The Florence tribune., 1899-12-30
A BLOOMING DESERT.
What Irrigation Has Done For Ari-
 zona-Our Future.
Dr. Elwood Mead Favors Government Aie to Build Water Storage Reservoirs
 and Other Necessities.

vation and is now one of the most fer tile and productive farming districts in the country. This marvellous trans formation is the result of systematic irrigation, which the natural absence of rainfall rendered necessary. How this has been done is most graphically described by Dr. Ellwood Mead, the government irrigation expert.
 "It is within the memory of man !" he remarked, "when Arizona was an al- l most trackless desert, overrun by fierce and wariike Indians, and it is within the memory of even the children of Arizona that all this has changed des- erts have been made to bloom, and all warlike Indians have either been sent to the happy hurting grounds, or are used for exhibition purposes in Wild West shows and eastern expositions. In place of the Indian villages and the military outposts have come great min ing camps, and .rackless deserts have become beautiful valleys divided into high priced farms by splendid roads. Railroads have encroached upon the country from all sides and the tourists can visit in a parlor car, at the rate of forty miles an hour, where a few years ago the pioneer came in canvased wag- ons half that many miles a day, and marked his camping ground with empty shells from his rife, fired be- tween the wagon spokes, which made good shield.
 sThe Salt and Gila valleys held at one time nothing of value to the tax gatherer, but now he finds between thirty and forty millions of dollars in property to list upon his book. All this came from the water i1 the ditch- es, and yet, less than one per cent. of the face of the earth in Arizona pro- duces aught of value to man. There are many larger percentages which can be made equally fruitful when water is added to complete the simple but necessary formula used by nature in turning common things into gold.
 The settler in Arizona first seeks running water, and then, with conf 1 dence, settles down, digs ditch, turns the running water upon the ground, and straightwsy proceeds to get rich, for running water upon Arizona soil is like unto gold mine. It produces wealth. This has been the system even beyond the memory of man, for there are Arizona ditches which are nearly four hundred years of age, and the present generation is not quite sure what manner of people dug them.
 The blanketed Indian stands about and watches with pathetic air the rest less white farmer with his ditch. The tourist kodaks it all and remem hers more than he kodaks. The one-lunger ! finds it easier to live here with one lung than he did in New England with two, and stays and joins the Indian as part of the audience. The capitalist fuds many things good and transfers part of his bank account from east to west, and then his profits from west to east. Some even come to stay 8 part of the time and condescend to like it, even if not part of the life of their artificial world. When they re- turn to the latter they take back with them 8 new store of energy, which is really of more value than the profits of their money, but they do not believe it if you told them.
 In this Arizona country the United States government is concentrating it's irrigation experiment. work and in time knowledge will be forthcoming which will be of value everywhere that water is brought upon the land. The first appropriation for this purpose was make by congress two years ago, but the sum was 50 small that not much was done, only 0,0O0 being ap- propriated.
 "Irrigation is so new in this country that there is not very much to be learn ed about it, and this is what the gov ernment has set out to do. It is desir- ed to learn the amount of water re- quired to irrigate an acre of land for the various products that may be raised, by careful system of accurate measurements; whether or not the amount of water may be lessened after irrigation has been in progress for 8 long time; how the water supply may best be conserved, and, in fact, gnin all l information that will be useful and instructive in the planning of works, in the framing of legislation, and for the guidance of the courts in the reg ulation of irrigation in all arid states.
 1.-The running streams of Arizona are now doing all they can, and still more water is wanted. To get this the people of valleys not so favored with living waters as they might be, are preparing to store the little that falls