The herald., 1897-01-19
ACROSS THE ARIZONA LINE
Pleasant Prospects Cause the Nagstaf.
fans TO Rejoice
The Wafer Works Bill Passes the United
States Senate-Development VIII
Follow Promptly.

FLAGSTAFF. Ariz., Jan. 1S.-At last
the people of the Skylight city have
great reason for rejoicing. A telegram
from Delegate N. o. Murphy informs
C. NJ. Funston that the water works Dill
has passed the senate, after running the
usual congressional gauntlet, and only
REQUIRES the presidents signature to
make it law.
With a city built up Of stone and brick
business blocks, lighted by electricity
enjoying a telephone service, and boast
ing an altitude of almost 1000 feet above
sea level, and an atmosphere said to be
the purest and driest on the continent, It
has been felt that only one thing has
been wanting to make this the gateway
to the Grand canyon-complete in its
up-to ateness-and this one thing
needful was an adequate water system
Under the Harrison act, Flagstaff could
not incur an Indebtedness greater than
per cent of its assessed valuation, TO
matter how good the purpose might be,
nor how essential for which the issuance
of bonds exceeding the per cent limit
might be considered a sensible business
proposition The bill which has just
passed both houses is to enable the city
to issue bonds to the amount of S65,OO0-
a little enough sum of money, 1t would
SEEM to some of the overcroWded ce1-
ters of population in the effete east, but
looking big. perhaps, in the eyes of those
unacuuainted with the resources OF
Flagstaff and Coconino county and the
great benefit that will result from
proper water system.
The very best kind of source of Wa
ter supply has been found on the north
eastward slope of the San Francisco
mountain, to the north of here 1t is
big spring, and the city council recently
sent the Sykes brothers up to it to gauge
the water They found that the spring
had a flow of 10000 gallons daily, at
least This spring, which is called the
Jack Smith spring. is of the purest noun
tain water. and is about IA miles distant
from the city. There are several other
sources available. One of the most i'm
portant of these is the Fort Valley basin,
having a drainage of a considerable area
of mountain slope on the south of the
San Francisco mountain. This is about
seven miles from the city. Part of it is
an old lake bottom, with good depth
of gravel and a bed of impervous clay
underlying the gravel. The mouth of
the valley is quite narrow and could
easily be damned across, thereby con-
verting the basin into a reservoir, or
lake. of good mountain water. The Jack
Smith spring, though, is much preferred
by the property owners and business
men, who are to vote on the bonds. A
survey was made last summer and the
proposition was laid before number Of
capitalists, with the result that some
Denver investors declared themselves
ready to take the bonds at any time.
Many of the bonds will be taken up at
home. however. The Atlantic and Pa
cific Railroad company has promised TO
purchase a good part of them.
At present most of the water used is
pumped up by the railroad company from
spring nine miles southwark of the
city, known as the old Pump House
spring. This has been fair make
shift, but. compared with the possible
system that can be put in at so small
cost as $4,000. to be compelled to de-
pend upon this makeshrift is by no
means befitting the county seat of Coco
nino county and the center of an ax-
tremely rich agricultural and stock
raising section.
SO many people get the impression that
Arizona is one vast desert, that can only
be reclaimed by extensive irrigation, that
word about Coconino county may be
seasonable. In the first place, this has
been the great wool-growing and stock
raising section: in the second, irriga-
tion is not needed. as there is consider
son in summer. Notwithstanding. the
climate is not disagreeable. There is
hardly day in the entire year in which
the sun does not shine, and it is seldom
cold. In the third place, it should not
be forgotten that there is plenty of for
est-about 2270 square miles on the Col
orado plateau--in which there are over
eighty species of trees, among them thu.
red and yellow juniper, cypress. pine.
fir, walnut, oak, ash, hickory. cedar.
sycamore, white cherry and locust
Grass is plentiful. This is the very on
posite of a desert.
TO quote from one of Ex-Governor
Tritte's messages: There can hardly be
named any of the products known to the
temperate zone but can be proftably
grown in Arizona. Corn. wheat, barley
and oats are raised most SUCCESSFULLY
and it is not uncommon for the Yield TO
reach 1000 pounds to the acre OF the
fruits, apples, pears, peaches, plums
and apricots are most prolific. Cranes
figs, oranges and lemons are suited TO
parts of our soil.''
If any one doubts this let him call upon
Mr.. O. p. Harding, who has a ranch in,
Oak Creek valley, eighteen miles south
OF Flagstaff, and Mr.. j. l.. V. Thomas
who has a place farther down by about
two miles. Says Mr.. Harding: II can
grow nearly everything on my ranch
that ground will produce. including all
the cereals, vegetables and fruits of the
temperate climates and besides these [
can raise ramie. flax, hops, cotton and
tobacco equal to any grown any place
else. Among my 400 trees I have apples.
peaches. pears, plums and cherries; the
fruit of all is excellent, and we have
plenty of Strawberries, too. can raise
more produce here and make more mon
ey with less effort than in any other
country under the sum-"
And Mr. Harding has this to say: "This
il. the best all around country for poor
man or one Of moderate means to live in
that can be found anywhere. The eli
mate is mild and very healthful The
water is always plentiful, pure and
sweet There are thirty living springs
along the creek near my place. The soil
is deep and rich. / can grow anything
on my ranch that is necessary for a
mans use in the shape of grain, vege-
tables and fruits
Finally, to quote from Editor c. NJ.
Funston: "In Coconino county there are
about 1,750000 acres of fertile farming
land that can be cultivated without irri-
CATION, and, with the exception of about
10000 acres, the whole of it is virgin soil,