Arizona republican., 1906-03-10
ARIZONA WAFER
 FIRST OF APRIL
The Rapid POOgress of Work on the
 Extension.

C. NJ. Etter, who has charge of the work of building the extension at the Arizona canal head, was in the city yesterday and reports everything pro- gressing in a most gratifying manner, More than a thousand pounds of pow der are burned in a day and the way it tears up the rock is a marvel In the deepest cut where the heaviest rock work occurs there was discharged on Thursday a series of blasts that were the most effective Of any vet shot. A dozen shots were fired simultaneously or as near so as possible. The holes had been put down to the grade of the canal, some of them being ten or fifteen feet deep, through solid rock. and heavy charges of powder laid. The derrick which was operating near by was taken down. for it was expected there would be big doings when that round of shots was fired. and nothing was left in the vicinity to be destroyed. Not only was the rock broken up 10 the depth desired, but immense bouI- ders weighing two and three tons were hoisted clear out of the channel to the banks on either side, obviating the ne- cessity of the somewhat tedious oper- alton of lifting them out with the der rick. Many more shots will be re- quired to break up the heavy rock but the whole channel at that point has been jared loose from the sur rounding reef and the work of clear ing it out will proceed with alacrity.
 The derrick was reinstalled yester- day and another derrick will be put in commission next week
 Mir. Etter's principal bushes in town yesterday was to secure if possible about forty additional head of stock and ten or a dozen Fresno scrap apers which will be put to work next Tues day or Wednesday on the upper reach es of the canal, where there is nothing to remove but sand and small bouI- ders that can be handled with the scrapers. It is thought that begin ming next week they can finish the excavation of that part of the canal by the time the rock men have fin ished their work. so the entire canal can be completed about the same time.
 MT. Etter says it is the opinion of both himself and MT. McDermott that they will have water turned into the new canal by April 1. MT. Etter says he hopes all the farmers on the south side and under the lower canals on the north side will use every drop of water they can get between now and April l, for after that date he proposes to turn every drop of water that he can handle or that the law will allow him to out of the river into the new ditch for the benefit of the parching acres under the Arizona. This area must be planted yet, large portion of it, and little planting can be done until there is some water in evidence. and he wants to give his people all that is possible for a while. With the present head in the river there is ann pie for everybody. but the older canals should nevertheless keep themselves soaked up to their limit until April l. The Arizona has waited long for a drink, and is getting very thirsty.
 There will be a meeting of the exec utive committee of the Protective as sOciation today, and of the soliciting committee for the raising of funds. It will be an important meeting, for the financial question calls for action and the matter of the distribution of wa ter must be taken up at once.