Arizona republican., 1904-03-17
THATCHER, ARIZONA.

| As the green fields and prosperous l homes of the Gila Valley break into view after the miles and miles of dry and barren desert-with no green grass in fact, nothing green but the pale verde and giant cactuses, to mellow the view, one is led to exclaim, Here is
 an oasis indeed" And one even who has lived in the great Salt River val
 ley with its broad fields of alfalfa and grain and gigantic water systems, when comparing with that the pros perity that meets the view on every hand in the somewhat smaller valley
 is compelled to acknowledge the thrift fer, greener and more prosperous con- | dition that obtains in the granary of eastern Arizona.
 As the train leaves the desert be- hind and enters the Gila valley from Bowie there is spread out before you,
 stretching to the east for a number of
 miles and to the west for over thirty
 miles, rich fertile valley covered with small, but well irrigated farms To
 one who is accustomed to the broad
 valley of Salt river the valley looks narrow and cramped and the land for | the most part too steep for proper ir-
 rigation, and the irrigation ditches
 small But a look at the green fields
 the evidence of abundance or at least
 sufficient water in these when the
 farmer in the Salt River valley is looking troubled, makes one almost envy the condition that prevents the i water from being distributed beyond | Its capacity for profitable cultivation. The train as it leaves the valley a
 few miles west of Solomonsville, the county seat, threads its way between prosperous farms to Stafford. where it
 makes its first stop.
 Stafford is a prosperous, growing
 city of about 1000 inhabitants, and is
 fast taking on metropolitan airs Here
 are built some of the finest residences
 of the valley and the hotels and busi-
 ness houses are mostly constructed of i brick and are worthy of city of much 1 larger population. This city boasts of
 an ice factory, the only one in the val | ley, and Touring mill, and a prosper | ous bank. aside from the usual busi- | nesses common in our towns.
 From Stafford to Thatcher, three
 miles distant, the train passes through
 the widest and best cultivated part of | the valley.
 l At Thatcher is located the St. Joseph stake academy and the headquarters
 of the St. Joseph Stake. The city is
 very well located and is growing in l size and importance very rapidly. A | large church building 6Ox120, two
 stories, is now almost completed, be-
 ing built of a gray sand stone and ] when completed will be one of the finest buildings in the valley, and will | cost about s13,O00. In the same block a $3000 titleing office is being built, 1 wherein will also be the offices of the
 Stake presidency and other offices of
 the Stake.
 l Thatcher, aside from the academy has two other district school buildings. l She boasts of a bank, numerous stores
 and a large Touring mill.
 Thatcher is becoming quite an edu- | cational and music center. The St.
 Joseph Stake academy has been O! en
 only about seven years, but in that
 time and particularly in the past four
 years, under the principalship of Pros.
 Emil Maeser. is has built up quite a
 flattering reputation as an institution
 of learning. A very thorough course | in Normal training, as well as in the | arts and sciences is given. A course
 in music, vocal and instrumental, is also