The Parker post., 1911-11-18
RICH RESOURCES OF
ARIZONA " STRIP" !"
Miss SharIot Hall Returns From Trip
to Extreme Northern Portion of
sess Great Undeveloped Wealth.

Miss Sharlot Hall, Arizona's His
torian, has just returned from sum-
mer spent in travelling with wagon
over that little-known corner of Ari-
zona lying north of the Colorado
river and known to our northern
neighbors as 'the Arizona strip"
This is the territory which Utah has
long coveted and which she has tried
to obtain through action of congress
for some years past.
The average Arizonan has known so
little about this part of the state
that the one reason generally held
for not giving it to Utah free gratis
was that we should thereby lose ona
wall of the Grand Canyon Of the
Colorado river, which now lies wholly
within Arizona Beyond this bit of
sentiment few people have had any
idea that there were a multitude OF
reasons why we could no more afford
to give up this country than min
ing company could afford to give away
its richest undeveloped ground
This part of Arizona does not look
very big on the map but it is in truth
big enough to make state or two.
as eastern states go, and its business
possibilities are as varied as the face
of the country itself-and no part Of
Arizona presents greater contrasts
in scenery, altitude, and general con-
ditions.
When the "good roads" movement
crosses the Grand Canyon it will be
seen that this neglected and unknown
region can pay ''its way" as we'll as
any part of the state. At present the
lack of roads, trails, and safe ferrioc
prevents the sort of exploration that
would lead to active development;
but once the great river Is crossed
there is no part of the country over
which roads might not be made al
reasonable cost and without serious;
engineering difficulties.
Miss Hall crossed the Little Colo.
rado, which was then a half mile
wide, with the water reaching the
wagon bed in places and two mounted
men pulling with ropes on the wagon
tongue to keep the outfit moving
over the quicksand, but in a few
months a safe crossing may be made
over the new bridge
Between the Little Colorado and
Lees ferry on the Big Colorado lie
the most wonderful and beautiful part
of the Painted Desert, region which
already draws tourists from the Oh
World, and which will, as it become
better known, be regarded as of equal
Importance with the great canyon it
self The development of mineral in
this region is sure to come with
fuller exploration; beds of sodas o.
unknown extent exist and flour gold
in paying values has been found
over almost the whole area. Then.
too, the petrified forests continue the
whole distance into southern Utah
and are very slightly explored.
This region has some fine prehiG--
toric remains, buildings and picto-
graphs, but little known. and some
picturesque groups of settlement
made by the Mormon immigrants but
now included in the Navajo Indian
reservation. 1t was a custom of the.e
people to plant good orchards and
vineyards as soon as they found foot
ing in new place and they have lef,
behind old fruit trees and huge vine
whose loads of fruit prove what might
be done at fruit farming in the shell
tered spots where water Is obtaina
ble
The region beyond the Colorado riv-
people for half century and wa.
thoroughly explored under the di-
rection of the church while the r1s.
of Arizona was scarcely settled out
side of Tucson. Old stone forts still
stand that were built in the days
the war with the Navajos. and ranch
es may be seen that were established
at the time cotton was grown on the
Virgin river
The Kaibab forest, covering the
higher portion of this great plateau,
is one of the finest in Arizona and
will yield some three and a half
billion feet of lumber ready for i'm
mediate cutting. 1t is expected that
this body of timber will in a few
years bring in the railroad for which