Cañon City record., 1904-03-24
IN ARIZONA.
Mr.. w. B. Mc0ee Who is SPEND
ing The Winter in Phoenix,
Writes an Interesting


Phoenix, Arizona, March IA 1904.
Editor of Record-As have had in
quiries in regard to Salt River Valley
/ will give some items which you may
publish il you think they may be of
interest to the readers of the RECORD.
The winter climate of Southern Arizona
is of the best. am told, that this city
has permanent population Of 10000
and tourist population OF 5000 dur
ing the winter months. l think one
half OF this estimate is nearer correct.
Manysare here who are not well many
are here to get out of a cold climate,
many are here ss the last resort. They
die every day and many are shipped
back home and some are buried here
If you apply for rooms the first ques-
tion asked is are you sicks Many will
place. Many live in tents, there are Il
great many tents in the country.
The land in the valley that is i'm
proved sells for $50 to 500 pere acre.
1t is first quality. Alfalfa is the princi-
pal crop with lots OF water, fine good
I CioPs Cau We Cul oi Chtllt
from the ranges are turned into the
alfalfa fields in the winter to fatten and
the beef is shipped to Southern Cali
fornia.
Fruit business has not been a success
here. The orchards are dying for want
OF water. The oranges are fine quality
but the groves do not looF healthy
like they do in California. was in one
grove OF twehty-six acres that had been
we'll watered that looked well and the
crop was good.
Fifteen years ago pair OF ostriches
from California were located on Sec
tion nf land nine miles from Phoenix,
today this flock consists of over 800.
Ostriches live on alfalfa and require
but little care. The birds are plucked
every eight months and the income
from each bird is said to be $50 to $50
annually. The grown birds weighs
about $50 pounds. The owners value
pair at $3.50. There is a flock of fifty
kept in the city for exhibition.
The first dam and resisoir to be
built by the government under the
National Irrigation act will be the
Tonto Basin dam, so called. The dam
site is about 80 miles from this city.
The dam to be built across the gorge
Of Salt River. The dam will he 2S5
feet high from bed rock. and 86O feet
wide. The storage water will consti-
tute lake IS miles long. The esti-
~, n od co.t 4, 60 5nu m Tt,a .,.,o.;-l
such as sandstone and cement are on
the ground. The government will make
its own cement.
The bid Of the Portland Cement Com
pany was rejected as the cost was two
high owing to the long haul by railroad
and IS miles by wagon road. When
the dam is completed the government
will collect OF the Water Users Associ-
alton 81 so ever year for ten years for
every acre irrigated to be paid to the
government in one lump sum. When
the last payment Is made the land
owners will own the reservoir and have
full control of the same There will
be no prior rights as present rights
have been made to the government.
No right to the use OF water for land
will be sold for tract exceeding 100
acres and every land owner must reside
on the land or near the same. There
will be a great water power and part Of 1
the plan is to pump the under flow
which is said to be very large.
The water supply for this city is
pumped from q well located about two
miles from Salt River. i have referred
to this reservoir as many Canon people
are interested in irrigation.
We ewent out to the Indian school and
into the school rooms which is one OF
the three great schools managed by the
government and contains over 700 boys
and girls. They have farm and
fine large buildings with grounds well
laid out and well improved. We were
told that they were making fair pro-
gress in their studies. They do the
farm work and learn the different
trades, have good band and military
driller. The people here say they are
not improved by their education and
training.
can see that the old Indians have
made some progress since | was here
ten years ago. They dress better, sup
port themselves, bringing their pro-
duce to market in wagons instead OF on
ponies. They have gool crops, raise
cattle and haul wood, which Is worth |
80 a cord.
All oppose joint statehood here. The
H..