Albuquerque citizen., 1908-01-04

was formerly one of the most in
accessible parts of the United states,
the usual way to get in being by boat
from Needles, ninety miles, and to
get out by boat to Yuma. about
one hundred and seventy-five miles,
following the windings Of the
stream. When the river is high,
navigation is perilous; when low,
the journey is long and tedious and
p sticking on sandbars is not uncom-
mon. In summer the days are ex-
tremely hot and the nights are given
over to entertaining mosquitoes. In
winter. sunny days are followed by
frosty nights that seem like zero to
the tender Arizonian.
Now, the branch road Of the San
ia Fe. from Wickenburg. reaches
the river two miles above the school
and agency. and when connection is
made with the main line on the
California side the Santa Fe will
have a short line from Phoenix to
the coast. Eventually the main line
is expected to cross the river at
Parker, abandoning the crossing at
Needles with the steep grades and
frequent washouts of the original
line. The bridge at Parker is a
great undertaking. There are to be
six concrete piers extending from
fifty to ninety feet below low water
mark, while rails cross on 2S0-foot
spans fifty-seven feet above the riv-
er. The approaches to the bridge
will be about one hundred feet long
each making the total length APP
proximatey 1900 feet. The cost will
come very near to one million dol
lars. Thus the Parker bridge will
be one of the longest. highest and
most expensive in the southwest.
1t is estimated to require $4,000
barrels of Portland cement, all of
which is brought from Kansas. The
timbers for making cement forms
and the false work across the river
are brought from the state of WASH
ington.
Three shifts are employed at pres
ent in the caisSons and a good sized
power plant is operated to pump the
water, compress the air, and gem
crate the electric light for the cais-
sons and the large camp. The men
in the caissons work eight hours q
day while near the surface, six hour
al fifty feet, and four. and three, as
depth increases. At ninety feet they
work only two hours q day, one
hour on, four hours off, and one
hour on again. SO far there have
been few cases of sickness or acci-
dent, but the agency physician is
the only one within reach, and the
closest hospital is at Phoenix, 165
miles distant. Sand and gravel for
the concrete is Immediately at hand
and good many Indians at two
dollars a day have been employed
in getting it out and have been Civ
ing good satisfaction The men in
the caissons are getting $3.50 per
day, and a number of colored men
are employed. Some asked me tc
take their pictures to send to their
families In Missouri, and one young
fellow was from Alabama and had
attended Tuskegee institute.
The work must be hastened to get
beyond danger of high water which
is sure to come in May or June
The Missouri Valley Bridge and
Iron company of Leavenworth, Kas.
has the contract, and the foreman,
Charles Corliss, while man of few
words. is familiar with every detail
and keeps the whole camp moving
like clockwork. He does not al
ways have such a good winter eli
mate for working. Last winter he
was at Amarillo, Texas, and las
summer in the swamps of Louisiana
The railroad from Wickeburg tc
Parker traverses Ito miles of dry
desert soil, but not green thint
growing, for lack of water. There
is abundance of mineral in the
mountains and the approach o
transportation facilities has stlmu
lated prospecting and production
tions. composed largely of tents anC
box houses, provide for the de
mands of the miners in true from
tier style in the ration of three sa
looms to one restaurant. But what
ever may be said of the liquid re
freshments, bread is evidently
luxury. as sandwiches are twenty
five cents apiece.
AT one point far to the south. ca
be seen from the car windows tn
fantastic shapes of the Eagleta
mountains, the more familiar vie,
of which is 50 prominent from tn
Southern Pacific road little ives
The Colorado river reservatio
comprises 240, 900 acres situated o
both sides of the river, and extend
ing from Monument peak, fe'
miles above Parker, almost 10 Ehl
enburg, a distance of sixty mile
There are 4s3 Mohave Indians o
the reservation, nearly all on tn
Arizona side. The tribe is gradl
ally decreasing.
There is a pumping plant aboy
the agency which provides goo
stream of water from the river Il
irrigation, but aside from the gree
alfalfa fields of the school there
little use made of the water.
few Indians have small fields und'
the ditch, but most OF them pref
TO raise their little patches OF cor
melons and squashes on the owe
flow lands. Most of their livn
however, is probably made cuttiI
wood for the school at $3.50 p
cord and bringing freight by bo
from Needles. Now that the raj
road has arrived, the freighting h
given way to railroad and bridl
work. The women make son
bead work, and the ChimehueN
who live on the government laI
further north, make few fii
baskets
Col. F. b. Atkinson, who has be,
some sixteen years in the Indi'
service, has lately renewed
bond, as required Of all disbursil
officers serving more than four yea
under one appointment.
Although the buildings are poo
many adobes with dirt roofs still b
ing occupied, there are numero
evidences of Superintendent Atki
sons efforts in making improy