Ajo copper news. [volume], January 06, 1923, Image 4

About Ajo copper news. [volume] (Ajo, Pima Co., Ariz.) 1916-1926

Image provided by: Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records; Phoenix, AZ

                
Water Holes of the
Great Ajo Desert
According to the common notion
the desert is a barren, trackless
waste covered by drifting sand, but
the Papago country of southwest
ern Arizona is a desert that is
green and tree covered and con
tains ponds and cultivated fields.
However, the verdure is deceptive,
the trees cast no shade, the ponds
are dry most of the time, and such
fields as may be cultivated yield
crops only at intervals. Great areas
are without permanent water, and
the new inhabitants of the region,
human and animal, are engaged in
a continual struggle for a precar
ious livehood. Rain is infrequent,
but at times it comes with devast
ating suddeness and vigor. During
those rare periods of rain, roads
that are ordinarily difficult to
traverse because of deep sand or
dust and lack of watering places,
become seas of mud.
In this inhospitable environment
the Papago Indians have lived since
the days of the early Spanish ex
plorers, and doubtless long before.
In summer they cultivate corn,
beans and squash in the broad val
leys wherever floods wet the ground
in w’inter they congregate at wells
or other watering places in the
mountains. A few' white stockmen,
miners .storekeepers and govern
ment officials are scattered through
the area. At the great copper
camp of Ajo, however, the travel
er will find a modern city of 2000
people, an outpost of civilization in
the desert ..
In 1917 the road from Tucson,
the county seat of Pima County,
to Ajo was 136 miles of rough
and difficult traveling.. This jour
ney—a w'hole day’s trip by auto
mobile—was attempted only by
the experienced desert traveler.
By 1920 there had been construc
ted over the worst parts of the
road 82 miles of modern highw-ay,
and the journey can now be made
in four hours . Indeed, the road
from Tucson to Yuma, which in
cludes this road to Ajo, bids fair to
become part of one of the popular
transcontinental routes.
The Papago country, which is
south of Gila River and north of
the Mexican boundary, forming a
triangle that lies west of Tucson
and east of Yuma, is the subject
of a guidebook by Kirk Bryan,
just published by the United States
Geological Survey. This guidebook
is the fourth of a series that de
scribes the roads, wells, springs and
other watering places of the most
arid part of the United States—an
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AJO COPPER NEWS
area of 60,000 square miles—in
southeastern California and south
western Arizona.
The surveys w’ere made in 1917
and 1918. under a small appropria
tion by Congress. Signposts giving
directions and distances from water
ing place to watering place were
erected on the roads at suitable
points. The maps made by these
surveys form the most valuable
part of the guidebooks, for they are
the most complete and accurate
maps of the region yet published,
the relief of the country is shown
by brown shadings, which brings
out clearly the forms of the moun
tains, hills, and broad plains and
makes the map easily understood by
any one.
The book contains detailed logs
of the roads in the region, in
cluding not only those of the prin
cipal automobile routes but those
of branch roads that lead to parts
of the desert that are seldom visit
ed and little known. These logs
show in heavy type the places at
which water can be obtained. There
is also a list of watering places,
which includes brief information as
to their location and availability.
The introductory parts of all these
guidebook contain detailed infor
mation regarding difficulities en
countered in traveling through the
desert and suggestions for sur
mounting them. Anyone who in
tends to travel in any part of this
region should consult one of these
guidebooks, Copies of the one
just published, which is numbered
Water-Supply Paper 4 60-D and
entitled “Routes to Desert Water
ing Places in the Papago Country,
Arizona.” have been sent to the
post offices, the chambers of com
merce, and the principal hotels
and garages in the region and can
be consulted at these places.
MORMON FLAT DAM
VOTED AT PHOENIX
PHOENIX, Jan, 4.—Shareholders
of the Salt River Valley Water
Users’ Association to-day authorized
the sale of $1,800,000 bond issue
to be expended in a project to
stabilize and increase the elecrical
power generation of the Roosevelt
dam, the waters of which are con
trolled by the association for ir
rigation and power purposes.
