The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-06-26
prepared by the National Geographic
Society. washington. d. CO

A CROSS Arizona auI0moDue
n traffic is setting predominantly
east now, where it flowed west
a few months ago. Much of it
comes from California, but TO a goodly
number of the motorists who have
been in quest of milder climates Ari-
iona has been winter home, for il is
fast becoming an American Egypt.
Since 1920, Arizona's tourist traffic
has grown more than 1000 per cent.
Winter playground hunters are drawn
TO her ever-multiplying hotels, auto
camps and dude ranches. In Phoenix
on some winter nights $500 people
sleep in. the auto camps. At Flagstaff,
among 81 motor cars parked about a
hotel, licenses were counted from %
different states and two from Canada.
By train and auto, more than 100000
people saw the Grand Canyon in one
recent year.
Ten years ago dozen tourists a
day, coming from Tucson down to No
gales, were a crowd of sightseers.
Last year close to $1,000 motorcar
parties visited this bilingual town that
sprawls astride the international Dor
der. Since the recent completion of
the Southern Pacific railroad line
down the Mexican west coast, one may
ride from Los Angeles to Mexico City.
This puts old Nogales. once but a
camping place for Forty-niners, on
one of the main railways tying UP the
two republics-a new channel of north
and south tourist travel.
New Grand Canyon Bridge.
One of the highest bridges in the
world has been completed recently
across the Grand Canyon. One hun
dred thirty-fve miles north of Flag
staff this dizzy structure spans the
Colorado. 1t eliminates the old river
crossing. known as Lees Ferry, six
miles above its site Until now the
only vehicular way through the Canyon
was down a narrow. dangerous noun
tain road that hugged the face of
bluffs, TO reach Lees Ferry, set up
long ago by Mormons migrating TO
Arizona from Utah. Except the Nor
mons, Indians. traders. and trappers
very few travellers have ever passed
this way.
Yet this path leads through a re-
gion Of astounding and rugged beauty
From Flagstaff north 1t crosses the
flaming Painted Desert; then, over
h-,l rr;o ctr
spider web spun between PERCEPTIONS
canyon cliffs. past Bryce Canyon, into
the Kaibab National Forest and Zion
National Park.
Through countless centuries. until
this bridge was built, the great gorge
barred man from travel north and
south.
In all the United States there were
no two post offices so near and yet
so far apart as those on opposite
sides of the Grand Canyon Of Arizona
before this bridge was built. 1t is only
about eleven miles by air line from
the post Office at Grand Canyon sta
ton, Arizona, on the south rim, to
hdlDaD OlCSt SldlAOhs Vh lAC AOAt
rim. Yet, because it was quicker,
mail, before the bridge opened, was
sent via California, Nevada, through
Utah, down to Cedar. and thence 10
miles by stage or vice versa, between
these post Offices, a distance of 1,025
miles, though one station can be seen
from the other through field glasses.
Arizona's white population, not in
Guiding Mexicans, has increased by 600
per cent since the Spanish-American
war and its wealth has multiplied may
be twenty times. Lonely COW trails
are changed to crowded motor lanes.
and million-dollar hotels f1aunt their
splendor where 'dobe huts and desert
skies were long mans only shelter.
High Lights of Arizona's Story.
Now, TO see modern Arizona whole.
look hastily at its map spot and at
high lights in its astounding past.
Under the treaty of Guadalupe Hi
dalgo in 1S4S, the United States ac-
quired land only as far south as the
ella river; by the Gadsden Purchase,
in 1854, it received the rest of that
terra incognita later called Arizona
territory.
A few studious Americans, delving
in early Spanish chronicles, learned
that explorers like Cabeza de yaca
and Coronado, and early missionaries
like Father Kino had found here
"rivers with banks three leagues high"
and mines rich enough to yield a silver
nugget so heavy that two mules were
dashed together to carry it! From
beaver trappers, too, who had ven
tured down the Colorado, tales of Ari-
zona's scenic wonders, and especially
Of its warlike Apaches, had been
brought back. But to most Americans
practically nothing was known of
Arizona; it was too hard Of access.
One early delegate to congress
reached Washington by way Of Pam
anna and is said to have collected
$1,000 in mileage! This same delegate,
years later. set up a sun-worship cult
In Arizona.
To give Arizona a seaport, Mr. Gads-
den's own plan was to take In part
Of Sonora, down to Guaymas. This
would have provided port on the
Gu6 Of ,,alifornia. which might have