Arizona republican., 1901-11-08
IGNORANCE OF ARIZONA
It Was Always So and it is to This
 Day.

The ignorance of the east regarding the west, and more specially regarding Arizona, is an ever interesting theme in this part of the country. MT. J. V. Edwards of Maricopa was in the city yesterday and was made acquainted with an accusation which had been lodged against him and Perry Williams of Maricopa of having inspired q mis- statement in a recent article in prom inent eastern railroad journal de- scriptive of the visit of President Mckinley and party to this territory last summer in which Maricopa was mentioned as a well-known mountain resort where the presidential party stopped for seventeen hours to recup- crate and gather strength for the en- ervating descent into the atmosphere of the Salt River valley.
 Mir. Edwards was reminded of anoth- CT actual occurrence showing that some years ago the government of the United States was no better informed about Arizona than thousands of pri- vate citizens are now. In the early days a department agent arrived at Yuma. having come from Washington on a visit of inspection 10 the Pima villages. He had an official map with him showing that the whole Journey from the seat of government to the villages could be made by water. win the exception of the stretch of country across the isthmus of Panama. He had come up the coast from Central America and said that since leaving Washington his journey had been a continual round of pleasure. He al- ways liked to travel by water. He want to know when the next boat up the Gila would leave for the Pima villages. The people at Yuma told him that if the river ever got any water in it, that is, enough to make it navigable. it was quite probable that q line Of boats would be put on. The department agent was surprised. He wanted to know if the river was at an unusually low stage. The citizens replied that the stage was normal-no water-and this was the first suggestion connecting .L boat with it that they had ever heard. It was difficult to convince the agent that the river was not navigabie. He spread out his official map showing the Gila to be a waterway, and he could not conceive that the department of which he was member could be mistaken about such an obvious and palpable thing as river.
 He was finally induced to take d stage for the Pima villages, IT5 miles distant. When the stage was nearing w tiiS lilt agent tuSdStu lfc stage driver in conversation and told him about the incomprehensible error under which the government was labor ing regarding the navigability of the Gila river. He was going to make this matter the subject of a special report. The driver. wno had a quick sense of humor, grasped the situation instantiY- He said: "Iou must have fallen in with lot of damned liars working in the interest of the stage line. The Gila is navigable. A boat leaves Yuma every day for the Pima villages. There's one now and the driver pointed excitedIy to a column of smoke rising on the desert about TWO miles away. Maybe you can catch it." the driver went on, and save yourself the rest of the dusty drive" The agent grabbed his valise and started across the burning desert on a run in the direction of the smoke. The driver went on into Mari- copa Wells and told the story at sa- loon. Among his auditors was a man who had more horse sense than humor sense. He realized that the driver had sent the agent to an almost certain death. the most horrible known-death of thirst. He saddled horse and rode back along the stage route to the place where the agent had left it on foot. Ha found the trail and overlook the pilgrim and with great difficulty convinced him that he had been the victim of dangerous prac- tical joke. He conducted him back to the station in time to take the stage.
 This story opened the way to dis cussion of the probability of the exist ence of catfish in the Gila river which is yet an open question, and led to an other story by Mir. C. J. Dyer, which he said was true because he knew it to be so and because it was proved by an official document in Washington. At one time Judge "Blinkey" Howard so- called on account of a nervous affec- tion of the eyelids. and who was once mayor of Prescott. was appointed fish and game commissioner of Arizona. Judge Howard wrote the interior 1e- partment that in the pursuit of his off, cial duties he had found a large num- Der of catfish in the Hassayampa river i laboring under unusual difficulties. The i fisn in wandering up and down the l river in search of water wore bladders ] about their necks filled with water to | supply them until they could find ;l ! pool big enough to live in. with comfort. | These bladders the fish and game com i missioners found were susceptible to ' damage and destruction by the sand | and rocks and he therefore recommend ! ed that they be provided with some thing more durable. He accordingly ! made requisition for 800 small can teens. That requisitlon is now on file in the interior department along with | more serious documents.
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