The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-02-24
Women Who Wa11tto Vote
Besiiege Legislative Halls
"a 'r,i. .s,- ~ silfNl-gG -H'. N'.f '#
ARlZONA'S Arr
BIRTHDAY |I1|1 iI.I,|.l |
TERRITORY WHICH Will BECOME
STATE NEXT CELEBRATES
ANNIVERSARY TODAY.

PHOENIX, Ariz., Feb. 24.-Arizona,
the territory which will furnish the
next star to the flag, Is to-day cele.
bratlng the forty.sixth anniversary Of
It's legal birth asia territorial possess
sion Of Uncle Sam.
1t was on February 81, 1863. during
the most troubled period Of the ma.
tlou's history, that the territory OF
Arizona came into being. On that day
the Senate passed the bill organizing
the new territory, whlca had been
passed by the House two months be-
fore, and the signature Of President
Lincoln made 1t q law.
Between 1860 and 1868 gave terrltor'
les = Montana. Idaho. Arizona and
Wyoming = we're carved from the big
west and all save Arizona have since
been admitted asSstates, Arizona has
served her apprenticeship, and has
demonstrated to the satisfaction Of her
people that she is sready now for State
hood. Because Of this she saw trou-
blous times while the fifty-elghth and
flfty-nInth Congresses were In session.
and had framed bill to admit Arl-
zona and New Mexico as one State.
This hill passed the House. but the
Foraker amendment saved Arizona for
the future individual Statehood. by
providing that Oklahoma and Indian
Territory be admitted as one State.
but that Arizona and New Mexico be
not admitted as one State unless the
majority vote, Sof The inhabitants Of
each territory sd decided. As ninety.
five per ceatpf the citizens Of Arizona
were bltterlys protesting against the
nnsought alliance With New Mexico
the two now remain as the last OF the
Territories. ~
With a population Of nearly 100000.
and great wealt hof natural resources
that are rapidly being developed, the
people OF Arizona believe that the ter.
ritory Is fully prepared and ready for
assuming the responsibilities Of a
grown.up State. The idea entertained
by easterners that Arizona is a law.
less. God-forsaken country, with such
law as there Is administered in the
rough.and.ready manner described In
Alfred Henry Lewis "WolfvI1le Tales"
is entirely erroneous. With the ex.
ception OF her Mexican population.
which Is only Is per cent. OF the whole
Arizona has a smaller percentage OF
crlminallty than any other State or
Territory. Her schools are among the
hest. she spends more per capita on
education than any State except Tex
as, and her teachers are nearly all
graduates OF high institutions OF learn
Ing. receiving higher saalrfes than the
teachers Of any other State. She has
14O0O,oOo acres OF grazing iands. H.
100000 acres Of farming tracts. 2S,-
100000 IN forest and Indian reserves
and 21,,noo.ooO In mineral lands,
The United States Geological Survey
Is authority for the statement that
$4,000 acres can be reclaimed by ir.
rigation, making the area Of arabic
land three times as great as 1t Is now.
One OF the largest eypanses OF virgin
forest In America Is there. 10000
square miles. with value OF 100000.
o0O. From tho hills and mountains
there came IN the decade Of 1S9f.1a04
gold and silver to the value OF $4,000
900 and copper to the valne Of $12o,-
0O00OO, Railroads are eliminating the
magnificent distances Of the Territory
as rapidly as possible. and Fith the