Nogales international., 1931-07-22
-F a
lI[Ill| l|I 4 Il- Itl -lL . ,,... IN
One Of Arizona's Builders

Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Tovrea Of Cactus, Arizona,
are passing few days here In haven from the oalt
River valley heat.
This may not mean lot to the newcomer mere;
that is the name may not, but Ed Tovrea IS recog
nzed throughout Arizona as bright example OF WnaJ
nerseyerance and ghtforWardness, coupled with
fine sense of opportunity can acnleVe Tor tno:e wlu
have it and he assuredly has both OF them IN IuA
measure AS head of the Tovrea Packing company
with Q large and modern plant near Phoenix, ne is
alone in his line in the state, and very feW any
men in Arizona stand ahead OF him IN business leao
ershp Safe and active in his big enterprise noW ms
position is viewed by his associates as matter OF
course and there are not many who recall how per-
sistently and hopefully he toied along the uncertain
road of life until the goal came within sight. 1t was
long and weary struggle, but his stout heart never
faltered his masterless spirit chd not quail When
obstacles arose
Ed Tovrea drove a four-horse team from Califor
MIA to Yavapai county nearly fifty years ago For
many months he hauled coke from Ash Fork to the
United Verde srnelter at Jerome In his bullWhack-
ing" Gf such it might be caedD he obtained con
tract to bring from the main line town to Prescott
the cement used in constructing the first reservoir
ON Mount Vernon street hill and for the water pipe
that was laid throughout the city He was IL business
several years in Jerome then went to Cochlse county
more than thirty years ago.
At Bisbee Ed opened butcher shop On Brewery
Guch and, when the city of Douglas was founded,
he established shop there. Gradually his business
expanded and prospered, and his dream OF owning
ity More than twenty years ago, I'm cooperation
with the vigorous and able William C. Greene plans
were laid to erect large plant at Cananea 1t proved
heavier undertaking than the promoters expected,
though the financial reVerses that befe Greene, TO-
gether with the aftermath of the 1907 panic was the
most telling blow and the enterprise past into the
realm Of might have been" The shells Of the build
ings still are standing the outskirts OF the mining
camp.
The Sonora undertaking left Ed Tovrea literally
broke but his ambition unquenched, his urge to
accomplish something worth while continued to spur
him on He re-entered the butcher business where ne
practically had left off, since he had pledged all he
had to the project that failed Again vigor and re
sourcefulness were rewarded and security and gain
once more crowned his efforts.
little more than ten years ago Ed began his
second venture into the packing business, and at the
location where he has found the fulfillnent OF de-
sire It was tough sledding for more than five years.
once it seemed he would be shunted aside and find
the fruits of his labors in other hands, but he knew
neither surrender nor encouragement, and finally
the mountains were crossed and the rich valleys Of
stability attained For the last six years he literally
has been buidng his business into the heart Of the
southwest and making of it bulwark Of finance
and service in which the state holds merited pride
With his Great Aim a reality, Ed is slowing up
in his work though he never entirely can divorce
himself from his large establishment 1t was the Ar
zona Packing company until several months ago,
then he changed it's and gave to it his own He
travels about the world knows Paris and London and
Dublin and his country quite we'll, but he simply
can't stay away long; Arizona has held him too long
in her amorous clasp for him to be content else
where He loves her for the hard knocks of failure she
has given, for her caresses Of success
Now that he is at the top, and has no WORRIES he
is unchanged-and "get this" Ed Tovrea in affuent
circumstances and where long he has tried to be
is the same lovely character and square-shooter he
was in the old days when driving his tired team over
those tmes-those who are eft-are still his friends
And aftav all the real test Of manhood comes when