The shareholders, voting on the
basis of one vote for each acre of
land owned under the project, cast
98,838 votes in favor of the bond
issue and only 7,0 65 against it.
The project will be carried out by
the construction of the proposed
Mormon Flat dam, 27 miles below
Roosevelt dam. As soon as the new
dam is completed 20,000 horsepower
will be generated continuously at
Roosevelt dam and the escaping
water will be impounded for irriga
tion purposes at the lower dam. At
present power is generated at the
Roosevelt dam only when water is
being removed for Irrigation pur
poses.
While waiting for her mother,
two callers were being entertained
by little Alice.
During the silence one of the
callers remarked to the other
(spelling the words out):
“Not p-r-e-t-t-y.”
Whereupon Alice replied:
“No, but pretty s-m-a-r-t.”
o
AIRSHIP ASSOCIATION OFFICE—
Walter Link, who is promoting
the American Airship association
has office room temporarily at the
Ajo barber shop. In the window,
is a model of an airship along his
plans.
o ■
A number went from Ajo to
Yuma to spend New Year’s. The
list includes Mr. and Mrs. Fritz
Schoeder, Mrs, Heyl, Julius Levy
and Teddy Heyl. Fritz reports
that Yuma people are enthusiastic
about the highway outlook and
would like to see a highway to
Ajo branching off the S. P. at
Aztec..
There is an epidemic of colds
here now. Many are complaining,
and a number are confined to
their rooms. Sometimes the
symptoms resembles those of in
fluenza.
EDITORIAL
OPEN THE MEXICAN PORT
The closing of the customs port
at Sonoyta by the Mexican govern
ment is to deplored.
The action, without a doubt, was
taken without due investigation.
The order can be countermanded,
The News thinks, and will be when
the proper authorities have it call
ed to their attention what the re
sult wil] be.
The closing of the port means
that no shipments across the line
into Mexico requiring payment of
duty according to the customs re
quirements of Mexico, will be per
mitted in the future. Which means
that practically all mining in Sonora
tributary to Ajo will cease, and
that there can be no progress in
other lines there.
One instance willl suffice. The
Bank Mining Company, operating
the old Sierra Pinta mine, has ex
pended in the neighborhood of
SIOO,OOO in providing a water sup
ply and installing machinery pre
paratory to engaging in extensive
mining on this property, which has
already produced millions. Unless
the port is re-opened, this invest
ment may be a total loss, as re
ceiving shipments via other routes
would be so much more expensive
as might be prohibitive.
There is other mining going on
in Sonora, south of Ajo, and new’
deals pending.
Suspension indefinitely of min
ing in Sonora to the benefit of Ajo
would result, and this city would
be hurt.
The matter should be taken up
and presented to the proper
authorities in the most efficient
w’ay. Ajo should take the matter
up, as w’ell as Sonoyta.
Both Nations wish recognition of
Mexico by the United States, and
to that end foreign capital should
be protected by the Obregon govern
ment in every way and place pos
sible.
The loss to Ajo w’e are not able
to approximate, but it would
amount to several thousand dol
lars a month. There would also be
a loss to Mexico in addition to that
derived from customs duties, as
the mining companies operating in
Sonora must necessarily spend con
siderable for wages and supplies
bought there .
••• • • •
REMARKABLE CASE
While we w’ould not ordinarily
favor parole in the case of a lifer
convicted of a brutal murder .there
are exceptions. The case of Louis
V. Eytinge, paroled by Governor
Campbell just before his exit from
office, is, we feel, an exception.
Like all other paroles, however,
this one is an experiment. Eytinge
may live straight in the future, or
he may not. He has every oppor
tunity for the straight course,
since he has received for proven
remarkable ability in the fields of
advertising and film and other story
writing, offers of salaries up to
SIO,OOO a year and should there
fore have no occasion to feel he
must break the law to make a live
lihood.
