Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1898-02-16
ARIZONA CORRESPONDENT.
A Former Las vegan Writes from
Our Sister Territory.


TO the Editor OF the Optic.
PHOENIX, Ariz., Feb. 18th, 1885,
Thinking that perhaps there may be
those among your readers who would
be interested in knowing a few facts
concerning the Salt river valley, IN the
center of which is Phoenix, and con-
corning the city itself, we will proceed
to "pen our Impressions Of the metrop-
oils OF Arizona.
Phoenix is situated in a fertile valley |
sixty miles long by thirty miles wide.
The climatic conditions are similar to
the country on the lower Pecos. The
soil contains less alkali and the eleva-
ton Of the valley beng somewhat
lower than the Pecos country, perhaps
q few more fruits, nccessitating the
absence Of frost, a be grown here
than there. Oranges grown here are
superior to those Of California and
dates, figs and lemons are now being
grown for export. Great quantities Of
alfalfa are raised and 100000 to 100000
head OF cattle are being constantly fed
In the valley for the market. Every
thing Is produced by irrigation and
although the development OF the valley
is only Ill its infancy, it suiiices as
another demonstration of what pluck
and capital can accomplish in the arid
regions,
The abstracts CT the land in the val
ley read back to the government, and
has been acquired by settlers under the
United States laws, hence the commu-
nifty has never been handicapped by
obscure and questionable titles to the
land and when capital came to the
county, seeking investment, it was not
scared away by the uncertainty of title;
this has been a great factor in the
development Of the Salt River valley :.
The land here is no richer; it might
raise tropical fruits which il would I've
impossible to grow in New Mexico as
far north as Las Vegas, but the valley
has had no grant question to contend
with, outside of the peralta-Reavis
bubble, which has been Opposed of for
all time by the courts, end i'll this title
question lies a gentle hint to the people
of Las Vegas and vicinity.
The Phoenician cannot cast his ewes
to the north or west, nor in any other
direction, and catch glimpses Of such
grand monuments of nature as half
surround Las Vegas, neither can he
quench his thirst with such water as
Superintendent Pierce supplies when
the elements do NOT interfere. Here
you seek the shade in February;
the nights are cool, but we are told that
a pretty active breed of mosquitoes
are considerably in evidence in the
summer and fall when the average
merchant has more calls for mosquito
netting than calico.
Phoenix has seven miles of electric
railway, and you can travel from one
end of it to the other in the same time
1t takes you to go round the Plaza park
by means of Las Vegas Quadruped
System.
There are no big business houses
here-no b. & NJ. or G. & b.. compa-
MES. in fact the largest store here, the
largest in the Territory by the way,
occupies only $4,000 square feet of
floor space, warehouse and all, and this
could be comfortably accommodated in
two stories of Chas. Ilfeld's big block.
The business is transacted mostly on
one street by houses dealing In special
lines of merchandise.
The incorporated city is one mile
long and one-haf mile wide, but is
built up far beyond the city limits in
several directions. 1t is lad out on
the prairie. as it were, hence has plenty
Of room to spread. The main business
street has a cement s~lxteea-foot side
walk; streets are broad and in the
residence portions, well shaded. The
81 ass Is getting green and the trees will
put forth their leaves by March LIST.
Maricopa county, Of which Phoenix is
the county seat, has a population of
about 10000 or one third the population
of the entire territory. A great num-
Der of
well as people seeking a warm winter
cline, arrive here during the winter
months.
The climatic contrasts here are about
the same as in northern Arizona and
New Mexico, only an average of thirty
or forty degrees warmer, the Their
mometer seldom reaching the freezing
point In winter and going as high as
115 in summer. L. K. A.
H s