Bisbee daily review., 1914-03-05
SAN CARLOS DAM WILL
 ADD MANY MILLIONS
 ID AR|zONA'S WEALTH
Box Canyon of the Cila Now
 Is Chosen by Report for a Giant Reservoir; E. B.
 Merritt Plays Saving Part
Special to The RevlewJ

terested in the conservation of the natural resources of the new State of Arizona has been settled by the report of the Board of Army Engin- eers appoiri.ed hy the Secretary cf War for the purpose of determining the feasibility of the construction of a dam and reservoir site near the Box Canyon, on the Gila River, in the San Carlos Indian Reservation. The Box Canyon dam site has been he subject of controversy for many years. and the fact That the report of the Army Engineers shows clearly that the construction Of the dam and adjacent reservoir is feasible will un. doubtedly be the basis for liberal Congressional appropriations for the ' construction of the projec..
 An eminent engineering authority. one of the best known irrigation en. gineers in the United States has said ' in connection wl.h this project that. considering the unusual fertility oi the silty soil of the Gila Valley, it's constant renewal by fresh silt. and the wonderful range of products in that climate. 1t is certainly conserva. i've to say that with an assured wa. ter supply, much as might be had with the San Carlos reservoir storage. the settlement of the land under this project would add approximately S22. 000, 900 Co the weath of Arizona.
 A study of the controversy over this dam and reservoir site shows clearly how even in this day of or ganization and interde pendence of men upon the judgment of one anoth CT the clear thinking of one man. lllled with determination, force of character, sureness of purpose and vision. preserved this future garden spd. to Arizona.
 In 1910 the Southern Pacific Rail. way Company sought to acquire un' der existing laws right of way tc improve the grade of it's line along the Gila river and across the San Car los Indian Reservation in wRy and under such conditions tha. if once procured it would have probably for ever Locked the construcucn of this ! dam and reservoir.
 This application bearing no ear marks of it's farreaching possibilities to the future of Arizona. was started on the cut and dried course prescribe- 1 by the red lape of departmental reg ulation ana procedure. In due time l 1t found it's way into the Indian onico. ! IL was examined upCn its journey with great care by critical clerks and officials to see that it was in proper form, that l,he correct number ! of maps accompanied it and al sim 1 liar matters had been attended to.
 ut drifted upon its devious way through various clerks and officials and bureaus with their approval until it came to the hands of Edgar B. Mera.t, then Law Clerk of the Indian | Onlce and now Assistant O-mmis' sioner of the Bureau.
 Mir Merritt has faculty of digging ! into things pretty thoroughly betpre he passes upon them, and in hisdely' ing he noticed that certain citizens ci Arizona felt that the land crossed by the proposed right of way of the Southern Pacific Railway Company could be much better used as a reser' voir to irrigate the surrounding coun try than as a desert decorated b. a railroad grade and that it seemed to them that green productive fields were more valuable in Arizona than the ieveling of hill on the line of '.he Southern Pacific Railroad.
 This was enough to start Mir Merritt thinking. A search of the govern mental reports showed that the Box Canyon had once been considered as a possible reservoir site which might water thousands of acres of land Some engineering difficulties had teer raised which. while they caused the abandonment of the project, did mol prevent the flow of the life giving waters of the Gila at this point. mol did they show clearly l5he impossibil lties of the great irrigation proiec dreamed of for Arizona was more valuable to the Indians and to th' white man than the improved grade to the Southern Pacific Railroad, not wi.hstanding the adverse recommen dations of high officials and two bu reaus Of the government.
 Having argued and decided that h' was right he stuck to his position On every hand he met disagreement There came a day when the applica tion was all but approved by the In dian office when Mers.t with his bacl to the wall put up the fight of his If and succeeded in holding it up.
 The conservation theories of tn theories of the administration of tn Interior Department then in powe were the subject of criticism and al
 tack The administration was ner yous on the kind of questions raise ' by Mir Merritt in this case It tco some nerve To start scrap with great railroad corporation It migh have cost him his job had he give
 anyone a handle to get at him. bu that did not bother Merritt. He mar aged to hold the case up until tn