Arizona republican., 1898-04-12
THE HOUSE THAT CANT BUILT.
 CHAPTER II.

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 tug at the heart strings, many a tug at the purse strings, many 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 '88 Lon Harmon rented the section of land which MT. 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 a ditch of his own.
 For the benefit of these who are not informed it will be stated that the Salt River valley was once inhabited, perhaps by a 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 conspicuously 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.
 Mr. Harmon discovered an old water way lined with ruins, which takes it's course right down and diagonal1y through the Yaeger section, across a corner of what is now Zech's land, a corner of Gant's section which lies inn mediate1y west of Zech, diagonally i 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 SUD-
 ply water to all the land whether it 1 spoiled the appearance of 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 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 wes 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 tn,
 Cant land for his sheep. Two year
 later, in 1890, R. G. Goodwin filed ol the Zech section.
 Col. Shultz took Valentine Cant ou and showed him section 26, as MI Cant wanted to buy. MT. Shult showed him the Goodwin ditch which as has been stated, ended at the cor ner of this section and which was il good condition. But MT. Cant, wh was a man of great experience f waterways, both for farming and min ing purposes, and who assisted i building one of the first irrigating ca nals in California, said he could nc
 get water on enough of the Ian { through this ditch and told MT. Shu1t he wouldn't buy He was then show
 this Harmon ditch, which was in DOC condition and half grown over wit brush. On seeing this MT. Cant bougt
 the land on the spot, with all appul g tenances thereto" This was in 189
 The new owner rented the land to tn Daggs brothers and went back to Ga
 ifornia. Fletcher Schureman and I j. G. Goodwin put the Goodwin Czech :. section into grain that year and plowe e in the Harmon ditch, none knowin : much about waterways. thinking
 was a nuisance and therefore thinkin n Mr. Cant would have no objection d they dug a ditch around the cornt n in order that the Daggs could ha1
 water for their sheep. They then g selves watered their grain from ditc r which they built straight south fro n the point where the Harmon ditch il Il tersected the east line, what is now tl
 Yaeger land.