Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1901-03-13
HkNcE ON IRRIGATION.
He Speaks Another Little Piece for the
 Benefit of Arizona's Legislators.

Camp Verde, Ariz., March s, 190
 Editor Journal-Miner: At preseI
 writing 1 do not know the fate of tf
 Fowler Irrigation bill but hope
 like the Ivy bill, died a borning.
 notice the scheme is all for Pheni
 and against the Verde valley, the onl
 valley and stream in Arizona that ha
 ample water the entire year and doe
 not injure anyone or any other sectio
 of the territory for the following req
 sons:
 There are thirteen creeks or tribu
 tary streams on the east side of tn
 Verde river, only two of which hay
 water the entire year-they are Ca
 creek in the Verde valley and Fossi
 creek in the Verde canyon-all thes
 streams being drawn from the Bil
 Williams, San Francisco, Mogollol and Mazatzals mountains. There ar
 fourteen creeks or small streams ol the west side of the river that draiI from the Prescott and Black hill country, none of which have wate except in wet seasons or in tim, of freshets. There are B irTigating ditches on Oak creek, not one of tn, fields irrigated over one quarter of { mile wide. There are over 15 irrigat ing ditches on Beaver creek and I an safe in saying there are not more thar two fields over one fourth of a mile wide and those two are not half a mile wide. There are also eight irrigatine ditches on Clear creek and there is nc place on the entire stream that there is field half mile wide. So you can see there are as many irrigatine ditches on Beaver and Clear creeks as there are on Oak creek. The two first mentioned streams do not run or empty any water into the Verde river except at flood time and neither has there ever been any water from either two streams emptied into the Verde river the past thirty-three years ex- cept as herein stated. There are about one thousand acres irrigated on Beaver creek and about eight hun dred acres on Clear creek.
 The placing of the Verde valley in the same irrigating district with Salt river valley means the loss of these settlements, with no gain to Salt river valley. The three principal canals or ditches in the Verde valley are the Cottonwood or Old Indian ditch, on Upper Verde, the O. K ditch, on Mid dle Verde, and the Verde canal or ditch, on the Lower Verde, all three of which are older ditches than the Grand, Mesa City or Arizona canals. There is more water in the Box can yon, eight miles below Camp Verde, than there is in the river sixty miles below. There are five to eight hun dred inches of water in the East Verde in Tonto basin, yet not one drop of water from this stream emp ties into the Verde river from May until September, except in time of freshets. The few other ditches on the Verde river proper are so narrow that the water seeps back into the river, or so nearly all that itcannot in jure anyone 200 miles below.
 The passage of this irrigation bill and the placing of this valley on the same terms and conditions with the people of Salt river valley means the ruination of the 1,50O good people of the Verde valley with all their homes and sixteen school districts, and no corresponding benefit to anyone.
 Another question that ought to be fully and equitably considered is that at certain seasons of the year they ir- rigate thousands of acres of land in Salt river valley when the snow is melting in the mountains in early spring time. Later in the season they have no water for irrigating these lands.
 1 do not like to write letters for pub ication, but knowing the great in justice of the measure cannot refrain from so doing just now.
 Since my last letter have carefully canvassed the country south of Pres colt and Cherry creek wagon road, and did not find a single person or one dollars worth of property in favor of Clark or Verde county. also find the people of Oak creek not over anX- ious for new county, and there is not over 50 per cent of the taxable property of Oak creek in favor of the new county, and John Summers stated publicly here at Camp Verde that if the new county was made they would put the county seat in the Verde val ley and not in Jerome. 4 few people signed the petition on this false rep resentation.
 My newspaper fight against the water steal is because I fully under stand the situation, and know our use of the water here does not injure the people 200 miles, by river measure ment, below. and my opposition to the formation of new county is because I think we are better of to remain as we are. for the reason that the parties who are working for the new county and who want to control it never have borne their just proportion of the tax ation ill the old county, and if com plete master of the situation they will not do so of their own volition in the new county.
 I am sorry a bill generally lowering fees was not introduced and put through the present session, to take effect January 1, 1903, instead of al lowing the people to be longer legally pilfered by county officials. I fully intended writing you sooner, but have been very busy mud singing, not in a newspaper sense, however, but with a gang cleaning out the Verde ditch.
 I almost forgot to tell you about oul religious debate. We have had a Campbellite and a Dunkard preacher debating for over a week as to the number of times necessary to dip 6 person under the water in order tC save his soul; also the foot washing and kissing proposition. As I never attended a church debate, but judging from the applause, clapping of hand. and stamping of feet, they had jolly time. l understand the preacher agreed upon one point, and that wa: that all secret societies are awful, anC completely wiped out Free Masonry Odd Fellows, Elks, Knights of Pyth ias and kindred organizations. TC those who fully understand the insid, workings of these benevolent order and the thousands of latch string that hang on the outside and the mil lions of money annually expended il the relief of the distressed and tn, care taken of the widows and orphans
 how natural it is to say, what fool ] snnnn 1nanrln nrn and r,-n,, n,. .,- n