Arizona republican., 1912-12-18
Land Commission Impressed With Beauty and Natural Wealth of San Carlos and Fort Apache Indian Re- serves
WONDERFUL,
 POTENTIALITIES
Splendid Country for Ap- ples, Peaches, Cherries and Similar Fruits and Greatest Fishing in Ari- ZOna

While on the trip through the eastern counties of the state making the Investigations of the school land of the state with a view to recom- mending selections as provided for under the enabling act and the leg islature of Arizona the state land commission visited the Apache and San Carlos Indian reservations The journey was made from Sulphur Springs.
 In the report rendered to Governor Hunt of this portion of the trip the land commission says:
 From Sulphur Springs valley. the commission, on it's way to Apache and Navajo counties, where weather conditions were most favorable for expeditions and effective operations. travelled through and over the White mountains of eastern Arizona lying In the counties of Gila, Navajo and Apache The objective point of this overland trip was Springerville. and the route lay over the Ocean to Ocean Highway from Rive, on the Arizona Eastern railway and San Carlos creek. From Rice to Springerville
 
 the last few miles, in the Fort Apache and San Carlos Apache Indian reser- vations-a body of land which is worthy of at least passing mention.
 These two reservag gOns constitute vast and beautiful and inexpressibly rich inland empire, sretching more than seventy miles north and south and east and west, containing 5494 square miles of territory, or more than three and a half million acres of land. The altitude ranges from the loWlands of the GiIa and San Carlos valleys to the towering heights of the White mountains. clad with immense forests of pine and cedar and juniper and quaking asp, eight thousand feet or more above the level of~-the sea The San Carlos agency is at San Carlos, in the low lying southern portion, while the Fort Apache agency is at White river, in the timber covered mountainous north, and about these agencies and the Rice and Cibicu schools are main- ly gathere the 4545 Apache Indians, men, women and children, comprising the remnants of many branches of a once-famed and bloodthirsty nomadic tribe. At Fort Apache, three miles from White River agency, are sta tioned two troops of United States cavalry.
 The potentialities of the empire embraced within the boundaries of these reservations cannot be estimat- ed. So great are they that they may hardly be guessed at Blessed by na- ture with scenic beauties of the most fascinating type, and clother with billions of feet of valuable timber, the mounain valleys and sky-kissed mesas of the highland portion possess agr cultural and horticultural possibil ties realized by few, and by fewer seriously considered. Out by the White and Black river, which forms the Salt, seemed by their numerous forks and tributaries, these mountains form what is perhaps the best water ed portion of Arizona. High up as they are, and subject to the rigors, in winter, of a northern climate, there are numerous protected areas, aggre-. gating many thousands of acres of land, where farming and fruit grow ing could unquestionably be prose cuted with complete success. Ap- pies, peaches, cherries and similar fruits would find an almost perfect home, while many varieties of grains and vegetables which thrive best un- der temperate summer conditions, and are now grown to a certain extent by the desultory. Indian farmers. would handsomely reward the husbandman. These things are not possible, of course, while the present boundaries of the Fort Apache and San Carlos 1 Indian reservation maintain, and the possessions of the arts of civilization are prohibited from avaiing them- l selves of the natural advantages here