Arizona republican., 1906-09-04
HOMECROF COLONY
 A PHOENIX SUBURB
Description of Geo. Fl. 1axweIl's Pro-
 ject fer Rural Homes.

. | Talisman, which reached here a few days ago. contains an extended account of the Homecroit movement. started by George H. Maxwell. and which is to result in the building of a suburban village just east of Phoenix Its pur- | pose is to make homes for those who need them, in demonstration of the theory that five acres well titled in this ] favored section will at least provide the necessities of life for a family. This initial colony, if it proves successful is but one of many planned by the pro- i jecIOrs. A fairly complete description ! of it is found in the following extracts from the Talisman article. Concerning the August issue of the TaIisman it is timely to say that it is a particularly 1 valuable number to Arizona for the l greatest part of the number is devoted to this territory. There is a fine article on statehood by Miss Sharlot M Hall and almost every page has something ] of interest to Arizona readers. Those who are engaged in acquainting their ! eastern friends with the resources of Arizona can do no better than to send them copies of the August TaIisman. Following, in part, is the particular ar ticle referred to:
 A LiJIllCA4 Oll lltiS NllldSt IS HOW DElLS formed near Phoenix. It is the out growth of and combines, three great | ideas.
 l. That the national government should irrigate the deserts and drain the swamps to create opportunities for men to get homes on the land who want only sufficient land each to oc- cupy and use and intensiveIy cultivate with their own labor.
 2 That the men who want such homes should be aided to get them by an organization which should work solely for the benefit of the homeseeker and aid him in every possible way to get the best quality oi land in small tracts for the lowest possible price with perfect titles and water rights
 g. That the success of the hOmeseek- CTS who secure those homes should be promoted through an organization which would plan to aid in building village communities where the highest possible advantages of education, CO., operation and social life and the most attractive rural environment would surround the homes and be a part of the home life of the residents of the village.
 To carry into practical operation these three great ideas. three separase organizations were in turn planned and formed by George H. Maxwell The first idea was carried out through The National Irrigation association. which conducted a great campaign for na- ] tional irrigation resulting in the enact ment of the national irrigation act in June. 1902.
 The second idea was formulated and put into working operation through the organization of the Rural Settlement association.
 The third idea has been embodied in an organization recently formed called the Homecrofters Gid of the Talisman an account of which was given in a former issue of this magazine
 In each of these associations Mr. Maxwell was and is still the active. moving spirit. and those who avail themselves of the opportunities he is laboring to create for men of moderate means to get homes on the land will secure the benefit of his wide experi- ence, extending over more than fifteen years, during which time he has given the closest study to every element nec- essary to the success of the man who makes home on irrigated land.
 After the passage of the national irrf- sation act, MT. Maxwell spent several months in the Salt River valley aiding in the work of organizing the land owners of that valley into an associa- tion known as the Salt Rfvtr Valley Water Users association. That asso- citation contracted with the national government for the construction under the national irrigation act of the great Tonto reservoir which is now being built on Salt river.
 More than d year ago Mir Maxwell ! conceived the idea that the highest and best use to which the lands under this great government irrigation system | could be devoted was that they should be subdivided into small tracts for gar den farming, berry culture and the growing of small fruits. melons and i other products of intensive cultivation The raising of poultry in all it's ! branches would of course be one or the most profitable adjuncts of these fn- tensively cultivated garden farms. In ! the past this character of land culture has not been practical ble in the Salt River valley because of the fact that at the season of the year when the water was most needed, there being no reservoir, the river was at it's lowest stage, and the supply Of water the shortest. All this will be changed by the construction of the Touto Basin reservoir.
 Believing that the first practical demonstration of the profits to be de rived from garden farms of this class should be so organized as to embody every possible advantage and safe guard, Mir Maxwell employed two oi the most expert agriculturists in the Salt River val ey, whose long residence there and familiarity with the country peculiarly qualified them to select IanC to the best advantage. These gentle men, the BroomeH brothers. spent sev. eral months looking over land anC finally selected tract adjoining the tracks oi the Phoenix and Easterr railroad, one mile from the street rail way in the city of Phoenix immedfateI, under the Salt River Valley canal ap| having the oldest and best of all oIC water rights in the valley. To thes, 0-l NaLaI. ria-hts --.-iII L.o .-l.a---l -----