The copper era., 1901-01-31
DUNCAN.
The Thriving Metropolis Of the Upper
ella Valley.

a representative of the ERA spent
Saturday last at Duncan, and was
greatly surprised at the many improve
ments made in that section during the
past few years. Duncan is situated in
the ella valley, midway between Lords
burg and Clifton, on the a. & y. VI. r.
r.. and is u trading point OF consider
able Importance. 1t is the railroad
station for the mining camps OF Clear
Lake, Carlisle. Steeple Rock and Ash
Peak, all of which promise to be heavy
producers at no distant day. II is also
headquarters for many companies and
individuals engaged in the cattle bust
cess. but the great wealth of the sec
ton is in the agricultural land and
irrigating bitches surrounding the
town. The valley extends above Dun-
can for some ten or twelve miles and is
from one 20 two miles in width, and is
as fertile as the valley of the Nile.
Like the Nile it depends on the waters
OF the river to bring forth its harvest.
Chl IilI DeiHb NV fNtNi many IL"
irrigating bitches have been taken out
from the river, and are now extending
their serpentine lines along the valley
far below the little town. Many new
families have found homes in the val
ley during the past two years, and all
seem well satisfied, though they were
more or less disappointed last year by
short crops, owing to scarcity OF water
in the summer season. 1t was an un-
usually dry year, As all old timers
testify, yet the farmers admit that
they were themselves much to blame
for the water famine. Had they COM
meuced their farm work early, and
planted early, their crops would have
been laid by before the water failed.
They will now profit by past experience.
They have taken time by the fore
lock. " as it were, and now, when they
have water in abundance, they are
soaking their ground, so that a. much
less amount Of water will be required
later on. To a casual observer it would
seem that no more favored spot for the
husbandman could be found in all the
favored land OF Arizona, than the
beautiful ella valley surrounding Dun
can. The climate is much better than
lower lila river, yet nearly everything
except the citrus, and other tropical
fruits, can be grown there while the
great copper camps at Clifton and Mo-
reuci furnish an inexhaustible market
at far better prices than those enjoyed
by any other agricultural country in
America. Anything and everything
grown has Il cash market at their very
doors. The one great industry of the
valley is alfalfa hay, which is retailing
in Clifton at /! cents per pound. Those
who have teams and the time to spare
from other labOrs can haul their hay to
Clifton, but most of them prefer to sell
at home. The alfalfa is cut from four
TO five times a year. and yields from a
ton to ton and One-half per acre to
the cutting. Many who are engaged
in the cattle industry, as well as farm
ing, fatten their steers either on alfalfa
pastures or alfalfa hay, and find the
local markets for their fat cattle better
than those of Kansas City or Chicago.
But the farming interests are by no
means confined to stock growing and
alfalfa. The crops cover a wide range,
including cereals, fruits and vegetables
Of almost endless variety, which can be
produced by u small amount Of labor.
As an illustration of what can be done
on "side lines McAllister brothers
now have about one thousand chickens
and several hundred turkeys. They
have ready market for their eggs ut
thirty cents per dozen, and their
Spring chickens" which, by the way, |
they can produce almost every month |
in the year, are at demand at fifty
cents each lin Clifton.) These fowls |
are kept on alfalfa, and with little I
grain during the winter months, do I
remarkably well. The festive porker
also thrives amazingly on alfalfa, but /
needs Il small modicum of corn to hard /
en- aud flavor its flesh. 1t is surprising |
that more of the farmers OF the valley |
do not engage in hog culture on an ex-
tensive scale. 1t was not the pleasure /
of the writer ON this trip to visit the /
farmers at their homes, but he met |
many of them in Duncan, and was most |
favorably impressed by their general .
of Intelligence aud thrift. |
Nearly all of them drove fat, well-cared |
for horses, and not n few OF them came |
to town in buggies to transact their
business. The town of Duncan is Of |
itself rather prepossessing in appear
auce, and gives evidence of stability |
and thrift Two general mercantile |
firms are doing business there-R. 5. |
Stewart " Co. and ]. 5. Billingsley-l
and either would be credit to any !
town in the territory. McAllister
Bros. and Thomas Williams conduct
wet goods establishments where the
hearty sons OF the desert can Stake their
thirst with pure mountain dew from
the troubled preciucts of old Kentucky.
DR.. w. y. Graham finds time TO con-