The Florence tribune., 1898-12-24

naeeded for oue pair of hands, closely settled community of small .proprietors generally grows up. People can live just near enough too to have the ad- vantages of good schools, churches and those wholesome associations which flow from community life, and at the
 same time be free from the depressing
 Influences of the great city. What | conditions could be more favoraoieF
 Irrigation is beginning to receive
 some share of the public attention that is its due. The Seventh Congress, held in Cheyenne this autumn, attracted more interest than any of it's predeces- sors. Governor Mount, of Indiana, has
 set fourth. in a recent letter, the bear
 ing of the subject upon the welfare of
 the nation in words which I cannot do
 batter than to quote. He writes;
 eTwo important problems are be-
 fere us--the unemployed and our arid lands. A policy that would furnish to
 the idle remunerative employment, and
 fraitfulness to our desert places, would
 prove a boon to our country and blessing to humanity. A policy that
 would relieve the congested cities and
 su oply their crowded inmates with 7 hosnes; that would develop manhood sspdf womanhood, furnishing employ Hment,. teachiug- habits of industry and
 frngality, would. be building for our
 nation,s future on the solid rock. The
 country is the nations hope. Rural
 life is conducive to purity of char acter. l think the blending of our ideas. the exaltation of agriculture, the application of science to farming, the encouragement of migration to the country instead of to the city, the
 transforming of waste places into
 tiniling plenty, will do more for th'
 nation's prosperity, development ant happiness than any suggestion offered 2 to the public. do not know that thu '' people are ready to cooperate to thi . end, but do believe true wisdom in . sites to such methods"
 ' The government has in Southern ? Arizona an interesting irrigation an 2 Indian problem combined. It appear U that the Pimas. Maricopas an = Papagoes were agricultural Indian who had supported themselves fror 'o time imn1emorial by irrigating thei O lands by water taken from the Gil . River. h early times these Indian .- were of great service to the whites ~ protecting them against the Apaches . but as population increased the white S began ro take up the water of th n Gila river, until they finally succeede le in getting control of it all, leaving tf As poor Indian literally high and dr. sn He can no longer keep up his farming v and although the government is spen' v ing large sums on his education he no left without substantial means of SUI lS port. Some one has aptly said tht these Indians from condition of sel 2. Supporting savagerysto that of depen'
 enee on government rations an , petty thieving under civilization. Tn n practical problem is to get back th
 water that used to flow in that rive ,. This can probably be accomplished b
 building 3 good-sized dam at a poir . above the reservation, and there hold
 ing the stream at flood. Congress ha - appropriated 0,0O0 for an investigs - ton of the question, and preliminar
 examinations have been made. It vii :, probably cost $2,0O0,OOO to construc V the dam, which would have to be don = by the government or some communit I, effort But this is something whic u must be undertaken if we are ever | T. utilize the beautiful lands of Souther e. Arizona.