within its boundaries parts of the Moqui, Navaho, Hualpai, and all the Supai Indian reservations, the last named being situated in the Grand Canyon Reserve. The greatest length of the county is 185 miles, its greatest width 140 miles, and its area is nearly 19,322 square miles, being larger than the combined areas of Vermont, Massachusetts, and Delaware. It is on the great Colorado plateau and the greatest portion has an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet. Across the northern part the county is traversed by the Colorado and its tributary, the Little Colorado. These rivers have cut steep walled canyons thousands of feet in depth, abounding in wildly picturesque scenery and wonderful gorges. Though carrying a large volume the rivers are useless for irrigation, as the waters are hundreds or even thousands of feet below the surface of the arable land. Owing to this lack of an available water supply, the area irrigated is small and is confined to the localities of Lees Ferry, Tuba, Supai, and Fredonia.

COCHISE COUNTY.

Population. The mining industry of this county has increased the population considerable since the census of 1900, which gave Cochise County 9,251. Bisbee, the great copper camp of the Phelps-Dodge Company, has steadily increased in population, and is to-day one of the largest cities in Arizona. Douglas, a new town located on the international border line, contains about 1,500 people, and is fast growing in importance as a commercial center, and the home of smelting and mining industries. Naco has also expanded during the year, and Tombstone, once the largest mining camp in the Southwest, is again taking an important place as a point of activity and development. Pearce, Willcox, Gleeson, Black Diamond, Benson, Fairbank, and many other towns have shown progress. It is safe to estimate that the population of Cochise County this year is 15,000 or over. Taxable property. The abstract of the taxable property of Cochise County for the present year shows $4,040,303.77.

Bonded indebtedness.-The bonded indebtedness of the county is $118,000.

Irrigation and ranching.-The Mormon settlers of the San Pedro Valley carry on extensive farming, and with their great energy and push have succeeded in making some most substantial farms, which yearly give them profitable returns. A large number of wells have been sunk upon these ranches at St. David and other places south of Benson, and water thus obtained for irrigation is spread over large areas of fertile bottom lands. Benson, Fairbank, Tombstone, and other points provide markets for the products, and great quantities of hay and grain are shipped to the larger markets. In the San Simon Valley artesian water was developed first in 1882, and a number of wells are successfully operated for supplying water for irrigation. The San Simon River also supplies some small ranches with water for farming. Some irrigation is carried on in the Sulphur Springs Valley by using water from the White River. Near Fort Huachuca ranchers take water from Babacomari Creek and from springs in the Huachuca Mountains and use it for small farming and domestic use. The St. David and Union ditches in the San Pedro Valley are the chief sources of extensive irrigation in the county.

Stock raising.-Cochise County is one of the principal stock-raising

counties of Arizona. Great areas of fine ranges provide feed for stock throughout the more favorable years, and thousands of cattle and horses roam the ranges of this county. Cattle raising is carried on extensively by individuals and large corporations, and there are some of the largest ranches to be found in this county of any section of Arizona. It is regarded as one of the most favorable portions of Arizona for stock, and the industry is in a prosperous condition considering the extent of the drought of the past few years.

Mining.-Cochise County is the banner mining county of Arizona. The development during the past year has been remarkable in many respects, and immense undertakings are now in progress which will double the population of the county within a few years. The large mines of this county are mentioned under the subject of general mining development in the preceding pages of this report.

Railways.-The construction of a branch of the El Paso and South western Railway has begun at Fairbank, and the road will be built to Tombstone and on to connect with the main line at College Peak. This branch will be of great advantage to Tombstone, Gleeson, and other frontier mining camps, and will be the means of developing a rich mineral portion of Cochise County. During the year the main line of the El Paso and Southwestern Railway was built into Bisbee and Douglas, and a branch road was built from Naco to La Cananea, Sonora, Mexico, thus giving an outlet into Mexico of the products of Cochise County ranches.

GILA COUNTY.

