Arizona republican., 1899-11-16
THE BUCKEYE COUNTRY
A Very Important Section OF The
Salt River Valley.

| Lee returned yesterday from trip to
the Buckeye country where Mr.. Lee
owns a ranch. They found a very
/ lourishing community of about $50
| persons, an increase OF more than 100
per cent in the population within two
years. They also found that the pros
poets of the Buckeye, owing to the re-
organization of the canal company,
are brighter than they have ever been.
! Some years ago J. H. Braley. presi-
dent of the Southern California Saw
/ ings bank at Los Angeles made invest
ments in the Buckeye country and 50
/ became acquainted with the possibili-
ties of that region. Not long ago he
/ bought the O'Neill interests including
| a considerable block of canal stock
and a large tract OF land. The canal
company was recognized with new
I board of directors, Of which Attorney
/ General Ainsworth and Frank Aims
worth are members.
The new company will at once I'M
dertake extensive improvements. the
first of which will be the cleaning of
the canal. To accomplish this the price
/ of water Will be raised from 81 to s.
In the spring. as soon as the freshets
are over, the company will put in a
new dam and a masonry head and
w. II. Code has already been employed
as engineer to have charge of this
work.
| There is a mortgage on the canal
which has been regarded as a kind OF
bugaboo The new management has
decided to pay it off, and to do TINS
] will levy an assessment on the stock
The assessment will be cheerfully met
[ by all or nearly all holders.
/ Frank p. Lee who has had extensive
[ experience in irrigation matters, mas
been appointed superintendent of the
canal and the management has peeh
reduced to a system. When the coh-
/ templated improvements are completed
the Buckeye canal will be, perhaps the
, hest in the territory, in the respect that
the water supply is abundant for an
( demands that may be made upon IL
There can be no failure of a supply, Tor
at the point it is taken out, the river IS
[ crossed by a natural dyke which IN
tercepts the underground current so
that at the dryest seasons there IS
/ from 5000 to 1000 inches
Even under the disadvantages Whlch
| have heretofore prevailed in the
Buckeye country ranching has been
successfully carried on and most, II not
all the settlers, have made money
Mr.. Lees experience is only one OF
many. He bought his property 1our
wears ago. Eighty acres OF it was put
in alfalfa for the first time two years
ago. The present year he has received
as rent for pasture $1,000 and he mas
already contracted pasture for next
wear at the rate of 81 a head Per month
Even if he should be able to pasture no
more cattle than last year. an income
of ten per cent on $4,000 would seem
aIluring to investors
The Buckeye country has contributor
also to the wealth Of j. 5 Day.
pioneer in that region. He settled there
fourteen years ago and engaged in the
raising of horses and mules, which was
only moderately profitable. Since then
Mr.. Day has devoted himself to cattle
raising and now has herd worth
$40 600. He has zoo acres in cultlVa-
ton. He keeps no cattle on the range
but prepares them for the beef mar
ket on his own pasture
All this has been accomplished IN
der the disadvantages of a canal at
times without management and winch
has never been cleaned. What may NJ
brought about under a perfectly ar
ranged system is a subject of pleasing
conjecture.
There are about 5000 acres already
under cultivation and about as
MANY more which can be IL
rigated. This is all patented land
Mr.. Braley is the owner of 1,49O acres.
which will be sold at so an acre, 50
an acre extra for a water right. The
fertility of the soil of that whole re-
gfon is unsurpassed in Arizona, ana
for alfalfa and grain it perhaps is I'M
equaled in any of the fertile valleys
of Arizona.
Residents of the Buckeye country
are pleased with the new management
and are disposed to cooperate with II.
/ The liberal policy of Mr.. Braley and
his associates is expected to reVolu-
tionize that country. The lands owned
bv Mr.. Braley is not going to be held
for higher prices, but will be sold a.
the low figure at which they have mere
tofore been offered that the country
may be the more quickly settled up