The case is a most remarkable
one. Given two months to live as
hopelessly tubercular, Eytinge
emerges from the State penitentiary
after about 15 years Incarceration
in perfect health, apparently, having
won health and National fame at
one and the same time within
prison walls. a
If Eytinge is normal now—
both physically and mentally—and
if he have good intentions and the
moral courage to live up to these
intentions without a break, then he
will succeed and make good; other
wise, when temptation comes he
will sooner or later miserably fail,
Let us hope the former. It is up
to him—his ability and fame in
sure him a chance by the public.
It is not the correct thing to
hold up as a model or inspiration
to the young, a convicted murderer.
But great achievements in the
face of great obstacles, in the case
of any, are worthy to be emulated,
by ambitious youth. It is Eytinge,
the man of ambition, energy, achieve
ment we should think of hence-
forth. And what one man can do
others can if they will summon the
necessary qualities . By the power
of the will, the seemingly impos
sible physically, mentally, materially
—anything humanly attainable on
earth—is possible to the- young man
who says to himself, “There is no
such thing as failure for me.” The
man who thinks, plans, works hard,
has ambition,, can.
Eytinge has ambitions along the
line of prison reforms and proposes
accepting no position that will not
leave him time to try to carry out
his plans of this nature If he will
do this not forgetting to include in
his ambitious efforts work in the
still broader field of endeavor to
keep men and boys out of jail,
there is scarcely any limit to what
he may be able to accomplish.
By the election of Oscar Cole as
chairman of the county board of
supervisors, the county has bestow
ed a signal honor both on him and
on Ajo. For it is the most re
sponsible, influential position as to
the administration of the county's
business in the gift of Pima county.
It must and will also be consider
ed as deserved recognition of the
new Copper Star of the Pima fir
mament by the staid Old
Pueblo. Here's looking at you,
Tucson. May we get better ac
quainted. It would be practically
impossible to be better friends. The
News congratulates Oscar Cole and
wdshes him all kinds of success. We
only wish he could bring Tucson a
little nearer—Ajo is in the right
spot.
LEGION MEN CALLED TO
CONFERENCE IN PHOENIX
Ray McKelvey of Ajo .of the State
excutive committee , American
Legion, is among those who have
received an invitation to attend a
conference of Legion men at
Phoenix Friday evening, Jan. 12.
The invitation, which is sent ou<
by Celora M. Stoddard, department
commander for the State .is to all
post commanders, adjutants, mem
bers of the executive committee,
past department commanders, alter
nate executive committeemen, mem
bers of the legislative committee,
and the president of the Women’s
auxiliary. And the conference is
the first of the kind to be held in
Arizona. The object is to build up
the Arizona department of the
Letrion.
There will be a banquet given at
the Hotel Adams by departmental
headquarters .followed bv a dance
given in honor of the visitors by
Frank Luke, Jr., Post No. 1 of
Phoenix.
Invited guests to address the con
ference will include Governor Hunt,
Mayor Lon Harmon of Phoenix,
James S. Mulcare, laison officer,
Louis T. Grant, manager of the 1 2th
district and Dustin W. Gustin.
Phoenix; J. R. Murray, Tucson,
and Dr. A. R. Warner, of the U. S.
veterans’ bureau; commanding of
ficers of the Government hospitals
at Tucson and Prescott; Garland W.
Powell, chairman of the National
Americanization committee: A. E.
Graupner. chairman National Re
habilitation committee; George
Nilsson and Andrew P. Martin.
Among other subjects to be dis
cussed will be proposed legislation.
The services at the Cammunity
church to-morrow will include a
talk to the Sunday School by Rev.
William Vimont after the lesson:
and preaching by Rev. Mr. Vimont
at night following the Young
People's meeting.
MEXICAN PORT^OF
SONOYTA IS CLOSED
The Mexican customs port at
Sonoyta, just across the border in
Sonora, has been ordered closed.
The orders, sent to Capt. Molino
in charge, came from his superior
at Sasabe, Sonora.
The officials have all been trans
ferred to Nogales or discharged,
and the office closed.
No reason, so far as known, was
assigned.
o
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