Graham guardian., 1897-10-29

] This Is region unsulpS SSed IN
Lineral wealth and is less Known
to-day in America than the gold
fields of Africa. So far ! have
made only a beginning. The great
deposits Of copper and silver near
Signal, the gold mines of Santa
Maria, the wealth of The Ger at
mountains, the White Hills and
river range in Mohave county,
with the Hnalpai and Music noun
talns to the east and the gold basin
on the north, each would GIL
pages to set forth their merits.
While TO the southwest we have
the great Fortuna mine from which
flows a golden stream. A little
east the great copper fields of Ajo,
while further along and near the
border, the long neglected fields
exploited by the early Spanish.
There is the Pearce mine and Bis
bee, with Tombstone near at hand;
with the Clifton and Morenci
further north; thence west 10 Globe;
with wealth of nations and round
about and back with mineral on
every side to find yoarself in
Phoenix, where / assure you there
is no safety, because / can plant a
battery of modern guns on work.
ing gold ore, at three known
places. and from either point lay
the city in ashes.
Now you say, or others viii say
If these things be true, why are
these mines aot beng worEeds !
viii not pretend TO answer only IN
part. Let me ask, why did Grip
pie Creek, the greatest gold camp
of the world, remain a COW pasture
for more than quarter Of CEN
fury? and that, too, only for the
obstruction Of pixies Peak, IN fall
view Of Denver, the great mining
center of the western world, A
child can ask questions which no
man can answer. No industry can
be developed in a day. Only a
few years have passed since hostile
Indians made frequent raids over
much Of Arizona. Only recently
has any considerable portion of
the mining country been accessible
by rail, and at this time the great
er portion is remote. Long dis
tances are destitute of surface
water. Water will have to be sup
piled by sinking wells and con-
structing reservoirs; ore markets
established to enable miners to
realize on small lots TO provide
funds for developing the mines;
communities must offer encourage
ment to this end, and at the same
time the schemer must be frowned
down, Perseverance and patience
will gain the victory. Coal mines
must be opened, cheap lamSer pro-
vided; all will work to the general
good. In this connection | want
to say that the extent and value Of
Arizona forest land is to the world
unknown. While the number and
extept Invaluable coal denosits in
the territory are Dol even dreamed
Of by many well informed people.
,o,,p res DENIS 6gAti-egA, A state.
ment that Arizona contains moFs
coal than Pennsylvania would Se
received with many doubts. / be-
lieve that geographical survey
will prove such to be a fact.
Now, as to timber, one of the
greatest pine forests in the United
States reaches from southeast to
northwest, more than 800 miles
across northeastern Arizona, hay
ing width of forty to seventy
miles, and in places more
than hundred miles wide; safely
$4,000 square miles of magnificent
forest practically untouched, to say
nothing Of hundreds of thousands
of acres Of cedar, mesquite and
other smaller growths distributed
all over the territory, affording an
almost inexhaustablc supply of ex.
cellent fuel and timber suited to
many domestic purposes.
The agricultural resources of
Arizona have only been developed
to the dignity of an object lesson.
One hundred square miles of water
shed finds an outlet at the junction
of the ella and the Salt revere.
On this vast area is IN annual rain
fall of more than IL inches. Think
of it, equal to $4,000 square miles
OF water four inches deep; enough
to support millions of people in
agriculture alone. Tins water
must be impouuded and made TO
serve a purpose, other than as now,
rushing headlong to the sea maxi
ing only wreck and rain on its
way. There is much TO do in
Arizona. Its resources Of soil aud
mines are bouadlcss. Ten million
acres Of virgin soil await the com
ing of the homeless.