Arizona republican., 1913-03-11
ANDERSON SEES 0LD FORT GRANT
Grows Enthusiastic Over Conditions as He Finds Them and Wonders at Opposition to Acceptance
 of Tract and Buildings
(By C. o. Anderson.)

WILLCON. March 9.-AS consider able opposition- has developed in the house to the location of the industrial school at Fort Grant, your correspon- dent in order to ascertain the facts in the case visited Fort Grant today.
 What first attracted my attention was the wonderful scenery. NestliIg at the foot of the mountains which rise abruptly behind it five thousand feet. lies the fort. while in front opens the broad eXpanSe of the valley dotted with hundreds of homes. The soil is excel lent which is eIoquently attested by numerous well cultivated farms ad- joining the reservation
 The second marvel is the splendid mountain stream. which rushes from the mountain fastness past the fort and loses itself in the valley seven miles beyond. l estimated that the present flow was at least twenty five cubic feet per second of time, and this is the usual flow during the winter months. Later as the snow high up in the mountains begins to melt. the flow is increased to at least 100 second feet and this continues until about June II. when it subsidies and may cease alto gcther until the rains. come which oc- CUTS between July l and 10 when the flow during the summer and fail months will be between g. and loo sec ond feet according to the rainfall in the mountains beyond. Even during the season when the water flows past the fort. there is a large quantity of water in the stream higher up about three miles above the fort k small reservoir. now partly filled up with sand from which water is piped at all seasons to the fort for domestic use.
 Conservations of the water ia this stream by the construction of reser- voir or two and developing electricity would mean the reclamation of from twenty to thirty thousand acres of the best land in the state beside selling power to adjacent communities As for the needs of the two thousand acres donated 10 the reform school d small reservoir could be constructed at a small cost 10 conserve the water in the stream for the month of June, and thus have abundant water at all times dur ing the year for every foot of land do- hated to the state IL is without cx- aggeration the best watered spot I have seen in Arizona.
 The third thing to which my atten- tion was forciby called was the splen- did improvements upon the ground. The ground has a good slope and is well drained. 4 broad avenue of state ly trees. some over two feet in diam eter. on each side. run east and west throughout the fort Along this the residences of the officers are built. These houses are douhle and contain not less than from 10 to If rooms. They are principally Of stone and adobe and few frame; well built and in a good state of preservation. They contain every convenience. The water system
 IS the best. fire hydrants are located along the avenue, as well stone and concrete drains along the sidewalks X large concrete swimming tank over two
 hundred feet long and about sixty feet wide band stand. parade grounds. a splendid chapel with stage fully equipped. fine residences. d hospital with two wards. fully equipped with kitchen, dining room( stewards houses and nurses rooms; also q quartermas- ters house. over two hundred feet long and forty feet wide costing over S40- 900.
 It is built of stone and in fine condi- tion. A good bakery. bath houses mess houses. barracks, large stables and outhouses, most all in good condition i The value of these improvements would run close to q quarter of d mil | lion dollars, while the cost to repair most of all them. would be very small I The land itself when put under culti- vation would become as valuable as any in the state.
 l marveled at what | saw. No one can at present fully estimate the worth 1 of this munificent gift to the state of 1 Arizona and the saving to the tax pay l CTS. If every tax payer in the state 1 Arizona could see what l saw today. l they; as surely as the sun will rise to- i morrow, would insist that every legis- l lator, who opposes this measure. be l forever relegated to privacy and shorn 1 of all future positions of trust and 1 confidence in Arizona.