Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-01-05

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the territory since the days OF the
Spanish occupation.
Now that the government has taxi
en- hold OF Il, and the Colorado river,
the Salt, and the ella are to be rob.
bed OF their floods to I'LL irrigation
bitches as soon as the dams are conf
pleted at Rincpn and Yuma, new
miles Of rich alfalfa fields are fruit.
full orchards will widen A~rixona'J
strip Of green carpet. Oranges ripen
In the Salt river valley earlier than
anywhere else In the United States.
and they bring a higher price than
any others. Dates are now being
grown succesgfully there. Thee; n
no better climate for melons, fruits,
grains. and alfalfa /, than southern
Arizona; there ,is no .aKriSyltltal en-
terprise m.te alluTinS than intenaive
farming where there Ii no possibIli.
ty Of crop failures. People are only
too ready to flock In whatever water
can be had, and these farmers who
come In are men Of the same type
that navs made the commonwealth Of
Oklahoma. More win come in, when
the Yuma and the Tonic dams are
completed. There are 10000. 900 acres
OF land in the territory susceptible Of
irrigation I'D only 100000 have
thus far been reclaimed.
Besides the farms. Arizona has
leagues Of grazing land, on which 1
saw sleek herds Of fattening CATTLE,
and Its forests are v greater In ex.
tent than those Of New Mexico. Lum.
Der Is hipped from FIagsta. to all
parts Of the country. About 100000
OOO feet Of lumber Is cut every year,
mostly In the northern part OF the
territory. Much of It is shipped In
manufactured form. About $4,000, 900
worth Of sheep. cattle, and horses are
sold from the ranges annually. But
the chief asset OF the territory Is
her wealth in minerals. Arizona is
now the leading copper producing
center OF the world, and its output
OF gold and silver 10 very considera-
BILE. Its total mining output amounts
to more than $40.000,0O0 q year.
Mines like the United Verde and the
Copper Queen support prosperous
towns life Bisbee, Globe. and jerome.
There are nearly 1000 patented
mines. and all mining experts agree
that the 10000. 900 acres Of Arisona's
mineral uelt have thus far been mere.
j. scratched.
1Twenty-four states have been ad.
mitted to the union with . smaller
population than Arizona now has. AMI
twentyseyen with. . smaller amount
Of taxable property. II the standard
for, admission has ,.een raised with
advancing years. the people Of the
territory are not ,faint-heartsd about
their ability - attain any standard
congress may set. They arr willing
to stay out until they attain 1t. The
few ADVOCATES Of joint statehood In
the territory received a letter
after leaving the territory from q
small joint statehood association In
Pima county-assert that the corpo-
rations which own the great mines
and the railroads in Arizona are be-
hind the anti-joint statehood move
ment. 1t Is true that they are op-
posed to the merger Of the terri.
tory with New Mexico, because they
DO not wish to run the danger CT being
taxed as the proposed state, manag-
ed by the New Mexican end. mighc
tax them. But to maintain that the
corporations are responsible Tor 30
nearly unanimous q feeling az seems
to exis in Arizona Is futile. 'rIey
could not do 1t. They might reach
some OF the people! they could NOT
fool practically all. The explanations
ID simpler. Americans building a.
commonwealth take a jealous pride Ia
Its integrity. All Arizona asks II .
square deal The Foraker amend.
ment to the statehood bill Of last year
provided thst the question Of admis.
sion should be submitted to popular
vote in both territories. leach vot.
ing separately. This would be'a fair
method Of settling the difficulty.