Arizona republican., 1909-03-08
AR|zONA'S STAR IS
 READY FOR THE FLAG
An Interesting Descriptive Letter in the Philadelphia Record.


 The following interesting story about Arizona and statehood Is taken from the Philadelphia Record of February 21. being written by a Phoenix cor respondent:
 "Arizona's hopes for statehood have been fed on faith during many a long and weary year. but never have they waxed healthier than at present, and never has the mere mention of state hood kindled such enthusiasm in the eye of the loyal American
 They point to the vast irrigation enterprises under way in the territory as proof that in five years Arizona will quadruple it's present population of 2OO,000. New mines are being opened, new railroads are being built, crops new to American soil are being raised, and, in fact. the whole territory is feel ing the rejuvenating influence of new blood and new methods. The bronco" Apache. who was once the terror of the southwest, has developed into a good citizen and may be found work ing on government irrigating ditches, earning his bread through sweat as honest as that which spangled the forehead of Longfellow's blacksmith Even the giant cactus which rears it's head on the dusty desert has lost it's sinister aspect, for has not California's gizard, Luther Burbank, drawn its teeth and converted 1t into a fodder that will sustain the life of the range deer?
 One thing that impresses the vis- itor to Arizona is the intense Ameri- canism of the residents of the terri tory. Unlike its sister territory, New Mexico. the Spanish influence is small. One gets the impression that the av- craze Arizonian was talking with a nasal twang not long ago, so Yankee fled does he seem. Last year the ter ritOry inCreaed about per cent in population, according to Governor Kib- bey. and nearly all this increase was drawn from the middle western states. Recent arrivals seem 10 have brought their political preferences with them for at the November election Arizona went republican" for the first time in fourteen years, Mark Smith, who has served as delegate in congress from Arizona for nearly twenty years, being ONGINHtlIllUBlN ON utIedleO DN tNdlpn IL Cameron of COchise county.
 When the United States reclama- tion service sprang into being 1t meant more to Arizona than any other sec tion of the countrv. It is safe to say that the Roosevelt dam, in the Salt river valley. is the pet project of the reclamation service. This dam, which now is nearly 100 feet in height, will be 264 feet high when completed. and will bring hundreds of thousands of acres of land under irrigation. At the height of 100 feet it is estimated that there can be impounded 10000 acre. feet of water, which is sufficient for two irrigations of 10000 acres. This will insure practically all the lands around Phoenix, Mesa and Tempe against drought. The sluice gates at the big dam have been closed. and the reservoir will be kept filled to within twenty feet of the top of the dam as the structure grows. A triple set of bronze headgates, built at a cost of $200, 900, has been installed.
 Tn the opinion of c. J. Blanchard, statistician of the reclamation service. who also served as a member of Pres ident Roosevelt's country life commis- sion, the Salt river valley project is the most interesting agricultural eX- pertinent in the world. He believes the small tracts, in which form the valley will be settled. will mark a new era in intensive farming. The fer tility of the soil is so pronounced that wonderful results can be secured from five and ten-acre tracts, and authori ties all agree with Mir. Blanchard that in time this part of Arizona will be recognized as the most advanced agri cultural community in the world-the palm that is now awarded the highly developed agricultural colony at Gree ley, Colo.
 Not only will the Roosevelt dam re- claim a vast acreage. but it will fur nish some 25,0OO horse power. A pow CT line through the Salt river valley from the dam is now complete. It has 624 steel towers and is 90 miles long, including it's branches. One branch extends to Sacaton, where pow