Show ARIZONA An Interesting Letter From a Herald Correspondent What Grows There I CENTRAL SMITHVILLE ARIZONA March 18th 1884 Editors Herald Perhaps there are people in the settlements of Utah who would like to hear through your columns what kind of a climate we have in this part of Ariz n9etC There are three seasons in the year here Spring Summer and Autumn In having these beautiful seasons farmers are enabled to cultivate and make improvements im-provements on their farms and orchards or-chards all the year round Tl ee is no n ed of loafers here The foil of this valley is very rich and fertile in fact in my own estimation this valley is equal to any valley in Utah for its fertile eoil and healthful climate There is plenty of meequite wood in the valley and it is no trouble to haul four or five loads a day The water facilities for irriga ing etcare equal i to moat of the beat farming districts in Utah and in the course of a very short time I believe they will be a great deal better There is a rumor going about here that a company of capatalists in this Territory are talking about making a canal alongside of the bench here extending from Solomonville to Smith i I wile The distance between these i two points is 15 miles If Ibis canal is cut it will bring thousands of acres of land more under cultivation Solomonville io the county seat of Graham Co 12 miles east of Central Smitbviile is far ahead of Solomon ville in population and everything elsebut Central I believe before long will surpass them bjth if it still continues con-tinues to flourish the same as it has done in the past six months There have been a great many farms bought here during the past three months and several large farmers from Juab Co have been on a visit to thia II place and have bought farms Three of them are now working them and i the others started for home yesterday > hey will return here this coming Jail 1 Rith their families If this company of capitalists do net build this canal it would be a fine investment for a company of capitalists in Salt Lake City to invest their mean in In fact I do not know where they con d put their means to better advantage There is a large grist mill five Danes f east of here at afford and Mr Campbell has taken it on a lease for five years He is a number one millwright mill-wright and a first class miller Wo have one taw mill here on the mountains and another fine steam saw mill now being erected This mill will commence sawing in a few days There are five owners in this mill Tbe following are the names H Weech J Gilt Mr Brace J Moody and James McNeal I have just received the sad and melancholy news of the death paused by drowning drown-ing of James MkiNiela native of Scot laud who came to this valley a little over a year ago While endeavoring to cross the river about two miles above here with hid team in company with a friend whose name is ABach man the team suddenly stopped in the centre of the river tbe river being very high caused through the late rain storms foe wagon turned over and both ut the young men precipitated precipi-tated into the water Mr A Bachman Bach-man after a great deal of trouble was exhausted when he reached the banks of the river He states the last he saw of his friend was when he I dropped into the water between the team Graham County which adjoins Final on the east and embraces the upper Gila river has the finest farming farm-ing lands in the Territory It is estimated esti-mated that along the Gild and its tributaries in this county there are over 130000 acres of fertile land which can be brought under cultiva firtn Aa nearly rn ofniiTfl rf G fnVtn J 6A u r auaUA County is included in the San Carlos Indian reservation Borne of its richest lands along the San Carlos Bonita Eagle Creek and other tributaries of the Gila are occupied by these eava gas and closed against the industrious settlers The county is well watered having besides the Gila the Fran isco San Carlos Blue Bonita and the numerous nu-merous springs which bubble out at the toot of the Graham Mountains and find an underground channel to the GJl Every inch of this valley < < is capable of producing magnificent crops of grain fruit and vegetables This fine valley was ones densely populated pop-ulated and every foot of it brought under cultivation The ruins of towns and the traces of large canals are yet visible in every direction Of this fertile land only about 6000 ares area are-a present under cultivation Several canals have been taken out and it is estimated that they carry water sufficient suf-ficient to irrigate three times the area now reclaimed The yield per acre is exceptionally large Barley gives from thirty to I forty bushels wheat about the same and corn from thirty to fifty f Corn ia I found to be well adapted to the Boil and climate Two crops are raised here Wheat and barley is sown in January and harvested in June Corn is then planted on the same land and is ready for the sickle in October The valley is beautifully situated for irrigation eloping gently from the mountains to the river and showing after the lapse of centuries the labors of the early husbandman Potatoes yield on an average eight tons to the acre Turnips cabbage beets pumpkins onions and all veg etables grow large and are of excellent excel-lent quality Melons grow to an enormous enor-mous size Some of last years growth weighed from seventy to eightyfive pounds The yield of grain in this valley for the year 1883 was in the neighborhood of 5000500 pounds Lucern thrives well here four crops being cut during the year It sells readily on the ranch for 12 The farmers in this valley are fortunate enough in having good markets close at bandthe military posts of Thomas Grant and Bowie Land can be had on easy terms here and the poor immigrantif he is industrious temperate and energetic will have no difficulty in obtaining assistance as-sistance to make a fair start This valley escapes the heat of the lower valleys in summer and it enjoys a cool bracing atmosphere during the winter win-ter months The Graham Mountain rnngfa raises its lofty peaks over 10 000 feet above tide water Its sides and summit are clothed with a heavy growth of pine which supplies the settler set-tler with all the timber required The steam saw mill which will soon be in running order is twelve miles from here When in operation the mill is expected to furnish lumber at prices which will enable the poor man as well as his betteroff neighbor erector erect-or himself a comfortable frame house In connection with the sawmill saw-mill they will put up a planing machine ma-chine and also saw shingles Central is thriving and our people who follow agricultural pursues chiefly are happy The people have built a fine school house which is a credit to them and the town Bmithville has now two sohool houses about to be erected one a district school the other Jsohool house will be built by the citizens There is also a large ball owned by Moses Clufi which is used for all kinds of entertainments GW |