of
enterprl es of this character, and while
they employed competent and
experienced engineer they discarded
has plans and suggestions ard required
him To conduct thu work with an eve
singled to cheapness. The first, AID
| chief bluUder. was the fret mile of
di.ch constructed. At the point where
their not &c OF appropriation was placed,
4 q ~ TaE ~. 81. II
| b. cutting through this and following
the original survey, the head and first
mile of canal would have traversed
solid ground, and been forever proof
| against encrJachments of the river.
But it was found that a temporary
saving of seven or eight thousand dol
lars could be saved by dropping below
| this point and utilizing a mile OF
| slough which ran PARALLEL to, and was
separated from the river, by low bar
of sand and gravel. The engineer
protested against the folly of ttis step
without avail. The result was, the
| first freshet that came down the river,
| after the work had been completed,
| totally obliterated this mile of canal
Each subsequent freshet has repeated
| to performance till the cost Of renewals
has far exceeded the amount that
would have been required to construct
permanent head along the original
| line survey.
This same false idea OF economy
dominated the management IF the
enterprise frc m that time on, and as a
| natural and logical result, the owners
have been brought to the verge of
| bankruptcy, and the whole valley bal
| anced n the brink of ruin.
Ii may be asked how can the whole
valley be directly affected by the sue
cess or failure of this one canal. The
| explanation is simple. During the
first flush of excitement over the
| building of this large canal, the ma
Irity of the owners of the old canals
exchanged their rights therein for
rights In the new enterprise, and
| thereby forced complete abonden-
ment of cid bitches. This, necessarily,
made every acre Of ground, cultivated
or liable to be cultivated on the south
side OF the river, dependent upon the
Florence canal.
The first two years after the canal
had been completed as far as the reser-
volr, the seasons we're favorable. There
were no freshetS TO test the weak
points in the cara's construction.
People were full of confider ce, They
took up land, improved 1t purchased
water rights aud perfected their titles.
plat ted ont trees and vines and ex-
pended all their available capital in
putting their property in a condition
to yield profit.
Then came the freshets, breaks in
the canal and temporary repairs.
Water could not be had when most
needed, and, as consequence, crops
fell off in yield till they scarcely paid
the cost of raising. This gradually
Impoverished the farmers Till thew
were not able to pay water rentals |
In the meantime the company, still |
huggiug the pet delusion OF cheapness.
was wasting its substance in vain
-fforts TO make sand BANKS resist the |
force of currents.
But, thanks to the holders of the |
canal bonGs, we IRE soon to witness n |
change IN the management of all this |
important enter, rise, and with the |
change, 40 abandonment of the en-
roneous idea that substantialness in |
constitution should be sacrificed in the |
interest of mistaken economy. The |
suit by the bondholders for the fore. |
closure Of their mortgage on the canal. |
will probably be terminated at the |
present term of court, and that thew |
expect to take hold of the property |
and place it N condition to yield a |
profit on the investment, is evidenced |
by the fact that they are now backing |
Receiver Ham mond in his preparations |
for extensive and needed improvements
and repairs.
The fist of these improvements will
be new head and waste-gate, and |
one and one-quarter miles of new
canal. The engineering firm of Cotton
& Merritt completed the drawings |
plans, specifications and estimates of |
cost, today, and submitted thsm to |
Receiver Hammond, who will forward
them to Chicago for the consideration
Of the bondholders.
This new head ana waste gate will
he at a point about one-thud of a
10 lie below the old hesd gate and
where tie banks on either siGe Of the
river are solid granite. This will make
a permanent head, as there il no
possibility of the river shifting at this
point.
Twenty five thousand feet of lumber
will be used in the construction of TIE
head aud waste-gates, The headpate
will be % feet wide IN the clear and
the raste-gate will be 30 feet in width
IN the clear. They are SO planned "a
to make the waste-ga;e a comnleta
protection TO the head of the canal
during freshets. The total cost of This
work, together with hundred foot
sluice way, is estimated at $4,000.
The mile and one-quarter of new
canal will begin with the hsad-yete
and run through solid ground. above {
and beyond the reach Of the hood
waters of The river. The cut at. and
for some distance below the head gate,
will be eighteen feet in depth. The l
cost of this work ls estimated at $4,000 I
making the total cost o. improve
ments at the head of the canal. sic 300 t
The completion of these improve I
ments will make the head of the canal {
proof against destruction by future i
FIRE shEts and make certain onr watar '