Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1923-06-28

coloring, and greater than all ~
uncanny power over the emotions.
It can not be described and must be
seen to be appreciated. We arrived
in Phoenix on the 27th.
Phoenix is situated in the heaFo
of the Salt River valley and is tho
capital Of the state, has popuIa-
tion Of about $4,000 and is the lars
est city in the state. 1t has quite q
building boom on now, many largo
public buildings are under con
struction; some will be IL storieN
high when completed 1t has splen-
did schools, has 16 graded schools
each building occupying an entire
city block, and five high sckool
buildings that cover two blocks u
also has the second largest Indian
school in the United States, ovea
700 pupils. Phoenix is also the
county seat of Maricopa county.
which has become famous as the
best paved county in the United
States. There are over 400 miles 81
permanent paved highway. Hhe
Salt River valley is in this couRtH
and no farm is more than mills
from paved road. Most farms are
actually on or within half mile oA
a paved highway; one road in par
ticular is paved for 75 miles in enc
| continuous stretch
The valley is about 40 miles lens
! east and west and from Is to 50
miles wide. There are 21S,e0O
| acres included in what is known AZ
| the Salt River Irrigation Projeot,
which obtains its water supply from
| Roosevelt Reservoirs which is ~
miles from Phoenix. The Roosevelt
dam was completed in 1911 by the
! United States government at eosA
| of 100000. 1t rises to height
| of 284 feet, is built into the bedFOeh
| to a depth of 80 feet It - aIs0
| locked into the canyon walls on eaen
| side 80 feet; is 168 feet thick at the
base and 20 feet at the top, with q
! 16 foot driveway on top. The
| length of the dam on top is 111O
| feet. 1t forms lake 28 miles Ions
and a mile to mile and one-bah
wide The capacity Of this reservoir
is 1,376,305 acre feet or enough ~
cover the same number OF acres
with water to the depth Of one fboA
| When needed in the valley below,
water is released in proper quaint
ties through giant needle valves,
falling to the bed of the river ~
which it flows taking up in its course
the waters of the Verde river and
then heading for the diversion dan
at Granite Reef Here the waters
Of three united streams are turned
into great canals on the north and
south banks of the Salt river
~ Hon &c nvaA ~
the largest weir dams in existence
1t is 3S feet from base to crest aRA
is 100 feet long. Overlooking the
dam and lake are the remains Of
cliff and cave dwellings, ages ase
inhabited by an unknown race.
The Salt river flows southwest
through the center of this valley,
has a bed about half mile wide,
very little water in it except in tne
of floods This valley is the home
of alfalfa. The crop is cut from six
to eight times each year, and the
yield is about eight tons per aero.
Picture in your mind single
county larger than the state OF
Massachusetts, or the state of New
Hampshire or Vermont or New Jer-
, sey, and this will give you an 1dea
of the size of Maricopa county
. Then in the heart of this co-anty pic
! ture a broad valley, level as a h9Q'
always green, surrounded by pie,
turesque purple hills, where radiat-
ing in all directions like the spokee
of a great wheel, are paved roads
that one may ride over, by canals OF
f the life giving water. through the
sweet perfume of blossoms, Ameri-
cap beauty roses, palm trees, by
+ bautiful orange, lemon and grape
fruit groves, vineyards. alfalfa fields,
comfortable farm houses, with hap
py, healthy children playing among
the flowers; fat cattle in the fields,
and overhead the sun and song of
, birds. @
Where scenes like these are one
can ride TO desert ard mountain
haunts. where nature is still prfmi-
tive, to the home of Indians living
in wigwams and to many other de-
= lightful places.
That's Salt River valley.