Arizona republican., 1917-06-11

This line through Mesa connects the
smelter and concentrating stamps OF
Hayden and Winkelman with the out
side world. Mesa is the gateway to
the Roosevelt cam and the Tonic
district 1t is one of the best home
towns in the southwest. The home
spirit prevailing as a dominant FAC
tor Mesa has everything that could
he asked IN schools, dwellings and
business blocks.
Mesa city was founded in 1878 By
the Mormons. II was laid cut by
c. I. Robson, George w Shrine, and
f. NJ. Pomeroy, to whom the land
was decided by its locator. d. W.
Shrine George W. Shrine. known as
the father of Mesa. died in 1892 at
the age of SIS years The founders
of Mesa came from Paris. IDAHO In
their search fol a suitable location
for 4 settlement they finally decided
upon a flat, or mesa, and in conse-
in February. 1878. The first thing
to do was to arrange for irriga ton
of their lands. In search for suit
able channels from the river thev
discovered an ancient canal which
had once brought water to the mesa
for irrigation purposes. This solved
the problem Of water for the time
being and the settlement began to
grow ana prosper. The utilization of
the old canal saved the MormonS
about $4,000. All they had to do to
make the canal useful was TO clean
it out and deepen it.
Cotton Industry
AS throughout the Salt River val
ley now the chief industry about
Mesa is farming and the allied in
d1Ic rin dai,
raising. cattle raising and fattening
the culture of all manner of decidu-
Gus fruits ana garden produce. This
year the big crop was cotton. it be-
ing 2 record crop, selling at a record
price.
In the city is a cotton gin for the
handling of the Egyptian cotton
raised IL the district, and also mill
for the handling of the seed frort
the lint. These are equal to any in
the valley, but they proved made
QEate to tie demand with the result
that there is talk of charging them
1Or the next crop.
SO successful has been the grow
ing of Egyptian cotton in the Mesa
district that the acreage this year is
being MANY times increased Mesa
also has flour mill a mill which
does a large business the year round
The grains for the mill are supplied
by the farmers and the grade of the
finished product is equal to anything
milled in the country.
Building lnnproverne
one of TIE recent improvements in
building is the new high school,
built at a cost of So 200. Another
Improvement is the building of the
Salt River Valley bank, now being
G
eral small business buildings are be-
ing erected in the city and others are
in prospect.
Mesa district gives the tourist 60
ing over the Apache trail the first
glance of cultivated Arizona. -shculG
they be coming this way. o, it gives
them the last glance before enter
ing the desert on their journey over
the trail should thew be going oul
from Phoenix Auto stage service
between Mesa and Phoenix is pro-
rided every few minutes and this
means of transportation is augment
ed by a good train service over the
Arizona Eastern rai.road, making
Mesa easy of access at any hour Of
the day or night. A proposed railroad
to Clarkdale will give Mesa another
outlet and open to it another trade
territory so that the future of Mesa
as a great trading point is doubly
assured.
Mesa streets are c25 feet wide.
Parks and highways are numerous
ard great pains have been taken by
the people to beautify their homes
ON account of the high value and
commercial importance of long staple
cotton. the United States department
Of agriculture. about eight years ago
began exnerimentS in it's production