Population. This county has enjoyed substantial growth during the year, principally in the mining centers. The drought has caused some annoyance to the cattlemen, and has had a tendency to lessen the interest in the stock industry, which has always been prominent in the industrial prosperity of the county. Globe, the county seat and the chief city, has grown to a considerable extent and is regarded as one of the most substantial mining camps in the Southwest. The population, natural in all mining camps, is more or less floating, although the camp maintains about the same number throughout the year, new men always coming to take the place of those who go away. Globe draws far into the mountains and valley regions for its trade, and is not wholly dependent upon the mines.

Irrigation. Owing to the mountainous nature of the county irrigation is carried on in a small way. In the Tonto basin there are över 1,500 acres of land under cultivation, water being secured by ditches which carry it from Tonto Creek. The supply is abundant only after rain storms. The valley contains fertile agricultural lands, and might become very productive with the construction of reservoirs for storing water, there being excellent sites for the same. Some irrigation is practiced on Pinal Creek, the bench lands, and the small area of the valley through which the creek flows, providing excellent agricultural lands. At Kenton a number of farmers own a ditch, but for the most part the ditches are owned by the individual rancher.

Stock raising. Throughout the county stock raising is carried on in all of its branches. Cattle, horses, and sheep are raised for the market. The shipments of cattle are always very heavy from Gila County, the

ranges providing feed for large numbers of cattle during favorable years. Gila is one of the leading stock counties of Arizona:

Undeveloped resources.-Gila County has numerous undeveloped resources, among them the development of water and the construction of reservoirs. The markets provided for agricultural products are excellent, and large agricultural operations would become very profitable.

Mining. This is the chief industry of the county, and a comprehensive statement of the large operations now being carried on will be found under the subject of mining in this report.

Financial conditions.-Total indebtedness of the county, including bonds of every class, $51,000. Increase of taxable property for the year 1902 over the previous year is $260,759.61.

Gila River and San Carlos dam site. This river rises in southwestern New Mexico and has a general southwesternly direction until it crosses the Territorial line into Arizona at about 32° 40′ north latitude. Its principal sources of supply are from the Black Range on the east, and from a number of ranges on the west, including Little Range, Mogollon Range, and Diablo Range. The average elevation of these mountain peaks is from 9,000 to 10,000 feet. The general character of the country is a high and rolling plateau, with the river flowing through it in a deep canyon, and with practically no agricultural lands within its area. The river emerges from its upper canyon about 10 miles before it reaches the Arizona line, and thence flows through a valley of considerable width, known as Duncan Valley, until just before it receives the waters of San Francisco River. In Duncan Valley a number of ditches divert water for irrigation purposes. San Francisco River, the principal tributary of the upper Gila, has its source in the northeast corner of Graham County, Ariz., but 15 miles below it passes into New Mexico. Its general course is thence southerly, returning into Arizona at about 33 north latitude. The area drained is high and mountainous, the principal ranges being the San Francisco, the Tularosa, and the western slope of the Mogollon, with elevations ranging from 8,000 to 10,000 feet. The course of the river through this portion is characterized by a succession of canyons alternating with valley-like openings, with a fall of about 35 to 40 feet per mile.

Gila River is in a canyon for about 20 miles below the mouth of the San Francisco, or to within 10 miles of Solomonville. At this point the hills separate, forming a large valley which has been extensively settled and is now one of the finest irrigated portions of the Territory. This valley extends from a point 10 miles above Solomonville to 6 miles below the mouth of the San Carlos River on the White Mountain Indian Reservation. At this latter place the mountains suddenly close in again, and the river enters upon another canyon. Seven miles below the Indian agency at San Carlos the canyon boxes to a width of 100 feet, and at this point is located the San Carlos dam site, which was studied in detail by the United States Geological Survey during 1899, in connection with the investigation of the water supply of Gila River. The San Carlos reservoir site is located on the White Mountain Indian Reservation, at the San Carlos agency. The Gila Valley, Globe and Northern Railway, which leaves the main line of the Southern Pacific at Bowie Station and runs to the town of Globe, passes across this reservoir site. A dam at this point, 130 feet high to the spillway, will

impound 241,396 acre-feet, while a dam 150 feet to the spillway would impound 377,176 acre-feet.

