Arizona republican., 1913-10-06
Paradise Valley Settlers and Land Owners to Figure on Project to Reclaim Many Fertile Acres in That District
ORGANIZE FOR
 EFFECTIN F. WORK
To Try to Interest |. S. Government and City of Phoenix in Scheme to Share Flood Waters of the Verde

Share Flood Waters "f
 the Verde The need of the Paradise valley farmers is water. Water with which to fructffy the fertile land and make it bring forth a harvest to surprise the whole state. There is no more fertile valley in Arizona than this big eN- fanse north of the Arizona canal which stretches to the Verde river rom the Camel back mountain. The reaches of country that are encountered when one breaks through the mountain at SquaW peak are of Paradise valley; old Cave Creek runs through the valley which stretches for nearly 9 miles northwest from Fort Mcdowell to the head waters of New River This immense country is capable of producing great crops if water can be found for it. Much of the land has been taken up and is be- ing rapidly proven as hOmesteadS, while other of the land not vet sur veyed has been squatted upon, and still other school sections have been leased
 Already a project has been cOnsid- cred for retaining this part of the desert. surveys having been made for the construction of a government pro feet upon the Verde river. to conserve and store the flood waters of that iras- CibIe stream in order to water the acres now barren. But there are r@nN settlers there v'c have farms. ''h must somehow make their living from the soil. who desire homes and are will ling to take the small end of the bet against the government in order to ac quire 160 acres of land from the pat rimony of the people.
 There are three school districts in the valley. so great has been the influx of families there in the past five years. Of these districts one new one, known as Deer Valley was erected recently, and the school is already crowded. This then is the quality of the settlers who yesterday met at the home of Duncan Macdonald. nine miles north east of this city. 100 strong represent ing an acreage in the valley apprOXi- mating 10000 and organized for the purpose of presenting their claims to recognition both to the government of the United States, and to the city of Phoenix This proposition it can be seen is two fold. The reason the city of Phoenix is considered in the ques- tion is on account of the need for wa ter for domestic use that will be felt by this growing city within the next few years and the probable availability of site near Camel back. The req son the government of the United States is considered is because the reclamation service has heretofore made surveys for projects in that val ley and has built irrigation projects elsewhere
 The meeting yesterday afternoon was typically a pioneer one The settlers and residents gathered in the hospit- able shade of the plaster house. upon imprOVised seats, with the Camel back in the near distance and the giant cac- tus all around. There were sunburned men and women present telling of life in the open. There were others there who have lived in Phoenix and are em- ployed in the city but who have ob- tained land in that section and who for many months have gone to and from their employment.
 Some came as far as twenty-five miles to attend the meeting.
 The gathering was the outcome of q former meeting held in the city by few earnest spirits who believe in
 
 Upon that occasion the feasibility of a cooperative proposition between the city of Phoenix and the settlers, where by Phoenix could obtain the benefit of stored flood waters for domestic pur- poses, while the settlers could obtain their share of the same waters for ir- rigatiOn purposes. It was decided to put the thing up to the settlers them selves. This was done yesterday
 As result a permanent organization was affected of the settlers and land owners there tax of one cent per acre was levied to pay the expenses of the organization, a large part of the money paid on the spot a committee appointed to act for the entire body and a most suspicious start made for many further and permanent valuable improvements to the Paradise valley.
 It didn't take very long for the folks to understand the propositions as out lined above, they caught on immed- ately. Here were two chances to get water, an opportunity to find out if the flood waters of the river, the nor mal flow is claimed by prior right by the settlers of the Salt River valley. actually appertain to the land up there or not. or if they could be pre- emptied by corporation for speculative pur- poses and individual profits; and fur ther there is the chance of the city of Phoenix assisting in attaining the end to be desired. 'I move committee of five be appointed to further investigate this proposition and confer both with the United States and the city council of Phoenix" spoke up one This was enough, the proposition went through with a will Then another suggested the one cent per acre tax, and it went