Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-02-09
FLAGSTAFF SCENES.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEYORS FIELD SEASON IN THAT DISTRICT
 OF ARIZONA


 the highest points on the Santa Fe route to the "Land of Sunshine on the Pacific Coast, has been under survey during the past season by party of United States geological survey topo- graphcrs. Flagstaff town, however, is not high as compared with much of the country covered by the government sur veyors. Flagstaff's altitude is 6,907 feet, but to the north the San Fran cisco peakss a group of titanic scntinels, rise above the sea level l2,000 to 13,000 feet, standing forth in bold and majes- tic relief. Within their shadows in very pretty situation, lies Flagstaff, thriving little place of about 5000 in- habitants and distributing point for a large numbering and grazing section. The name Flagstaff was gwen to this point long before there was any town. The early travellers in this almost arid region discovered Il beautiful spring bubbling to the surface at a point just within the limits of the present town and this was favorite camping place in the old days. Once when some sol diers were encamped there, one of them trimmed the branches from tall, straight pine tree and fastened a Unit ed States flag to the top; from that time the place has been known as Flag. staff.
 The southern half of the Flagstaff quadrangle is q high plateau which slopes off on the east to Little Colorado river and on the south to Verdi river. This plateau is very deeply eroded by three main canyons and their numerous tributaries, Walnut Canyon, draining to the east and Oak Creek Canyon and Sycamore Canyon draining to the south. Sycamore canyon is the deepest of the three and the most picturesque. It carries no permanent stream but sup ports several good springs on the east side just under the rim. Big game such as bear, deer and wildcats are found in the region and it is favorite resort for hunters in the late fall Walnut Canyon is of special interest because it contains prehistoric cliff dwellings, still in very fair state of preserva- ton. It carries no water as no large springs flow into it and any surface stormwater soon disappears in creviees in the limestone rock, flowing off by un- deTgrOund passages. Oak Creek Canyon is deep and picturesque gorge, the above the creek, fine stream of water, which was soon discovered by the sur veyors to abound in trout. In several places the bed of the canyon widens con. siderably and affords opportunity for number of prosperous little fruit ranches which in season become summer resorts for people from the southern part of the territory.
 "The region generally is covered by q fine growth of pine timber, with the exception of those sections which were numbered over a few years ago. and it may be noted that they were stripped very bare indeed, '' said Mir. T. Foster Slaughter, in charge of the survey party. "I have been told that this timber belt is the largest area in the world which is covered by one species of pine alone, the Pinus Ponderosa. This timberland furnishes fine grazing for horses, eat tie and sheep, and the stock seen was of high grade and in good condition.
 The Flagstaff sheet when engraved and printed (some time next year) will show houses, lakes, streams, mountains and hills--in fact, all the physical features of the region, as well as the works of man. To accomplish this a line of pri mary levels has been run over all the principal roads, and permanent bench marks in the shape of aluminium tablets or iron posts, with the elevation stamped thereon, were set every three miles. over all the roads and vertical angles were taken to the principal mountain peaks and then other angles were taken from these peaks to other prominent points, which were located by the plane table method. Traverse lines were run over all the hoads and vertical angles were carried on them to furnish eleva tions for sketehing the contours. In duultiOH IHtS were run iuIouSu lHt timber, by means of stadia, wherever the detail of the country required, and vertical angles were carried on these also.
 The survey party consisted of '. Eos ter Slaughter, assisted by M. T. Moves, traverseman; Glenn Jones and I. c. Rob erts, rodmen; w. h. Carpenter, team ster; and lessee l. Bushnell, camp cook. The quadrangle is located between par allels B deg. and 35 deg, 30 min. north latitude, and meridian ll2 deg. and ll2 deg. 30 min. west longitude.
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