Bisbee daily review., 1903-01-08
SAN PEDRO IS
 AFTER RESERVOIR
SECOND MEETING OF ASsocIA-
 TON HELD AT BENSON
Object is to Get Federal Aid Under Irrigation Act - Farmers Talk
 About Amount of Water There

The second meeting of the San Pedro Valley Development Association held in K. of P. hall, Benson, on Fri day night last, the 2d instant, was an enthusiastic one, being largely attend ed especially by the farmers of the San Pedro valley, who are vitally in terested in the projects of the associa- tion, says the Benson Press.
 The association is now in good work ing order, and as soon as the papers can be prepared, will incorporate.
 St. David was we'll represented, the farmers of that enterprisiag section of Cochise county who have battled bravely to reclaim the arid land, but who have met hardships in trying to overcome nature. took an active part in forming the new association which may accomplish much for San Pedro valley, making a veritable garden spot of it.
 The meeting was called to order by Hon. Steve Roemer, who in few well chosen words, stated the object of the meeting, explaining to the many new attendants what had been done and why il was advantageous to organize to secure federal relief under the Hansborough-Newla measure.
 The first order of business was the election of permanent officers.
 By unanimous votes the following gentlemen were elected 10 fill the various offices:
 John S Merrill, of St. David. Presi- dent.
 J. NJ. Crosby of Benson and P. 4. Lofgreen of St. David. vice presidents
 W. c. Ferris, of Benson, secretary.
 Upon taking the chair, president Merrill delivered a neat address. tell ing why the people of San Pedro valley had assmbled in mass meeting, and why it was necessary to work under organization.
 The secretary read the minutes of the previous meeting. which were adopted.
 The secretary then read sections two and four Of the Hansborougn- Newlands measure, under the pro- visions Of which the farmers of San Pedro valley hope to receive i'm mediately aid rom the federal gov ernment by the development of ar tesian water.
 By motion, the president appointed w H. Schardin. Wallace Wilds, and Jos N. Curtis a committee of three to draft a constitution and bylaws, pre- pare a petition to the secretary of the interior praying for immediate action, to prepare a memorial to congress, and draw up incorporation papers.
 P. A. Lofgreen was asked by the chair to give data to the meeting con- corning the acreage being irrigated with artesian wells at St. David, and he did so. After much inquiry and investigation, Mir Lofgreen, who had previously been asked to gather the data for the benefit of the meeting, stated that there were now about ' 1000 acres in the St. David district held by settlers most of which had been prov ed upon. There were about 1000 acres of the land irrigated by a ditch system with water taken from the San Pedro river Four hundred acres were irrigated by ninty-four artesian wells, thirteen in section seventeen, and eighty-one in section eighteen. The average flow per well was fifteen gal Ions per minute, and that it took near ly a flow of three gallons per minute. to irigate an acre of ground. The land held by the settlers was nearly all till able and in a condition to be irrigated if water could be secured. There is an abundance of water in the San Pedro river at certain periods of the year, but without the conservation of the water in storage reservoirs, the crops suffered usually at certain portions of the year. The present wells are small and are thought not to reach larger body of water at a greater depth.
 MT. Ferris stated that there were a few flowing wells in the vicinity of Benson, but that he did not have time to gather data. He said that there were about 10000 acres in radius of three or four miles of Benson, he judg- ed. that could be irrigated. either by artesian wells or from a canal system
 Mr. ROemer said that if the Charles ton reservoir was constructed he be- Heved that fully 200,0 acres could be watered theTefrom.
 President John S. Merrill was en- thusiastic. and gave the meeting good description of the Charleston reservoir site, and the great good that would result if the government built a dam across the San Pedro river and that point. The river narrows between rock walls, about two hundred feet apart and a dam one hundred feet high would form a vast lake, suffci- ent to irrigate thousands upon thou sands Of acres of fertile land.
 There were remarks by others from St. David and they all took a lively in terest in the proceedings. They hoped that the government would aid their district immediately by drilling ar tesiars wells upon their parched lands. They thought what aid extended to them would not interfere in the least