Show THE LOWER GILA VALLEY MESA arizona nov 17 1896 extending westward from the juncture of the gila with the salt bait and agna fria rivers about twenty two miles west of the he city of and about forty miles from mess mesa city Marlo Mar loops opa county arizona a large jorge and prosperous colony of latter day gainte bainte fur for nearly two hundred miles allea Is probably what will one day be th the e most moat productive agre agricultural cultural area on ane no american continent for hundreds of miles broken here arid and there with a abort isolated mountain range or an occasional peak of fant fantastic selo do de agn the valley stretches away with the Jevel of almost a tabletop the soil a light sandy bandy loam at first deceives one as to lt its richness lout but touch it with water and its fertility and productiveness cannot be our eur passed here and there great groves of mesquite mee quite and ironwood bear witness to the richness of soll and mildness of climate that the initiated at once rec cognize line like many other portions ol of arizona the valley throughout its entire length bears evidence in the form of prehistoric ruins of a dense denee population that it oace supported here the ruins of an old canal that can be traced for miles there are the mounds of ruined push lop JOP while the frequency of chic covered cliffs tell the bootless elfort of the older race to leave behind them some record for future ages to decipher through the length of the valley on the south of the gila runs the southern pacific railroad while nonh ol of that stream has been surveyed and located a line of railroad from phoenix nix the be capit capitalor alof arizona to sao ban diego of this road thirty miles were built when the panic of 1893 1898 put a quietus on its further construction and since that time imea though the valley has steadily grown in n development and the advantage of such a line of communication muni cation has become more manifest its early extension to la looked forward to in variety of products the valley of the lower gila cannot be surpassed wheat barley alfalfa and all the cereals and fruits of the temperate zone growing glowing equally well with the lemon orange fig grape and other fruits of the semitropical semi tropical regions the climate while warm in sum summerton merto almost perfection in winter snow never being seen while even excessive roste frosts are unknown the rainfall inlall ra throughout the year is light and irrigation must be relied ou by the farmer to insure crops several canals already have bave been taken out along the valley and under each are to be found prosperous settlements in which the chief distinguishing feature are land poor PP proprietors whose chief idea of farming is to grow rich w waiting for a rise in values that will enable them to unload their hundreds of acres for fortunes fortune many of this class though have felt the stress of the last few years of panic and realize that it will be only by offering ofle ring every inducement like low prices that they hey can induce immigrate turn in their direction through this lands that were held at from 80 to 86 85 per acre five years ago con now be purchased at from 12 to 16 per rare acre with perpetual water griguts while in many instances large jan i owners can be found who will kive the use of their landl land for years yeara rent tree as well as an a portion ot of it in consideration of having the whole cultivated in addition under some of the canals can be found large bodies of government land awaiting antery by the bottier sot tier although the same character of land in california with water would readily sell at irom from 76 75 to per more acre unimproved under the oldest and best beat of the canals in the valley the buckeye the head of which la Is twenty two miles ailee due clue west of phoenix land for live five years with RD an abundance of water I 1 the cultivator to have all the product during that period and to receive one fourth of whatever amount be cultivates during that time rod and plants in alfalfa the th land in ID question being patented and already cleared and ready for cul tiva tion the canal in question lon has ha always been noted for its water supply while the area covered by it Is about twenty thousand acres it has several thriving communities under it with good facilities there are several thousand acres of land which can be had by entry if desired to possible settlers and home bome seekers the opportunity offered in this his in stance is splendid and well worth in vesti gation the unparalleled advantages possessed by the en lire fire valley for the cultivation of such fruits as the fig orange olly collve etc must naturally result in time lime rn in the creation of small holdings ranging from ten to twenty acres to la size sack eaon and subject to the same careful super vision now dow displayed around such places as riverside california when this is done no richer agricultural community will probably be found on oa earth than that along the gila river from phoenix westward to the color ado I 1 desire to locate with a small colony ot of lutter latter day saints on the above de scribed ascribed lands and will cheerfully give alv any additional information desired if inquirers will address me at ab mesa city alty arizona inclosing stamp for postage J W |