Arizona republican., 1906-02-19
ALL TALKING
 ABOUT WATER
The News of Saturday the
 Chief Topic
The Farmers Under the Arizona will Begin Operations on the Extension Today.

Yesterdays issue of The Republican, II furnished about the best Sunday read ing the people of central Arizona ever had outside of their bibles It wasn't 1 the biggest paper ever published nor the biggest one The Republican has published, nor did it have more feat
 ures than some others though there
 Were various interesting subjects dis
 coursed upon. But the two items of
 news concerning the closing of negoti-
 ations between the water company and | the government and the final determin-
 ation of the Arizona canal farmers to | get water on their lands, were alona | worth more than money can measure | 10 most of the readers in this valley. |
 Yesterday being Sunday there were l naturally fewer people on the streets | than usual but those who were out, | could think of but little else, or talk 1 of but little else than the pleasing turn of affairs in respect of the water 1 question in its various phases It was not one of those occasions when the l interest lies in discussion and the | studying out of new ideas for a means | of salvation; it was not a time for quarrelling among neighbors and eff forts to change the views of each other.
 On the contrary ir was a time when
 everybody wanted to congratulate ev-
 erybody else.
 The time is suspicious for a very ' brief review of recent history in this
 valley. a review which should give
 courage to every resident of 1t and inn
 bue every reader with an appreciation that almost any obstacle can be over
 come with a determined and coOpera- | tive effort. Ten years ago this valley had the best climate and soil in the world and lots of faith. And that's all it did have except just water enough Ito keep hope alive. It was apparent | that there must be more water or all
 was lost. A dozen projects for secur- ing water by private capital were sug- gested and cast aside. The national irrigation idea was developed. It look
 ed alluring but few had faith in its feasibility. But the faith of the few prevailed and the idea became law. Then there arose on the horizon a
 dozen seemingly insuperable obstacles.
 The cooperation and organization of
 the farmers was the first step neces- lsary and that seemed impossible. But
 the faith of the few again prevailed
 and the Water Users association came into being. Then came the settlement
 of dozen different private interests. The faint hearted said it couldn't be tuOnes put IL was uOiic All lAAAo NAAAAC
 while the smaller questions were be- ing settled there was the overshadow- ing question. what shall become of the
 private canal systems? It was appail
 ing to some and even the wise ones answered: "We don't know, wait un- til the time comes. don't borrow trou-
 bIe" And the people waited. Eventu- lally the subject ripened itself and de- tmanded attention. It was taken hold fdelicately at first, then bolder and yet more bold. People on both sides be-
 gan to speak out in meeting and as
 the other questions one after another , had been solved and became dead is .
 sues. so the canal question made pro- gress. clear up until last Saturday night when 1t seemed the chief obstacle had been finally overcome. The work IS 7 mot all done yet by considerable but r there is d time for everything and . nobody now who has any faith at all
 in his government or his fellow man , can doubt the ultimate success or oper-
 ations in this valley under the lrrlga- . tion law. There are yet numerous IT,
 rieating matters that will have to be I settled but they are of minor import ance compared with the big things that , lean now be referred to as a part ot 9 history. Those who were faint hearted 2 in the beginning should recall the un- 9 bounded faith of George H. Maxwell s of B. A. Fowler, of Judge Kibbey, oi f Engineers Davis and Newell of the re- = clamation service, and of dozen others whose Iabors are only now crystalliz-
 ing when they stood before one meet r ing after another of the Salt River val a ley farmers, and pleaded for cooperd- Q ton. earnestness of thought and effort n restraint of temper, confidence in the
 nIaraNWW lad Q themselves The trouble is not all over -I perhaps but those who have slain honi il can yet kill coyotes.
 lx The campaign for water for the Ari- V zona canal lands, not alone after the ! reservoir is built. but this present sea k son, right now. is on and there will no ' he a minute lost Just what was ac v complished yesterday is not apparen if but 1t is a sure thing that the execu n tive committee of the Protective asso n citation spent more time yesterda, h planning to pull the OK out of the mir is than 1t did in going to church, evel l. if it was Sunday. And today its mem - bers will be more busy than ever. .e mountain cannot be moved in minute IS even with faith, but the preliminarie a will be in progress early this morn ,s ling Who or how many, could not b ,t learned but it is announced that ther ,e will be some of the executive commit is tee on the ground very early this morn h ing and before the week is out ther
 will be an exhibition of canal diggin at that would do the isthmlan commis n sion good to see. There will be n e waiting for the government. This rs one time when the government WI k have to hurry to catch up. It is ex pr pected there will be an immediate con is ference with Engineer Hill either per
 sonally Or by telephone for it Is dc
 signed to proceed in the most com
 pIete harmony with his suggestions g / that later if it is deemed best for th / government to take hold there will |
 no loss of time and no wasted effor
 IA .,, ALnrn rn,.L hasha