Arizona republican., 1898-03-30
SCOTTSDALE.
THE HOUSE THAT CANT BUILT.


 Rev. Mr. Banks in the evening.
 THE HOUSE THAT CANT BUILT.
 CHAPTER II.
 About this time trouble began to brew in that otherwise peaceful and happy community. Trouble which cost MT. Cant many a tug at the heart strings, many a tug at the purse strings, many a tug at the old mares tug and many mile of travel. Trou ble that actually threatened to in volve the whole neighborhood. It is long story and the bottom of it all might be called "The Ditch That Cant Bought"
 In 1886 the Goodwin boys went out south of Tempe and constructed a ditch from the end of the southern branch of the' Tempe canal two miles south, thence one mile west and thence one mile south. In 'SS Lon Harmon rented the section of land which Mir Cant now owns and also the quarter section which is known as the Daggs land and which lies at the southwest corner of the Cant section. MT. Har- mon could not get water enough to suit him on the Cant and Daggs land through the Goodwin ditch, So he con- structed ditch of his own.
 For the benefit of those who are not informed it will be stated that the Salt River valley was once inhabited, perhaps by more intelligent race than that which now gains subsistence in it. The handiwork of this extinct race can be seen everywhere, cut deep into the surface of the valley or piled spicuously high above it in the form of great canal systems. through sections which as yet this civilization has utterly failed to water because of it's great elevation; sections, too, which if watered, would be as valuable as any farming or orchard land on earth, in the form of silent, sombre ruins of public buildings, homes and work shops. In this district, which is un- der discussion, these proofs of the past are exceedingly numerous and great many pieces of pottery, axes, skele- tons, ornaments, household imple- ments and many other things have been found and are now part of many highly prized collections.
 MT. Harmon discovered an old water way lined with ruins, which takes it's course right down and diagonally through the Yaeger section, across a corner of what is now Zech's land, corner of Gant's section which lies i'm mediately west of Zech diagonally through the Daggs section which is at the southwest corner of Gant's, and diagonally through Miss Seass' quarter section, which is south of the Daggs land. So it is seen that this was a diagonal waterway according to the cardinal points of the present day and age and that this dead people con- structed ditches where they would sup ply water to all the land whether it spoiled the appearance of a section of land or not. Were there no other evidences in the case which took place years after MT Harmon discovered this waterway, this fact alone that the people who first subdued this desert waste constructed a canal down this ridge is proof enough that this is abso- lutely the best natural waterway through that country.
 MT. Harmon began at the corner where the Goodwin ditch turns west two miles south of the end of the south ern branch, and reconstructed this Az tee waterway down to the Daggs cor ner and watered this land and the Cant land for his sheep Two years later. in 1890, R. G. Goodwin filed on the Zech section.
 Col. Shultz took Valentine Cant out and showed him section 26, as MT. Cant wanted to buy Mr. Shultz showed him the Goodwin ditch which, as has been stated, ended at the cor her of this section and which was in good condition. But Mr. Cant, who was a man of great experience in waterways, both for farming and min ing purposes, and who assisted in building one of the first irrigating ca nals in California, said he could not get water on enough of the land through this ditch and told MT. Shultz he wouldn't buy. He was then shown this Harmon ditch, which was in poor condition and half grown over with brush. On seeing this MT. Cant bought the land on the spot, with all appur- tenances thereto" This was in 1892 The new owner rented the land to the Daggs brothers and went back to Cal ifornia. Fletcher Schureman and R. G. Goodwin put the Goodwin (Zech) section into grain that year and p1owed in the Harmon ditch, none knowing much about waterways, thinking it was nuisance and therefore thinking MT. Cant would have no objections, they dug a ditch around the corner