Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-07-31
HE Did NOR FoRGET
DAILY SILVER RaltA

Carlos dam has been dream of the
Arizona home folks. And now this
dream is about to come true.
When completed, 4it viii store
water to irrigate one OF the richest
valleys in the entire world 1t will
turn dry desert into a blooming
garden.
Many an old time Arizonan had
pinned his faith upon the future of
this wonderful valley and lived until
death on the desert waiting for the
water to come.
To United States Senator Cameron
goes the honor of having written the
Dill that won the support of congress
for the measure.
If Senator Cameron had never ac-
complished another single constkuc-
tive venture in his entire life, this
achievement alone would justify his
life, and certainly justifies the conf
dence placed in him when the people
Of Arizona sent him to Washington.
There are thousands of people
throughout Arizona who will not be
affected in material way by the
success of this battle But in the
hearts of all true Arizona home folks
today there is sunshine and song.
Their neighbors and friends over
in the Gila valley are about to be re-
warded for their long years of toll
some pioneering on the heated desert
The vine and fig trees are about to
replace the cactus and bear grass, and
the tired, heavily burdened fathers and
mothers are about to achieve for their
dear ones the happy, comfortable
homes of their dreams.
IF the effete- easternep could omy
have visioned the conditions and har-
dihood of these pioneers, a half CEN
tury would not have slipped away be-
fore something would have been ac-
complished Out on the prairies of
Kansas and Dakota, in the forests of
Wisconsin and Minnesota, each pio-
neering homesteader could wrok out
his own destiny by hard work. But
down on the desert, regardless of in
dividual sacrificevs sand effort, nothing
would grow except when the river
would flow sufficiently to furnish
water for the crops. The flows were
intermittent, flash rains would pro-
duce floods and long droughts dry up
the river. Just imagine the heart
breaking task, the foftitude necessary
to stand up and carry on against
condition over which man himself had
no control.
"Torrentials floods and the waters
of the Gila would go on a rampage. AT
such times the greatest necessity of
desert life became al. instrument or
destruction, an element of devasta-
tion. And now these floods are to be
retained in great lake. A lake that
will feed water as it is needed down
in the thirsty desert. A lake with
beautiful grassy shores, with trees
and flowers. Birds singing in the
branches and fish swimming in the
depths A lake with boats sailing
over it. and places for men and boys
as well as women and girls, to picnic
and swim.
'Why shouldn't Arizona home folks
welcome such news? 1t means life
love, homes, comfort and happiness.
1t means that this great state which
the home folks have come to love so
well will give added reasons for these
affections. Then the new schools for
the children and all of those things
which follow in the wake of thrift.
"It means water for the desert and
water for the desert means that man
at last has chance to battle for sue
cess. 1t means that the Arizona home
folks living down that way have now
got a $3.50 chance, and that is all
any of them ask. Given that, they
will do the rest.
! mo wonder that the man who was
able to do this for his fellow citizens
is idolized and sent to the United
States senate in spite of his political
affiliations.
"The true sentiment Of Arizona peo-
pie. is expressed in the prayer of a
couple whose faces had tanned ana
wrinIxIed and whose heads were
bleached by years of the desert sum-
given when they heard the glad news
that the dam had won in Washington
"They thanked God for having led
Cameron into their desert that he
might see and know the conditions
surrounding them; so that he might
bear witness at the capital of this
great and generous nation to their
manifest need and long years of pa
I.tient waiting for water to come.
"They were thankful for his gener-
Eous human sympathy, as he could feel
with them and theirs, their great need
for water, and, in suite of all his own
personal trials and tribulations, HE
DID NOT FORGET THEM WHEN HE
WENT AWAY!
"That explains why there exists such
bond of sympathy between Senaotr
Cameron and the folks back home.
HE DID NOT FORGET THEM
WHEN HE WENT AWAY"