38 



ARIZONA. 



vate land claims pending in his office covering 

 5,195,348 acres. The early settlement of these 

 grants is in every way desirable, in order that 

 such claims, if any there be, as are just may be 

 confirmed, and such as are fraudulent may be 

 rejected, and the honest settler who in good 

 faith located upon and paid the Government 

 for his land may peacefully enjoy the same. 

 The proposition before Congress to transfer 

 these claims to a special court created for this 

 purpose, if passed, or any transfer of the settle- 

 ment of these claims from the Interior Depart- 

 ment and Congress to the judicial arm of the 

 Government, can not fail to work incalculable 

 hardship to our settlers, and consequent dam- 

 age to the Territory." 



Irrigation. It is claimed that in the past few 

 years over $2,500,000 have been expended in 

 Arizona in the construction of irrigating-canals, 

 and that in the next year at least $1,500,000 

 more will be expended. Great activity and 

 enterprise is being shown throughout the en- 

 tire southern portion of the Territory in locat- 

 ing water-rights, taking out canals, and re- 

 claiming desert lands. The most extensive and 

 successful irrigating canals are to be found in 

 the Salt River valley, where canals over 200 

 miles in length and reclaiming about 225,000 

 acres are now in operation, and nearly 100 

 miles more are in process of construction. In 

 Final County, along Gila river, canals de- 

 signed to reclaim over 200,000 acres are being 

 constructed. In the counties of Pima, Cochise, 

 Graham, and Yuma, the reclamation of land is 

 not so extensive, but beginnings have been 

 made. On the Little Colorado and its tribu- 

 taries, in the county of Apache, about 20,000 

 acres are under cultivation, while in the Verde 

 valley, Yavapai County, about 2,500 acres 

 have been restored. 



Stock-Raising. The following is the number 

 of cattle and their assessed value for 1888, in 

 the various counties, as returned to the Terri- 

 torial auditor . 



To this total should be added Pima County, 

 with 94,735 cattle, valued at $1,012,290. 



Mining. The product of gold and silver for 

 Arizona in 1887 is reported by Wells, Fargo, 

 & Co. at $5,771,555, a slight decrease from 

 the previous year. In November, 1887, a 

 vein of gold of exceptional richness was dis- 

 covered by two miners in Yavapai County, on 

 Hassayampa river, about twelve miles from 

 Prescott. Over $10,000 were taken from this 

 mine in a few weeks, and an organization of 



capitalists was soon made to develop the prop- 

 erty, which is called the Howard mine. 



Railroads. For 1888 the total number of 

 miles of railroad assessed in the Territory was 

 1,053-41, valued at $7,317,930.57, a slight in- 

 crease in the total assessment over the pre- 

 ceding year. No new lines have been con- 

 structed during the year. The Territory 

 needs a greater number of north-and-south 

 lines meeting the two great trunk lines passing 

 through the Territory east and west. The 

 following shows the details of the assessment 

 for the year: Atlantic and Pacific, 393'41 

 miles, assessed at $7,282.03 per mile ; total 

 valuation, $2,862,136. Arizona Mineral Belt, 

 30 miles, at $5,706.33 per mile ; total, $171,- 

 190. Arizona Narrow-Gauge, 10 miles, at 

 $5,200 per mile ; total, $52,000. Arizona and 

 New Mexico, 41 miles, at $4,502.22 per mile ; 

 total, $184,591.13. Maricopa and Phoenix, 

 34-45 miles, at $7,000 per mile; total, $354,650. 

 Prescott and Arizona Central, 73 -3 miles, at 

 $5,151.62 per mile; total, $377,613.75. South- 

 ern Pacific, 383 miles, at $7,500 per mile; total, 

 $2,872,500. 



Political. The Democratic Territorial Con- 

 vention met at Tucson on September 5, and 

 renorninated as delegate to Congress, Marcus A. 

 Smith. Candidates for the Territorial Assem- 

 bly were also nominated. The convention 

 took an unusual position in refusing, by a vote 

 of 30 to 34, to pass a resolution approving 

 the national and the Territorial administra- 

 tion. Two weeks later the Republican Ter- 

 ritorial Convention met at the same place, and 

 nominated Thomas F. Wilson for Delegate, 

 together with a ticket for the Legislature. 

 Resolutions were adopted accepting the na- 

 tional platform, condemning the Democratic 

 administration in the nation find Territory, 

 and embracing also the following : 



We condemn the pernicious practice of the present 

 Administration in appointing men who are not only 

 non-residents, but who are total strangers to the 

 great natural, mineral, agricultural, and other re- 

 sources of the Territories, as well as the important 

 function and duties of the high offices whereof they 

 are incumbent ; and in this connection we respect- 

 fully invite attention to the custom at the present ob- 

 served (we believe heretofore unheard of in America) 

 or' creating a horde of spies, ferrets, and blackmailing 

 emissaries called " special agents," who, under cover 

 of law and the pay and support of the Government, 

 make it their business to obstruct and retard the hon- 

 est settler and miner from developing our great re- 

 sources and filling this Territory with thrifty and 

 happy homes. This system now in vogue in Arizona 

 is equalled in, iniquity, if at all, only by the British 

 plan of espionage in Ireland. 



We demand the removal of the Apache Indians 

 from the Territory. 



It is the duty of Congress to appropriate suffi- 

 cient money to construct reservoirs for water-storage 

 in this Territory and for the development of artesian 

 water, the benefits of which would enhance all values 

 and bring to the treasury tourfold return. 



At the November election the Democratic 

 ticket was successful by about the usual ma- 

 jority, and a majority of the Democratic can- 

 didates for the Legislature were elected. 



