Arizona republican., 1908-04-01
M MESA.

No man has seen the Salt River val ley at its best until he has visited that rich agricultural and horticultural dis trict that centers in Mesa, IS miles from Phoenix. Thirty years ago the -homeseckers first came to this part of the valley and taking up the work where the prehistoric farmer laid it down. he began to build ditches to water the land. He found the work laid out for him and he followed the dim traces of the early ditches in building his. Years rolled by and a town sprung up at the most central point in the district and this town be- gan to attract settlers until today Mesa is q town notable for it's wide streets, well ligted by night. and pleas antly shaded by double rows of fine cotton wood. mulberry, pepper and umbrella trees. The business houses, usually of cement or brick, are sub stantial and modern buildings. Dry goods. hardware, clothing, farm inn plements etc, are all found in the best and newest makes. Sanitary plumb ing and electric lights are usual fea- ture of the private houses. Set in a climate particularly favorable to out door life. the homes have less of the east or middle west. than of a land of perpetual sunshine where stoves are little used and doors are seldom closed. and flowers of some sort or another, bloom the year around.
 Mesa has her own electric plant, and focal and long distance telephone The branch lines of two overland rail ways. along with two telegraph sys- tens. connect her with the out side world. Mesa is also the starting point for considerable freighting business and the headquarters for Concord stage line to the Roosevelt dam. as well as the various mining camps which surround this point
 The town has two school buildings, with an average attendance Of seven hundred pupils and offers the custOm- ary advantages up to and thr0ugs the high school course. The Evans Col lege-PreparatOry schools situated two miles east of town. Graduates from the Mesa grammar school are admitted to the Territorial Normal school, and the Territorial University at Tucson.
 lltS1 lH ht-ll lllVN lhfA A ltI iiilAL All'-o Fortunate in the character of her early settlers she has never had a frontier period. This very freedom from a law less clement early attracted to the town,a most substantial class of pco- pie.
 Mesa has splendid opera house just recently erected at a cost of S20,- 000. The building is so arranged that the auditorium can be used for skat- ing ar dancing and in the basement large banqueting hall has been fitted up for lodges and ether society func- tions. This is much the largest and best amusement hall in the valley and great credit is duo Mir. Vance, the builder, for his enterprise.
 Mesa is proud of her prosperity and does not hesitate to name the cause of it. Follow any of her broad streets out of town until the street becomes a country road and the sight presented to the stranger is striking. especially if it be the season of year which the folks back home" call winter. Here the sun is shining, it is warm without d cloud in the sky. In the larger fields the cattle are grazing. over wonder a farmer is cutting hay. If you have come directly from the land of frost and snow the weather seems wrong. everything seems twisted.
 The Salt River valley is alluvial land, with a soil eight to ten feet in depth and therefore very fertile Around Mesa the soil can be described as a light clay loam. Which is well adapted to any branch Of agriculture.