Graham guardian., 1905-10-20
PASSED Us BY

The delegation OF congressmel
who came to "size us up" as L
our "deservin's" for statehood
have passed us by and gone, They
did not come to Globe, one of tn
richest, most promising and mos
progressive mining towns in all o
the entire region comprised with
in the limits Of the proposed
"Greater Arizona. And that j
not all: They failed to visit tn,
richest and best valley in the ter
ritory, that in which Stafford auC
other towns are situated, anC
which is one Of the most produc
tive sections of the territory,
region that produces yearly, thou
sands Of tons of alfalfa, grea
quantities of fruits and vegetables
and more and better melons than
any place of its size in all the west
These, two of the richest spoti
in Arizona, one as producer q
gold, silver and copper, the Other
of agricultural products, were left
unvisited by that delegation Of
congressman. But, on The con
trary, they went, or rather were
taken, through the southern part
of the territory, where nothing
but barren wastes ana rugged
mountains greeted their eyes until
the reached Douglas, Bisbee, etc,
and there they saw nothing but
the great smelters, From there
they were taken through the Salt
River country, and from that
into the northern portion of Ari-
zons, where again nothing but a
a rough and rugged region met
their vision. making the agricult-
ural region around Phoenix the
only fertile spot they saw.
This was not right 1t was un-
iair and unjust TO the people Of the
Gila valley and Of Globe, as well
as to the territory in leaving a
wrong impression upon the minds
of the visitors as to Its real wealth
and resources.
Could they have passed through
the valley in the daylight, and
have seen the fine fields of alfalfa,
the beautiful homes and farms, and
the manifestations of thrift and
industry displayed on every hand,
there would have been left upon
their minds an impression that
would be of much value to the
people of Arizona in their struggle
for simple justice in not being
yoked with New Mexico in state
hood that would always be irk-
some to them.
But as bad as was the passing
by of the valley, it was no worse
than that Of not visiting the town
of Globe, town which is not sur
passed by any in the territory. 1t
is the very center of one of the
greatest mining regions of the
west, and had that delegation only
visited it for day, and been taken
TO the great smelter and mines
right at the edge oftown, and have
seen their vast product of metals,
and could then have visited such
camps as the Warrior, the Inspira-
tion, the Live Oak, the Gibson, the
Eureka, and other mines whose
output would easily supply an
other great smelter, it would have
added much to any favorable i'm
preston they might have formed
of this great territory.
But, they did not come, and it is
by some believed, and the writer
of this article is one of them, thai
there was purpose in having that
delegation travel through the
desert portion of the territory al
much as possible, and not permi
them to gain a complete idea o
the richest and best portions of it
And it is further believed that tha
purpose was to prevent as far a
possible impressions that nigh
be in opposition to the grea
scheme of joint statehood, a
planned by the republican party
m j.. l.I.. .as.f. e a. L.