Arizona silver belt., 1897-08-26
A CONFERENCE.
The Question of Enlarging the Army Post at San Carlos Under
 Consideration.

An important conference ip being
 held at San Carlos this week between
 General Brooks, department com
 mander, Colonel Volkenor, assistant
 adjutant general, and Colonel Sumner
 commanding officer at Fort Grant
 The question under consideration is
 the advisability of enlareing the San
 Carlos post, making it the most i'm
 portant post in Arizona, and at the same time abandoning Fort Grant
 The proposition has merit and is in line with the declared policy of the government to abandon many of the small posts and concentrate the troops in the cities and at few large posts on the frontier.
 San Carlos, being the agency for the White Mountain reservation, on which there are upwards of 5000 In dians, possesses advantages for the location of large bodies of troops, and the department is no doubt also in fluenced by the assurance of a railroad to be built through San Carlos to Globe at an early date, which would insure the rapid movement of troops and the cheapening of transportation charges.
 Although San Carlos does possess some advantages, it IS not altogether desirable place for the location of a permanent post, The climate Is ex- cessively warm and the water supply Is deficient and the quality not the best. Besides there is serious obiec- tion te having large body of troops stationed at the agency where they will come in contact with the Indians. The mingling of soldiers and Indians is demoralizing to both. It would be far better to have the post located at . convenient distance from the agency, which would not in the least impair the efficiency of the troops in main taining order and insuring peace.
 Ten years ago when the question of establishing a post at or near San Carlos was under consideration, these questions were fully discussed, and the fat above Holmes Well. seven miles from Globe, was suggested as the most desirable site. It affords an ample area of level ground, the alti- tude is 5000 feet or more, and an adequate supply of pure water could be piped from Pinal mountain. Gen. eral Miles was department commander in 1887, and during his visit to San Carlos in August of that year, com mittee of Globe business men visited the agency and laid before him the proposition to have the post established on the Holiness Well site, and ac- quainung him with the many advan- tages that the location offered. Gen. eral Miles was so favorably impressed by the representations made to him by the committee that an investiga- ton was ordered, survey made and plans for post drawn. Lieutenant J. W. Watson, we believe, was charged with this work, and the re- port was so satisfactory that General Miles recommended the establishment of the post, but was overruled by General Schoheld, then commander in chief of the army.
 Now that the question Las been again taken up by the department, it would appear to be an opportune time to revive the proposition of moving the post from San Carlos to Holmes We'll. General Miles, who is now in Europe. is expected to return to the United States soon, when the matter should be brought to his atten- ton, and it is not unlikely he would give it serious consideration.