The herald., 1897-09-12

the border Is concerned, this ID just what
Is being tried at the present time. 1t ID
we'll known that the Southern Pacific &C.
quired the Sonora road through the
trade for the Mojave division Of the old
Atlantic and Pacific. The road from
Benson to Nogales Is poor one and a
source Of great expense In maintenance
A road from Tucson to NogaleD would
be through a country rich In all that
contributes to railway traffic, and the
line would be exempted as we'll from
taxation for the term Of fifteen years
The line could be cheaply built and eas-
ily maintained. Even the grade stakes
are set Of the old Santa Fe line. The
project is, very apparently. an attract
i've one, and it is not probable that the
Sunset route folks will let it slip.
THE CRIME WAVE
A curious state of affairs has been
prevalent about Phoenix this summer.
Generally toward the end Of the warm
weather we have a murder or two, and
Of casualties, fatal or serious, usually
three follow in string. The weather
bureau has taken notice Of this condi-
ton of public mentality and has in
structed it's observers to be on the watch
for "crime waves" The crime wave
generally hits Southern Arizona about
the middle of August possibly because
at that time the blood of the southron gets
up to fighting heat or because the heat
has stewed to the surface all the mean
ness there Is in the human anatomy.
But this year no murders have material
lied. The crime wave has been bent by
1{o 1v,11 q h a q
passed us by. The county prison Is
empty save for a few minor cases that
need few bars to confine, and the city
recorder can't keep the chain gang sup
piled, for the hobo has mot come of late
TO stretch forth the panhandling paw for
a handout. Perhaps 1t is wrong to crow
before the woods have been passed. There
still remains warm weather for month
or 80 and the crime wave may yet ma
teralize, but for the time let me announce
that Phoenix Is peaceful and seems like
ly to SO remain till the convening Of the
next county convention.
TO WATER THE DESERT
Local conditions are improving. There
is no doubt of the fact. The coming win
ter is going to be one Of the greatest ever
known in all Arizona and in this city es-
pecially. One of the factors will lie in
the construction Of the Rio Verde canal,
that great waterway that Is to skirt the
northern edge Of the valley and is to
irrigate some thing over a hundred thou
sand acres of the best Land that can be
found out of doors anywhere in the
southwest. The people Of this city have
not been quite satisfied with the work.
ings of this corporation-there seemed to
be too much plan and too little cash in
sight to do the work with. Then too many
desert sections were supplied with water
rights at SIS an acre before a plow had
been stuck in the right Of way. But,
somehow or other, the company man
aged to build about twenty miles of its
eighty or so Of main ditch, and at the
head have done a large amount Of work,
estimated to be worth about $3.50 900. On
the basis Of this, as evidencing good in
tention, $500, 900 in gold bonds have been
issued and are now awaiting the report
of an English engineer who Is to arrive
within the week to inspect the project
There seems among the promoters to be
no doubt as to favorable report, and
they expect within several months to
have thousand men merrily working
on their enterprise.