Arizona republican., 1909-02-19
SOUTHEASTERN ARIZONA PROGRESSIVE EVERYWHERE
Towns Are Growing-RaiIroads Are Building and Prosperity is Evident On All Sides.

The writer returned yesterday morning from a business and pleasure trip to different points in the south ern part of the territory. The trip in Icluded a visit to nearly every town of any size in that section of Arizona. It was noticeable that everywhere a general condition of prosperity seem ed to prevail Business appeared to be good and the residents of the va Irious towns were satisfied and confi- dent of even better times to come.
 At Clifton and Morenci the chief topic of conversation these days is Iof dividing Graham county. The resi- dents of those two places, as well as 'of Metcalf and Duncan, are strongly in favor of forming a new county of the eastern half Of Graham county. The reason of this is obvious. It takes a full day to journey from any. one of these four places to the county seat at Solomonville and another day back. If one has any business to transact, that takes part of another day; consequently the trip can not be made in less than three days. Be- side this, there are many other req sons why the residents of that sec liOu q elil Ol llltot reasons appear on a petition that has been signed by practically every voter of that district This petition is in the hands of a committee from that 'section now in Phoenix where the matter will be brought to the atten- ton of the legislature.
 Last week at Morenci some little snow fell and the writer enjoyed the novel sensation of making tracks in a couple of inches of snow Sunday morning. Both Clifton and Morenci have made substantial advances with in the past few years and additional improvements are in progress at both places.
 A stop of half a day was made at Tombstone. It was noted there that with the exception of one or two, all of the teachers in the public school were graduates of the Tempe normal. As a matter of fact that same condition pervails in nearly every town in the southwestern part 'of the territory and in every in stance, the teachers give most satis- factory results.
 Bisbee is a Hr ter. a larger and AAAl AlAg Apnu Nlldll CNtl- lt 'city has nearly outgrown the re- suits of it's recent disasterous fire and little evidence of the conflagra- tion is now in sight. The new town of Warren, really a suburb of Bis bee. is a handsome place. It is con |nected with the main town by an electric line.
 Douglas is growing larger day by day and is now one of the most modern cities in the territory. Be ing newer town, 1t is probably the most modern. That is the way it strikes the visitor for there are no old style and partly dilapidated buildings to be seen. Every thing is new. Much interest Is displayed in Douglas, as well as in Bisbee and Tombstone, over the opening of the new town of Courtland, between Pearce and Douglas. Railroad work is now in progress from Pearce to the new place and the residents of Douglas feel confident that within a very short time the Southern Pacific will reach the border town.
 The purpose of the writer's visit to Douglas was to close up the business affairs of the late Henry Schmidt. In so doing, he came in contact with a dozen or more of the most prominent men in town With out an exception each of these ex- pressed the profoundest regard for the young man. Not a man in Doug las had more friends than he. As a mark of respect and as an illus tration of the regard in which MT Schmidt was held here, it is re- lated that on the day of the funeral here, the flag of the Country club, the most prominent social organiza- tfon there was draped at half mast.
 While from the above 1t is appa- rent that this southern part of the territory, is progressive and prosper ous, it must be stated that it does not begin to compare with the Salt River valley in the writer's estima- tion. A trip of that kind has the effect of making one feel more and more pleased with a town such as Tempe, where the climate is more equitable, where things grow the year around and where the general aspect of nature is far more pleasing to the eye.