Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1895-05-08
WE CAN CROW.
RELATING TO SILURlANS.

Ever since Adam was driven from the
Garden of Eden, since man first roamed
through the wilderness of superstition
and doubt, his hand and voice has
been raised against every effort In the
line OF human progress.
Railroads, telegraph lines, steam
boats. telephones, great waterways, and
every grand device and achievement of
mans Godlike ingenuity and mechanic
al ability, has encountered an ardent
and tireless public standing in the
pathway of progress, and with uplifted
hands in the name of public veal pro-
testing against the encroachments of
individual energy and capital.
Colum bus standing in the presence of
the Spanish throne, natures nobleman
uncovered in the presence of vice and
bigotry, looking far out on the western
horizon humbly informed that gather
ing of stupidity that far beyond the
limits of Spain, surrounded by a mea.
sureless ocean, slumbered the worlds
grandest empire. He was jeered at and
spurned for his knowledge; and it was
only due to his tireless energy that the
continent of America was discovered.
Thus has individual man had to
forge every link in the long chain OF
human progress, while the siluriars
stand like mileposts in the pathway of
advancement and vigorously protest in
the name of the "pub bic" against every
onward movement in the development
of the world.
The Standard Oil company is loudly
denounced in every town in the United
States, yet it is true that this abused
corporation has and is doing more for
the common people by giving them
cheap and good oil, than has any other
institution in America. The expend-
iture OF vast sums of money of rival
corporations has thoroughly demon
strated that no individual or minor
corporation can produce a similar oil
for the price this company sells it.
This same condition applies to the
Armour Beef company; it is doing a
similar business to the Standard Oil
company and Notwithstanding the
public abuse heaped upon them, they
are public blessing.
This same condition applies also to
the water system OF the Salt River
Valley. Silurians stand on street cor
ners and damn the canal companies, say
that they have ruined this valley, have
''stolen" the public waters, are robbing
the poor man, ETC., when the true facts
in the case present a vastly different
condition of affairs. When W. J.
Murphy and his associates first broke
ground for the construction of the Ari-
IONA Canal, Maricopa county was an
infant in productive capacity. Her
tax roll was about one million dollars,
ten thousand acres of her fertile land
were under cultivation, principally in
alfalfa and grain. But at that day,
with that small acreage, the same old
silurian stood on the street corners and
lamented the scarcity of water and
denounced the men who had sufficient
energy to build the small canals then
in operation. Mr.. Murphy was ham
pered and every unfair advantage was
taken to prevent him from building the
Arizona canal. But with an energy
and capacity that is characteristic OF
him, he toiled on till the last foot of
this grand waterway was completed,
which marked an epoch in the advance
ment and development OF the Salt
River Valley.
History is continually repeating
Maricopa county today has tax roll OF
about SO, 900, 900 and a titled acreage of
nearly $50, 900 acres and still the water
| nj the Salt river dances marrilv on its