Arizona republican., 1899-04-02
GOOD WORD FOR PHOENIX.
Judge Mccormick Believes This is the
 Best Country He Has Seen.

Judge J. W. Mccormick of Wiscon- sin, who arrived in Phoenix early in March, thus gives his impressions of the city and valley to the New North, published at Rhinelander. Wis:
 Phoenix. A. T.. March s, 1899.
 Editor New North: I wrote you be- fore from Ash Fork, which is the point on the Santa Fe route where you change for Prescott and Phoenix. l tried to give you some idea of the utter barrenness of the country between San | Bernardino Cal. and Ash Fork. The ride to Phoenix is only little less barren, until you come within forty | or fifty miles of the capital city. It is then that one's surprise begins. Here lies a valley q hundred miles long by half as wide, which is the finezt 1 ever saw eXcelling even the Los Angeles valley Il produces the finest oranges, l apricots, figs. pOmegranates, peaches, pears and almonds, besides al kinds of vegetables, and is probably not eQualled anywhere for it's alfalfa pro- l duct I have seen this grass Q foot l high and which will be ready to cuc ill two weeks. A crop of alfalfa can be | produced here in three weeks in the l summer season. With proper irriga tion four and even five crops are har vested in a year. It is now selling readily here for S10 q ton, while the cost of producing it is about 8 per toH. It is Cnly fair to say, however. that it does not always b. ing the high price which now prevails, the present de- mand being largely caused by the crop failure of the past two years in south ern California But there is a sure way to get good returns from the crop; by feeding il to stock. This is the ideal grazing and stock country. Figure to yourself a field covered with foot high growth of this beautiful dark green grass surrounded by line or tall. heavy-topped cottonwccd trees, in full leaf at this time, dotted with fat cattle, with a beautiful modern | house of brick near the road, having lawn with palms, pepper trees, cac- tus. blooming flowers and Oleanders and you will have a scene to be met constantly in drive in any direction from Phoenix at this time of the year. The prices of thcse lands range from $50 to S1O0 per acre for the alfalfa lands and up to $500 per acre for the orchard farms. All the garden vege- tables are to be had at the markets now and from the vegetable wagons Cn the streets.
 I can imagine no more independent, certain and pleasant way of making a living than to own say one hundred acres of this land and raise alfalfa and pasture stock. A good income may be made by pasturing the cattle for the owners who pay $1.50 per month per head for this privilege.
 Arizona also possesses great re- sources in the way of onyx and stone mines, besides gold, silver and copper. The Arizona brown stone is easy to work and hardens in the wall and is the most beautiful 1 ever saw in color The onyx is of the finest. 1 saw il in the Green hotel annex at Pasadena, which is one of the finest in it's interior finish in the country.
 1 saw Colonel McCord's ranch where he has fine orchards of peach, pear, ap- ricOt and almond trees, besides alfalfa. He lives in a most commOdious and elegant brick house in the best resi- dence portion of the city.
 I also found Dr. Wylie, formerly Of Wausau and later of West Superior, doing a very large practice here and receiving the recognition which his ability 90 well deserves. I also had the pleasure to mee. MT. SturdeVant formerly of Merrill, our "Lige's" fath- CT, who had moved 10 Phvcci1 after l left Rhinelander last fall, and wDC is now settled here. This is a better eli mate for inYalids than southern Cali foTnia, and at a proper elevation is in deed ideal in this respect.
 PhOepiX itAeif is DO less of reYela- tion than is the country which sur rounds it It would be difficult indeed t0 find city of like size anywhers that has SC many things to be said in it's ia vor. It is thoroughly cosmopolitan. People by the hundreds are to be met here from all parts of the country. The streets, hotels, public buildings, busi- ness blocks and private residences will compare very favOrably with those of cities of many times it's size. It is modern and up to date in every respect. It has beautiful parks and is constant ly making improvements and additions in this respect. The people are wide awake and enterprising. and if any one comes to Phoenix with any thought of finding people who do not understand their business he is destined to a ruds awakening.
 1 had the privilege of attending seV- eraI sessions of the Arizona legislature and found men in both branches who would compare we'll with ths members of like bodies in any of the states.
 The professions are filled with bright, able men, learned in their re- spectiye callings, with a strong pre- dominance of the younger element.
 While the people of the east have been shivering in the grasp of bliZ- Zards, this climate has maintained an even temperature of from 50 above zero at night tcL so above at noon.
 With such a surrounding country. and such resources of soil and climate as the capital and commercial metrop- oils of the territory, and with such an enterprising population. it requires iit- tie faith to predict that the next tcG years will find here, as queen of this delightful valley, a city of fifty or even a hundred thousand people.
 J. w. MCCORMICK.
 THE WEATHER
 Daily report received at Phoenix, ri1uDo ADriI lei 1O0o OI,ccr,-o t:c,r,..