The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1902-02-27
TESTIMONY OF THE ROCKS.

i In the superstition mountains, Arizona
engineers have found An artificial gorge
four miles long and 100 feet deep, cut
down through the solid rock by prehs
toric irrigators and leading into 10 miles
of bitches, which irrigated nearly ,00O,
600 acres of land now only desert waste
covered with the. ruins of the ancient
people.
s'The thing that hath been, it is
that which shall be; and that which
is done is that which shall be done
and there is nothing new under the
SUM-" These are words of holy writ,
and their truth is amply confirmed
by the statement above.
The rocks of arid Arizona
bear testimony that in an age fa1
back OF legendary or historic story,
this now desert land was peopled by
race that drew their living from the
soil and relied solely on irrigation
for the permanency of that living
they show that the works Of peaceful
development have out-asted the
traces of the wars that no doubt dis
persed and destroyed the civilization
OF that age; and as result of this
destruction, finally followed the ami
hilation of the destroyers, or dis
persed them over the face of the lane
in scattered bands of Nomads. whose
descendants appear in the Indian
tribes designated as Aboriglnes. AS a
sequence of this agricultural develop
ment, we find evidences of great
cities, pyramids and temples and all
the adjuncts indicative OF dense
population; but their origin and
passing are as much an insoluble
mystery TO the present as are the
events that may transpire in future
ages. In the record of the universe,
the past has no beginning and the
future has no end.
But this people, whoever they
were, leave record clearly proving
that in those times they studied the
needs of irrigation, and of artificial
water courses for possibly other re-
qulrements. These works were
planned and carried to completion in
a manner unsurpassed by modern
methods; and in contemplating these
works of The past, comes the sugges-
ton that modern demands are far
greater today than then, and modern
means to accomplish the results in
comparably greater. In the economy
of nature it does not seem reasonable
that magnificent rivers should flow
useless to the sea and pass by un-
limited territory, arid and waste,
that could be made fertile and sus-
ceptibe to all the arts of agriculture
by the intelligent appropriation of
their flow; and what more beneficial
act on the part of the government is
possible, than the reclamation of its
home domain, that, in return. will
forever give back an hundred fold
for every dollar expended and days
labor performed. The wealth of
metals hid in the wash of the streams
and assures of the mountains. in
thess western lands have contributed
lncomprehensible amounts to the
treasure of the nation and the world
and yet it is possible to conjecture
that even this is only passing ben
eft, leading its seekers to view the
possibilities of a land that will vet
develop source of true wealth,
more lasting and of more permanent
value than the glittering metals that
are, after all, only the shadow of
the real substance. OF tins land it
may be said: "And there he maketh
the hungry to dwell that they may
prepare city for habitation. 4" and
''Sow the fields and plant vineyards
which may yield fruits of increase. y.