| Show written for ate poper paper SAN PEDRO VALLEY ST DAVID co aril april 1896 1895 I 1 desire to inform the readers of your jour precious paper that the san ban pedro valley in which we are living can an be made to blossom as the lowass roa toy by the magic touch of the true latter day saint the people of this ward have labored bero leally tor for a number of years yeara to redeem this land from its ite barren condition but they have bove labored under disadvantages on account of the san pedro rivers river from which we re have had to obtain our cupply of water flowing in a very deep channel and being therefore difficult to control at first we took the water out by building a canal along the river tank bank and tapping the river with a mall adall dam but when the would rise rice from the rains it would wash away our canal and leave our crops to die before we could again got get the water turned in after experimenting sn than for eight or nine joins years yearn we concluded t put a big dam in the fiver civer and take the canal away from the bank so BO we would not have to be canals all the time at first we constructed a dam of plies piles rock and brush at a cost of it lasted but one year and we onee once moro more went at it and con strutted truc ted another dam of rook rock and brush which remained in the river tor for two the cost of it was finally this dam also aleo was wae carried down into we the quit gulf of california once more we attempted t tj turn the mighty torrent by putting in a dam of large cotton cottonwoods woods and rock but it met with we the same fate f tte the cost of the lost last dam exceeding either of the be olbers by still undaunted and with faith to in the pt promises of the apostles who bad visited this land we struggled on some went to work sinking for arte artesian elau w water ter and were successful la in obtaining it at a depth of feet two wells were sunk about one year ago by ahe acre ae bros joseph A and john jk and those these wells welle are now irrigating bout about thirty five acres of land others excavated a 8 large canal to tap the fiver and 1 v king it away from the bank banks BO so the floods would not it this was done at a cost coat of one bone rut put of the canal was wag over half a mile in length long th and eighteen ight een feet doe deep p at the upper end the work was not completed in time to put in grain this springs but soon boon enough to leave ave our fruit trees and lucero lucern we are satisfied the canal to is now established so ao that with but very little work each aab season we can have the water rhen we need it one more artesian well was struck yesterday three quarters of a mile of the other wells welle tah anil was unk sunk ty by parly P sabin on his bomstead tead and indications are that we may have wells anywhere io in this valley and nd they will increase io orease in inflow flow by going deeper we have a good country and room jor for many more settlers it if some would ome come with capital sufficient to help develop the country we have land in abundance that can betoken betaken be taken up now belonging to the government but artesian wells and storage reservoirs reser voin are the only hope for redeeming it people with small capital could make koop homes fr according to expert ments and the best judgment of exports experts this thin country Is in well adapted for fruit culture especially apples applen pears and plums fruit that is in great demand and can be shipped any dim distance we are located six ratios miles southeast of benson a 8 station on the S P rail r ad two other railroads have their terminus at benson bencon and run ning south one to bisbee a ige mining town forty five fi ve miles south from our place the other to Gua guaymas sonora on the quit gulf of california so it can be seen that our shipping facilities are good several rich ga g 11 I 1 and anal silver mines minea nave have been discovered lately in our im mediate vicinity sod prospects are good for a first class local market for 04 that may be produced in this valley lor for a long time to 0 o come our ward consists of souls soule and we have all the organic irions in good running order usual in settlements of latter batter day saints behave we have heretofore retrained refrained from inviting settlers here bore on account of the difficulties we have had bad to encounter no but having now surmounted them we can with all confidence say DRY co the good latter day salute saints who are looking for homes or change of climate come and see us and it you are not alcaid of labor you will find you can make good and comfortable homes in the san pedro valley it is yot oot vary hot in this valley the thermometer seldom exceeds degrees fahrenheit in the summer and the nights are always cool and pleasant so one can sleep comfortably under a quilt or iwo the winters are not so very cold and snow Is a curiosity to the children born here fur it is seldom seen in the valley our ward to la at present in a scattered condition but we will at once proceed to lay jay out a new townsite where the majority will move as soon BOOD as convenient veni ent we have a good large hall built of rook rock sufficient to seat sest about persons this thin hall we use for re illious and social purposes at present we have three school houses bouses in the ward in which school is kept from six to eight months bech year education in ID this territory is entirely tree free if persons are looking for homes and desire further information concerning this country write t the undersigner undersigned unde under reigned signed and I 1 will gladly respond yours fraternale frater naly A bishop of st david ward |
