The Coconino sun., 1919-10-17
KIN OMAN, THE
 KINGLY LITTLE CITY

It is really difficult thing to con- vince an old-time Arizonan of many
 of the wonders that actually exist in
 Arizona. They are so diversified that
 each follows his own line and forgets
 all else. It would be difficult to con- vince one that the largest privately
 owned power plant in the United
 States is owned and operated at King
 man, Ariz. We'll, it is fact. You
 don't need to always ask the size of the town to find out what is doing
 there, for you are apt to run across
 some of the real big men and things | in special places, where they are do- ing business, connected up with the
 biggest financial interests back East. Very often not only financially, but socially as well.
 Take Kingman, for instance. It is one of the cleanest and newest looking little cities you will find in
 the West; but, at that, it is just a few years older than the Santa Fe
 railroad, so we are advised by H. H. Watkins, cashier of the Arizona Gen. tral Bank, who came there in advance of the railroad, so as to be on hand for the general good of the fellows who drifted in afterwards. From all
 reports, there is a strong indication
 that he delivered the goods all these years.
 The town is remarkably free from
 old shacks, and most of the buildings
 are good, substantial structures of brick, stone, or cement. Notable
 among the splendid buildings are the
 Elks' home, the Odd Fellows hall, the
 new courthouse, the school building | and the homes of the business men.
 The Beale Hotel, owned and conducted by Tom Devine, a former resident of
 Flagstaff, would do credit to city ten times the size of Kingrnan. It is
 mainly built of concrete, fire-proof,
 steam-heated, with large, airy lobby
 luxuriously furnished. The people are
 proud of the Beale and have every right to be.
 The Central Commercial Co. building
 is one of the best of its kind in the
 West, and it is doubtful if there is another building to compare with it
 for mercantile purposes outside the
 larger cities. It is built of concrete from top to bottom, with every con venience for handling their business, which covers pretty much all that sec tion of Northern Arizona, wholesale and retail. There isn't a department in the big store that is not equipped with the best fittings, from their own cooling plant to the cash system. The building is said to cost over $100, GOO, and carries a stock of some $250, 900 aside from their big concrete ware house, and is managed by John Ware, real wizard in his chosen work.
 The big light and power plant, men tioned above, is managed by R. w. Wilde, whose family are noted back East for making big machinery. The plant furnishes power not only for the city, but to the mining camps at Oat- man, Chloride and other places scat tered about the hills over wide ter ritory and is capable of developing 9,000-horsepower. Oil is used by them in great quantities; iT fact, they have the largest oil tank irl the coun- try, which holds over 10000 barrels of oil. The big plant was built away in advance of the actual needs of the time, but with every confidence that it would be all used within z few years to come when Mohave cmnty devel- oped the wonderful minin.y field. The present indications are that they made a safe bet, for there is a good, sound basis for all the mining activity going on there now, with the old "boom" conditions gone forever.
 Carl Walters, another former resi- dent of Flagstaff, is cashier of the Citizens Bank, and one of the solid