ARIZONA. 



41 



General Conditiont The year has been a pros- 

 perous one for Arizona. Says the Governor, 

 in his report of Oct. 25, 1884 : 



Our population has been steadily increasing ; the 

 development of our material wealth embraced in 

 mining, grazing, and agriculture has shown marked 

 advancement; our border relations have been har- 

 monious ; the annoyances of government have been 

 lessened ; there has been absolute freedom from the 

 depredations of hostile savages, which in previous 

 years have been such a menace to the progress of 

 our civilization : and although the lawless elements 

 of society peculiar to advanced frontiers have in sev- 

 eral instances during the year committed deeds of 

 exceptional atrocity within the boundaries of Arizona, 

 the outlaws have in most cases expiated their crimes 

 by the severest penalties known to the law, and the 

 civil officers of the Territory are to be congratulated 

 upon the general success that has attended their ef- 

 forts in maintaining order and improved social condi- 

 tions. 



Mining. The Governor says: 



The product of our mines has been considerably 

 less for the past year than for the preceding twelve 

 months. Several large bullion-producing properties 

 have been lying idle a considerable portion of the 

 year, owing 'it is stated, to the heavy expense of op- 

 erating, high transportation rates, and a depreciation 

 in the grade of the ore being treated. While the ores 

 of Arizona are undoubtedly of a higher average than 

 those of Colorado or other localities with which com- 

 parisons can be made, the expense of mining, and 

 especially of transportation is much greater. These 

 obstacles, however, are being steadily reduced, and 

 all things being equal, her marvelous mineral deposits 

 will soon enable Arizona to rank first amon the bul- 

 lion-producing States and Territories of the Union. 



Grazing. 



The grazing interests of the Territory have largely 

 increased during the year; extensive importations 

 of improved breeds of cattle and horses have been 

 made into Arizona. There has been an entire ab- 

 sence of epidemic diseases among cattle and horses 

 in the Territory, and the loss per year is only about 

 three per cent. Much of the 60,000 square miles of 

 grazing-land in Arizona, though bountifully covered 

 with rich grasses, can not be utilized at present for 

 grazing purposes on account of the absence of water. 

 It is believed, however, that this drawback can be 

 largely z if not almost completely, remedied by the in- 

 troduction of artesian water. Where the experiment 

 has been tried, in Sulphur Spring Valley, Cochise 

 County, the result is most satisfactory, " sufficient wa- 

 ter having been obtained in this way to water at least 

 30,000 cattle, besides affording sufficient irrigation to 

 maintain the gardens that a population attending to 

 this stock would require, and perhaps tree-plantations 

 for the relief of stock from sun and wina." There 

 are now in the Territory about 300,000 head of stock, 

 with probably good pasturage, under present condi- 

 tions, for 1,000,000 more. 



Agriculture. The Governor says : 



The yield per acre of wheat and barley is from 

 twenty-five to thirty-five bushels, and, after this is 

 harvested, corn can be planted on the same ground 

 and a fine crop raised the same season. Apples, 

 peaches, pears, plums, figs, quinces, apricots, and 

 nearly every other variety of fruit, yield largely. 

 Lemons, oranges, and olive's can be raised with profit, 

 and finer grapes can not be produced anywhere. Su- 

 gar-cane and cotton have also been grown successful- 

 ly. There are numerous fertile valleys throughout 

 the Territory in every direction where considerable 

 farming is done. Irrigation is necessary to insure 

 good crops in nearly every locality, although in a few 

 of the northern valleys the sub-irrigation is sufficient 

 from the rainfall during the wet season. In the Salt 



Eiyer Valley an immense canal is being constructed 

 which will convey water enough, it is claimed, to re- 

 claim at least 100,000 acres, besides furnishing motive 

 power for an immense amount of machinery. This 

 canal is expected to be ready for use early in the 

 spring of 1885. In connection with agricultural pur- 

 suits hog-fattening and pork-packing bids fair to be- 

 come ere long an exceedingly profitable business. 

 But little work is required in fattening ; the hogs run 

 on the alfalfa-fields and keep in good order until the 

 grain is harvested, and they are then turned upon the 

 grain stubble-fields. 



Land Grants. Uncertainty regarding the final 

 disposition of lands granted to the Atlantic and 

 Pacific and Texas Pacific Kailroads by Congress 

 is preventing the settlement of Arizona to a 

 great extent. The Governor urges a determi- 

 nation by Congress of the question whether 

 the railroads or the Government own the lands 

 referred to. 



There are numerous alleged Mexican grants 

 in the Territory, the title to which, in many 

 cases, is believed to be fraudulent, either as to 

 the grant itself or the proposed boundaries. 

 The Governor asks that immediate action be 

 had to determine these titles, so that the lands 

 may be properly improved, and add to the tax- 

 able value of the property of the Territory. 



Timber. The immense timber region of 

 northeastern Arizona is commanding recog- 

 nition. Lumber is being manufactured and 

 shipped into southern California in successful 

 competition with the timber districts and mills 

 of the North Pacific coast; it is also finding a 

 profitable market in various portions of the 

 middle Southwest and South into the Republic 

 of Mexico. 



Railroads. Two railroads have been project- 

 ed from north to south in the Territory, the 

 Arizona Mineral Belt and the Central Arizona 

 Eailroad. The former has been surveyed from 

 Winslow and Flagstaff, on the Atlantic and 

 Pacific road, to Globe, in Gila county, con- 

 necting at Globe with a road from Tucson, a 

 distance of 220 miles, through an extensive 

 timber, mineral, agricultural, and grazing re- 

 gion. The Central Arizona has been surveyed 

 from Chino Station, also on the Atlantic and 

 Pacific, 154 miles west of Winslow, to Prescott, 

 the capital ; from here it is proposed to con- 

 tinue it south to the rich valleys of the Salt 

 river and Gila. 



Mormonism. There has been extensive immi- 

 gration to the Territory during the past few years 

 of Mormons who, it is alleged, are practicing 

 polygamous marriage. A strong opposition is 

 developing among the citizens against this class 

 of Mormon immigration, and in some localities, 

 notably Apache county, citizens are arrayed 

 against each other upon this subject Mormons 

 and Gentiles which, unless the legal remedy 

 is applied and polygamous relations prohibited, 

 may result in such a conflict as will cause the 

 loss of life and destruction of property. A 

 number of Mormons are under indictment. 



Other Matters. The Governor asks Congress 

 for assistance in improving the school system, 

 the taxation, for which is burdensome upon the 



