Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1897-12-08
JIG. MARTIN, Editor and Proprietor
,norr wHIPFLE BARRACKS

ABOUT W htE r LII
 The JorRxAL-MNER has not seen General Miles report, snd until 1t does. it cannot believe that he has recommended the abandonment of Wbipple Barracks, ss published. The importance and necessity Of a post in Northern Arizona is aPpar- ant to all. and the assertion that General Miles would make such a recommendation from any personal feel he might have in the matter, IS certainly very uncomPlimentary to him.
 General Miles is at the head of the army of the greatest nat'on on earth. and to occupy such position a man must be possessed Of broad mind. and such 8 feeling or preJu- dice. as charged against him, must be entirely foreign to him. At any ,ata the JOURNAL MINER is not pre- pared to believe such charge on an unsupported assertion, and 1t will require a copy of General Miles report. with that recommendation incorporated in it, to convince us of its truth.
 If there is any place where troops are liable to be needed, it is on the frontier. and Whipple is the only post in Northern Arizona The eli mate here is unsurpassed, and with our present railroad facilities, troops could be speedily transported to any portion of the territory.
 General Otis has just completed a personal inspection of the post, and it is hoped that his recommend atjon will be favorable for maintain ing 1t and enlarging its capacity. While 1t is true that the question of
 
 a pure water supply is at present a somewhat serious one, the citizens Of Prescott will in the very nearfutuEe solve that problem satisfactorily, I; is a problem which affects our own citizens as vitslly, if not more zf. than it does Whipple, and 1t .s Q question which we will be conPe Hed to solve.
 The Phenix Republican, in dis cussing this question, says; "lt IS to be hoped that the report of General Otis to the War Department regard ing Fort Whipple will be favorable to the retention of that post. 4 military station in Northern Arizona is undoubtedly required, and there , is no more advantageous location for it than Prescott. h the event of trouble with the tribes on reserva- tions in Northern or Central Ari- zona, or of a big railroad strike such as that of 1894, the presence of troops at Whipple would, as in times past, be ot great service to people in the regions affected. The policy of concentrstioE begun by the War Department several years ago, should not, in our opinion, be applied to Arizona. While this is law abiding territory, there are still conditions existing here that make the maintenance of an army post at Q central point like Prescott highly desirable, Up to this time, the Secretary of War has recognized the importance of retaining Whip pie. General Niles. for some reason, favors its aban ionment. We should be slow to believe the statement that is going the rounds that Gen. eral Niles attitude is due to the affection of the people of Prescott and vicinity for General Crook. General Crook was stationed for 6 long time at WhiPple, while life in the territory was not ss safe as now, and 1t was but natural for the peo- pie who recognized his ability as an indian figher to become deeply attached to him. We cannot accept the statement that General Miles is moved by resentment toward the people of Prescott to advocate the abandonment of Whipple. Werenew the suggestion We made months ago when the subject was under discus sIon. that the citizens of Prescott organize ID the interest of the con- tinuance of the post. Much has been done already by Mir F. Nj. Murphy, of Prescott, to keep the roops at Whipple. A concerted movement by those directly inter ested ought to be effective just st this time"