Arizona republican., 1908-05-23
OF THE
 NORTH SIDE SYSTEM
Celebration Suggested in Honor of the Uniting of the Arizona With the Granite Reef Dam.

The merchants of the city have all had their spring openings. The Repub- lican has had its formal opening and reception, and everything else in the Salt river valley is slipping along as smoothly as though it were greased. wherefore The Republican suggests that it would be eminently fitting to celebrate in some formal way, the connecting of the Granite Reef dam and the Arizona canal.
 This very important incident will occur in a short time and mark the be- ginning of the era of assured water supply in this valley. The assured supply will not cover as large an acreage as the later supply stored in the Roosevelt reservoir, but it will as- sure ample water for all to whom it is sold. It will mark the setting of the first foot on the solid ground by the valley farmers who have been wading in the quick sands and the dry sands of doubt and despair for the last quarter of a century. And with one foot securely planted there is certainty of safe crossing eventually, and soon, of the slough of Despond or the drag
 
 It will be an occasion for general rejoicing, not alone by the farmer, but by all people for. on the prosperity of the agriculturist depends that of near iy everybody else in these parts. The governor should be on hand to lend the occasion official dignity, and it is espeo ially fitting that the governor should be Judge Kibbey who has had so large part in working out the details of the plan tor the cooperation of the Banners, making possible the engineer ing works that comprise the plan for amalgamating the canal systems and providing common source of supply. T. will be an occasion also in which the members of the water users association should take special pride as one of the early fruit5 of their cooperative organiZat.C and the major part of them who have been working as faith fully aL6 as hopefully as anybody. should be rivileged to get up and yell if they want tC. The few others who cur,e in because they had to, those once known as the kickers. 0here are no hokers now), should be permitted to feel just as happy as anybody, for they will receive just as much benefit, and they are sorry now that they ever. tried t" Gelav tl.e band wagon
 The celebration should be held at Granite Reef, of course, even though it is some distance from town, and a little inconvenient for some people. However an inland state has to go clear tu the ocean to christen her bat tleship and one never thinks of getting up Bunker Hill celebration in West minister Abbey. There is a time and a place for everything and the place frr thc Granite Reef celebration Will be at Granite Reef.
 It is entirely feasible to run an eX- cursion train to Mesa City and carry those who desire to seo the show to Granite Reef in wagons and carriages. and those who wish to may drive their carriages or automobiles up on this side of the river. The crossing can be made there and undoubtedly Mir Hill would arrange to hand out sandwich to the hungry one from the mess house on the south side. There could be little speech making by the gov ernor and by the engineers and by the farmers and it would be a day well worth remembering in local history. Engineer Hill should be on hand to point out that the government had more than made good on it's promises. In fact the Granite Reef dam in all it's greatness was only an after consider ation, mere detail of the big project that was conceived in the working out of a plan the necessity for which was about all there was at hand to deal with in the beginning. And this fea- ture of the project has become the first finished work, the first aid to the injured, as it were, and that will in sure prosperity continuously from now on.
 Believing that there should be celebration, The Republican takes pleasure in inviting MT. Hill to invite the public to join in a celebration.