Arizona republican., 1897-10-05
SAFFORD, GRAHAM COUNTY.
Flour City of Arizona Settled Largely
 by Mormon Families.

Stafford, Ariz., Oct 1.-(Special Cor respondence of The Republican)-As Rochester is ito New York state, so is Safford to Arizona home of four ing mills in the territory. Your cor respondent was agreeably disappoint- ed in his estimate of Stafford -four miles west of Solomonville), as he had formed an opinion at long range, as also of the Gi1a valley. The sharp notes of whistles at the three grist mills were gentle reminders that Saf- ford was live town. It was indeed refreshing to hear the sound of wflis- ties. They say that the seat of county government will be in Stafford one of these days. Speaking of flour mills, Stafford is strictly in it in that re- Spect. The oldest Is the one in the east end of town, which was built in 1878 by CottreIl and Jacobs of Tucson then run by water power, two burrs being operated. Next, c. Layton run 1t several years and in 1893 John Blake and J. T. Owen took charge and introduced steam power, roller mills and an elevator. Owens sold out five moEths ago to z. A. Prima and J. c. Parsley, the firm at this time being Z c. P1ima & Go. The mill has ca pacity of fifty barrels daily, twenty four hours run, the quality of four equalfng the Pride of Denver, they say. MT. Blake has an interest in the mill and keeps general store close by.
 J. F. Campbell & Son have conducted a grist mill five years on the north west end of town. In the twenty-four hour run the mill can turn out eighty barrels, by the Cornelius roller pro cess. MT. Campbell said his mill was the best equipped in the territory, and took occasion to speak of the fine meal ground. A general store is as sociated with the mill. A sample of the meal was sent Tie Republican office.
 -Four years ago the Stafford Milling compeny was incorporated on the CO., , operative plan The present officers are: William Teller, president; Hugh McMullen, treasurer; W. B. Fonda, secretary and general manager; Hon. George Skinner and N. P. Beebe com plete the board of directors The mill has a capacity of thirty-fve barrels daily fsteam roller process), and en- ploys four men. It is located on the railroad siding and has been running nearly two years. The stock is held by tweaty-nine stockholders, farmers in this locality. At this mill was shown samples of turkey red wheat, a species cultivated in the Winnipeg, Manitoba, country, where the ther- mometer drops pretty low at times. I've been there, and know. This wheat Gin this county) has been culti- vated principally at Duncan, on the Gila, tributary to the A. & N. M. It goes forty bushels to the acre. The Stafford Milling company controls this year what turkey red there is for grinding. The flour contains more glutin the strength of wheaD than any other wheat produces Two thousand eight hundred acd seventy } one pounds of wheat has netted 1,722 pounds of four of fiTst-class quality. The White Australian or Mediterra- mean wheat was planted in the valley by a few farmers last year. Some 50,000 pounds were threshed the sea- son past, and the product is gradually increasing. The greater part of the 50,000 pounds was seeded this fall. This wheat requires less watering and produces more first-class flour than the Sonora or Taos wheat The Saf- ford mill turns out barley, graham flour, corn meal and flake barley. New barley rolls were recently put in. The other mills grind corn and cer- calls ether than wheat, the production in all lines going out of the valley to Clifton, Lordsburg, Wilcox, Bisbee = Fort Grant, San Carlos, Globe, etc Freighters haul a good part of the output to Fort Grant, Globe and San Carlos.
 There are located here five good sized mercantile houses, those of John Blake & Co.,, J. T. Owens, J. F. Camp bell & Sons, Jacobson & Sons, and William Kirtland, any one of these creditable to towns of larger growth