Bisbee daily review., 1904-01-12
GRADUALLY THE OLD POSTS OF LOWELL, BOWIE SAN CAR LOS, AND OTHERS HAVE
 BEEN ABANDONED.
DOUGLAS IDEAL SPOT
For Military Post-convenient for All Points in Arizo-3 City Is Mos. important Point on Mexicaa Ror5ef in Arizona.
iinternational-American.)

There is hardly a coubt bu, what ,he war depar ,ment has become con -yinced that the time has come when it is no longer necessary to maintain military pests at isolated places in the moutnails of Arizona and other west ern states and territories These To- cations were necessary while the hos tile Indians were being subdued. but the Indians have now all accepted the government of the white man, most Of hem gre self-supporting, and none Of them are so threatening as to long- CT require the presence of troops in the vicinity or along the old trails miliar 7ound. Pursuing this policy
 the war department. during the last dozen years. has abandoned half
 dozen military pSs;s-Lowell, Bowie,
 San Carlos, Thomas, McDcwell and
 Whipple barracks. Recently and for several years army officers have urg- co the abandonment of Fort Grant,
 and while those who are interested in
 holding mat post for commercial ad
 vantage, Lave fought hard against it's abandonment. still there is little doubt
 that Fort Grant is doomed to disman.
 tlement
 With ihe abandonment O. Grant. q
 new post should be located somewhere
 on the Arizona border, and there is
 no point more favorably located for 1t than Douglas. Douglas is the most
 important point on the Mexican bor-
 der in Arizona. It is the principal
 port of entry for the State of Sonora.
 where .he interests of Americans are
 constantly increasing. With a post
 at Douglas the soldiers would be con
 venient for all centers of population in Southern Arizona, as well as con
 stant Drot@tion of our border inter
 ests. From Douglas soldiers could
 reach Disbee, Tucson. Clifton and
 Morenci in less time than from either
 Huachuca or Fort Grant.
 The cost of maintaining a post in
 Douglas would be no greater and per
 haps considerably less than at Fort
 Grant. The health of this locality IS
 equal to tha. of any locality in the West. There is an abundance of pure water, wild hay is plentiful almost every year, and this is preferable for cavalry horses to alfalfa; if it be. came necessary in exceptionally dry years 10 feed alfalfa hay, that pro duct can be delivered in Douglas for about the same price that it costs to deliver It at Fort Grant.
 Only recently General Fred Grant, on leaving San Antonio, Texas, in an interview on the needs of the militia " in the West, gave it as his opinion that it was desirable to have more military posts established on the Mexican border, and mentioned Ari- zona border as being a desirable iOCdiily lOI Out UT L"O HcW pOSbS- II We are to have a post anywhere on the border in Arizona, there would be but little trouble in having it located at Douglas, from whence troops could quickly leach any important point on the border, as well as other important points in the interior of the territo- ry where there might be necessity for their presence.
 If there are to be military posts in Arizona they should be located some where that would make the soldiers available m case of trouble either at interior points or on the border of the territory and certainly the present peaceful disposition of the Indians is warrant Tor the removal of troops away from the old Apache trails that have not been trod by an Indian for ten years. Here is a chance for some good work to be done for Douglas and our citizens should not delay talk ing the matter up and pushing it along