Arizona silver belt., 1903-07-09

"A fire alarm about 3 o'clock yester- day afternoon" says the Prescott Courier of June 26, twas followed by great column of white smoke and flame which shot up a hundred feet or more. in northwest Prescott. Had people known the fuel which was be- ing burned, there would have been fear and excitement, for 1t was car load of giant powder which had been run upon the Y few hours before. The car and it's contents were con- Sumed in a few minutes. The origin of the fire could not be ascertained.
 A shortage of harvest hands is re- ported in the Salt river valley. The Gazette says that there is consider able quantity of grain that has been ripe for several weeks, that is uncut. The birds are preying on this, and the next heavy wind will do great damage by shelling it out. At Mesa the farm CTS are clubbing together and renting harvesting machinery. Then the own CTS of the grain man the outfits them selves, and exchange work with each other. In this way the crops in that country will soon be put up.
 The amount of water now flowing in the Colorado river is said to be 54,000 cubic feet per second, enough to irri- gate millions of acres of land. The Colorado river furnishes the greatest amount of water during the summer months when water is most needed. With big dams in the Black, Mohaye and other canyons between the Grand canyon and Yuma there will be built up one of the greatest agricultural, | horticultural and viticultural sections of the United States. MOhaye Miner.
 The Colorado river has reached higher stage during the present rise than for several years. The highest mark registered was 2 feet II inches. This was not long maintained, but it has lowered between 27 and 2S feet for several days. The gauge showed 2 feet inches this morning, and fall ing river. The results from the over flow in tine lower end of the valley have been somewhat more serious than common during the high water peri ods, but no damage of extremely Seri- OuS proportions has been done. Yuma | Sentinel.
 Clifton may never be visited by an other flood, still it is the unexpected that usually happens, aud for this req son it would be well for the board of supervisors now in session at Solomon vile to provide another jail for this precinct. The last food entered the jail to depth of two or tbree feet, and had the water risen much higher the poor fellows confined therein would surely have been drowned. It is pos Sible that an uprise could be made from the cells in the jail to the sur | face above, which could be used in such an emergency.-Copper Era. It may be well to explain that the jail at | Clifton is a tunnel ln solid rock.
 President Fowler, of the Water Users association, received letter from Chief Photographer Newell, on the lSt inst, regarding closing of the subscription books for shares in the reservoir. It stated that either July | l5 or July 30, but the association had already anticipated the desire of the government and placed the date of closing the books at July I3 Contin- uing, the letter states that after the date set and the government notified, no changes will be made, except upon recommendation of the secretary Of the interior or his agents. The gov ernment does not care to secure at present more than 1S0, 900 acres of land, although should any others wish to come in their applications will be given due consideration by the repre- sentatives of the government. Ga zette.
 An educational exhibit will be an Arizona feature at the Worlds fair and plaus are now being perfected to secure something that will be credit to tine west. At meeting of the board of worlds fair commissioners yesterday the question was brought up, and after considerable discussion Judge N. G. Layton, superintendent oi public instruction, was made chairman of the educational. committee and he will have charge of the entire exhibit Judge Lay ton is authorized to name as many assistants from the educators of the territory as he may see fit, anC = the commission will ask the ladies oI the honorary board to cooperate witt the committee. It is expected that photographs of all the school build ngs of the territory will be obtained and that specimens of writing, com position, etc, will be secured. Ga zette.