Graham guardian., 1910-06-10
RATES OF LEGAL ADVERTISING
JUNE 10. 1910.
TERRITORIAL HIGHWAY

TERRITORIAL HIGHWAY
The following communication wa
received by THE GUARDIAN, from
H. I. Firth. of Aravaipa. in whicl
Mr.. Firth takes exception to an edi
torial appearing in The GUARDIAN
May 9th:
ARAvAIPA, ARIz.,
June 8, 1910.
EDITOR GUAREIAN:--I wish tC
draw your attention to an erroneous
statement in your paper of May
9th, in regard to the Territorial
highway:
You state that since the assess.
ment of 1900 was levied, there has
been absolutely nothing done toward
either making a survey or building
this Territorial highway through
Graham County; that the board Cf
supervisors and the people of Gra-
ham County are perfectly willing to
contribute their share of the ex-
pense incurred in building Terri
torial road through the county, but
are not willing to pay this assess
ment, if the money so raised is
spent in some other county.
In correction of these statements,
wish to inform you that there was
some preliminary survey work done
by the Territorial engineer in this
county during the months of Feb
ruary and March, and the surveyed
highway will traverse the whole
length of western Graham County,
beginning opposite San Carlos and
going through Graham County as
far south as this side of the McKit-
trick ranch, a distance of about sew
enty miles. Part Of the surveyed
road traverses a country rich in
mineral resources. but almost en-
tirely without means of communica-
ton, or at least over such roads at
present as to be prohibitory.
Furthermore, wish to draw your
attention to the fact that if Grahar"
County is to retain part of h"-
~ -.er pres
- say NV -, section, it i
a.. ..osary to foster ant
&c this section, which il
...ne will rival the famous Cliftol
and Morenci section, soon to pas
from the control of Graham County
Very truly yours.
H. T. FIRTH"
In reply to the above communica
ton from Mr.. Firth, we would stat
that it :, not within our knowledge
that any work has been done in tn
way of actual survey for the Terri
torial highway through the western
part of Graham County, and if an
preliminary survey was made in tina
section, it is proof that the origins
plans, as understood by us, for tn
highway to come down the Gila Val
ley to Solomonville and thence acros
to New Mexico by way of Clifton
have been changed, and the high
way is now designed to go down t
old Mexico by way of Aravaipa.
We did understand that a roa
would be made from San Carlo
down the western part of Grahar
County to Tucson, but that it wa
the intention to build the Territol
ial highway through to New Mex
co, by way of the Gila Valley, whic
would benefit the thickly settle
section of the county.
The fact that no work, survey 0
otherwise, has ever been made o
the highway as it was understood t
traverse this section, is the reaso
that the board of supervisors re
fused to levy more than five cent
on the 800, as that sum was cor
sidered sufficient to pay for all tn
work reported to have been don
SO far on any road in Grahar
County by the Territorial engineer
If it is true that the Territorii
highway is to traverse the wester
part of the county, as stated in MI
Firth's letter, then there is all tn
more reason for the board of super
visors to refuse to levy tax of 2
cents on each 500 for building sue
road, as it must be plain that sue
a highway would be of no benef
whatever to the largest number 9
taxpayers in Graham County.
There is certainly no objection t
a public highway through the west