Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1894-04-19
UNDER SUNNY SKIES.
Irrigation, Ostriches and Fruit
in the Land of the
ApacheS.
An Interesting Letter Con-
Cerning Arizona From
r. E. Wallace.

Editor Alert:-To resident of the
grain and grass covered prairies OF North
Dakota, the sandy desert along the line
OF the Texas and Southern Pacific rail-
roads in western Texas, New Mexico and
Arizona, has anything but an inviting
appearance. The thought always ready
for expression is, "What Is such country
good for?" and if expressed in the hear
| ing of resident the answer Invariably is,
"All it lacks to make 1t the finest agri-
cultural and fruit country in the world
is water and people to cultivate it," OF
course one recalls Sheridan's remark,
"Water and good society IS all hell
lacks" but to travel for hundreds of miles
With nothing but sand and cacti in sight,
and no probable way in which the neces-
sary water might be obtained, the out.
look for the good society" is decidedly
poor.
Arriving in the city Of Phoenix just at
daylight, after the long hours through
the desert, one is very much refreshed
trees are green and everything has a
bright, fresh appearance. The city has
a population of about 5000, largely
Observation-Disclosures in all branches we'll
| represented. l saw more people on
Washington, the business street, at 6
O'Clock in the morning. than you can see
on Fifth avenue during the busiest hour
of the day. Phoenix is the capital of the
| territory. and is indeed a lovely place.
| The people look healthy and happy and
| the hot weather does not effect them
| more than the cold does us. The winter
must he pleasant and to a North Da-
kotan, the amount paid out for fuel is
exceedingly small. The "Mexican heater"
| (the sunny side Of the house, would
hardly do for family in our state.
Here we find the necessary water and
good society, fine churches, excellent
school buildings, large business blocks
i lovely residences and an electric street
car line, four miles long, in operation on
Washington street, and horse car line,
about 81 miles, on Grand avenne.
The greatest drawback to this city is
the fact that it is not on the main line
but about thirty miles north of the
Southern Pacific railroad on branch
line operated very similar to our James
River Valley road, trains running each
way IN the night. There is, however, a
good prospect for the completion of the
line south from Prescott to this place,
and as it will be operated in connection
with the Santa Fe road, will help lower
the almost prohibitory freight rates.
Having peculiar views on the "Sunday
question:" concluded to see Phoenix
Sunday evening. Found many of the
stores open and dong good business,
the saloons running wide opeh, and in
several Of the larger ones gambling
tables in full play. Faro, roulette, keno,
stud poker, policy game, Jamestown's
favOrite game-craps-and still another
called Panginga, played with several
decks of cards. But life was too short to
stop long enough to "catch on." Every
one seems to have money and it was easy
to imagine ones self back in North Da-
kota during the winter of 80 and 81,
when similar scenes were common.
Well, you don't care much about the
town, but would like information as to
the country. Through the courtesy of Mr..
Lincoln Fowler, who has been a resident
OF the territory for almost twenty years,
I have seen considerable of the Salt
River Valley, and am free to say it far
surpassed my expectations.
The valley is abou: 50 miles long and
averages IL to Is miles in width, contains
about 10000 acres of irrigable land.
Elevation about 1850 feet above the sea,
is surrounded on all sides by the foot
hills Of the mountains. The climate is
semi.troplcal, but very little frost, and no
snow and moderate rain in the winter
The thermometer very seldom falls be-
low the freezing point. Territorial,
county and school taxes about $3.50 per
800 valuation. Wherever water has
been run over the land and crop
planted, the production is simply mar
velous. Here one can in reality ''sit un-
der his own vine and fig tree" Messrs.
Barttell have very large and produc-
tive fig orchard, said to be the largest in
the world.
The orange here ripens earlier than
in either California or Florida, great ad-
vantage, as the first in the market com.
mands the highest price. The Salt River
Valley oranges took first premium at the
Midwinter fair, in direct competition
with California fruit, and were the only
oranges that scored the 100 points. All
kinds OF fruits are grown, the rais;n
grapes are cured out Of doors without