El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-04-28

STRIKING instance of benefits conferred locality
4 by the efforts of the United States reclamation
y service in providing water to rrigate arid land
that Of Yuma Arizona Before the reclamation service
to and established the Laguna project damming the
Colorado and providing irrigation system Yuma
little desert town with claim TO fame save
that appeared capital letters in the weather
ports during months he hottest place in the
United States which pure libel everybody knows the
ordinary thermometer doesn't tell the truth about summer
heat.
Things have changed at Yums since water has been
diverted Colorado 1t of the busiest
southwest The streets filled with people
especially on Saturdays hundreds of farmers families
90 to do their shopping and to make their bank
deposits.
Yuma is proud its farmers, declaring them destined
become the Independent financially in the south
west The returns on $1,000 acres cultivated IN the district
year ranged from $50 500 per Alfalfa the
leading crop acreage The average income about 500
per acre. and the best payr cop COTTON brought us pro
duceTs about 500 This spring, 1900 acres more
being brought under cultivation, increasing the total
farmed to $4,000 acres
Even So Yuma is far from having reached the limit
Thousands of await the farmer, and there IS
excellent land for the irrigation of which project
Is under 1t necessary to hoist the water by means
q pumps to the mesa and me cost VIII oe pIohoVe Ior
ordinary but the Yuma people intend 10 grow oranges
The the spot that locality where citrus
growth would be safe from 1rosts
All this activity in the farming district has effected
physical change in Yuma Many business blocks have
been erected within the and the demand for stores
greater the supply. One business
block approaching completion has reen pronounced the
finest IN the
In fact, many mechanics working days week IN
keep up with the demlnd for labor In the resi-
dence district than OF houses under
construction at the present time good many for town Of
great and every house under construction Is either to
be occupied by the builder las already been sold
Tuas experience has been tkzt Of Phoenix and viii be
that Of towns 10 be benefited through the Elephant Butte
project though VIII pronounced the Of Ell
Paso because the city already very active and growing
rapidly and the growth due to farm development viii
afford such a striking cont st.
There is sometimes strong tendency TO gumble in dis
by the government the annual
payment feature places considerable the land and
the debt TO the government stands first lien It does
take time, effort and money repay the government, but
the benefit to the farmer and his community far greater
than The demonstrates II perfectly
Arizona IS Just trying 10 bring IN irrigated
petition congress being prepared, which every
settler the Casa Grande valley of southcentra Arizona
expected to sign asking that authority be granted for the
construction Of the Carlos storage dam the ella box
canyon between Globe and Florence order that about $1,000
of land may be added the productive It IS the
idea Of the Casa GTand valley residents that after the
construction of the dam commenced enough water would
be stored TO make very fair start at Trgang large
acreage
The dam ought built long ago. board Of
engineers passed upon Il several and the
feasibility OF the project plainly indicated has long
been agitated though not within the past several years
The Arizona Eastern Railroad company, subsidiary OF
the Southern Pacific had project years ago to build
connecting line between Globe and Winkleman that
traffic might be diverted from Southern Pacific at Bowie
and routed By Globe and Wnkeman Phoenix and
thence Yuma where it would be returned TO the
line Of the Southern Pacific The idea TO get
the heavy grades the Dragon mountains Col Epes
Randolph much taken with the idea The companys
surveys made and the line TO through the box
canyon Of the ella level The canyon could
both the proposed storage and the railroad
line and Col Randolph did It practicable carry
The railroad to higher level through the canyon.
Florence and Phoenix wanted main line railroad and
Florence and Casa GIande also wanted the dam One desire
worked against the other and while there sporadic
attempts the part Of promoters to shape things for the