GRAHAM COUNTY.

Population.-Owing to the steady growth of the mining camps of Clifton, Morenci, and other centers of mining activity, Graham County each year shows an increase in population. As the mining and agricultural operations expand the county's taxable wealth increases, and the close of the fiscal year of 1902 finds Graham County wonderfully advanced in every line of industry. The population, as given by the census of 1900, gives this county 14,162, and the year following the increase was very great. It is estimated that the increase during the last year in population of this county was 1,200. The opening of the Shannon mine and other important camps has provided places for hundreds of men, who, for the most part, have been drawn from the mining regions of the States. The mining development has been substantial and unusually active during the year, bringing to the county many from Eastern money centers and Western mining regions to swell the population of the county.

Taxable property. From a report submitted by Mr. Thomas Smith, clerk of the board of supervisors of Graham County, I take the figures given below, which show the condition of the county financially at the close of the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. The taxable property is given as $3,388,234.67, showing an increase over the preceding year of $441,498.15; the resources of the county are $43,557.46; the liabilities are $23.193.85, thus leaving a balance of $20,363.61 in favor of the county; bonded indebtedness, $182,364.70; floating indebtedness, $15.980.94.

Settlement of lands.-During the year fifteen land claims, comprising 2,400 acres, were settled upon in the county.

Progress. The change of gauge from 3 feet to standard gauge of the Arizona and New Mexico Railway increased the taxable property of the county $117,994.25; agricultural development, lands, and improvements increased $245,460.71; mining increased $39,032.66; and all other resources not mentioned increased $58,824.25. The above figures show the rapid and substantial growth made by the county during the past year.

Stock raising. There was a decrease in the stock-raising industry amounting to $19,813.72, owing chiefly to cattle being removed from the county.

Education. One high school and two new school districts were created during the year. The schools of the county are in excellent condition and the attendance is very large.

Mining. The advancement of Clifton, Morenci, the establishment of the Shannon and other mining camps, afford an interesting chapter in the advancement of Graham County's mineral wealth during the year. Contained in the governor's report, under the department of mining, will be found complete descriptions of these great camps and the various mining resources of the county.

Undeveloped resources.—Graham County, like almost every county in Arizona, has an appeal to make for water storage, nature having provided a number of excellent storage basins and thousands of acres of land for irrigation close at hand. The soil of the Gila Valley is

well known as possessing great fertility and the valley lands under irrigation have made great strides during the year in production.

Gold mining is regarded as one of the great undeveloped resources of Graham County. There are many promising districts where gold veins show values on the surface, but their development has been, in the main, very meager. There is constantly a great deal of activity in all of the mining districts of the county, and new discoveries of value are frequently reported.

MOHAVE COUNTY.

Population. Mohave County has enjoyed a substantial increase in population during the past year. The census of 1900 gave this county 3,433 and the estimated increase up to the present time is 400, thus giving the county a population of 3,833 in 1902. New mining camps have sprung into existence during the year, and mining camps already operating when the census of 1900 was taken have materially increased in population.

Taxable property.-John P. Feeny, clerk of the board of supervisors of Mohave County, submits the following statement of the progress made during the past year:

Financial conditions of the county.-Bonded indebtedness, $105,363.29; floating indebtedness, $23,108.23; total, $128,471.52.

Settlement of lands.-Mohave county shows but little increase over last year in the settlement of lands. There is but little water available at the present time; and the area irrigated in the county is small. Several million acres of land in the county might be reclaimed if reservoirs were constructed in the mountains. The Colorado River might supply water for thousands of acres if some means could be provided for pumping the water onto the uplands contiguous to the river's course through the county. Irrigation, by using the water from the river without pumping, is almost impossible, owing to the depth of the erosion of the river bed.

Development of water.-There has been scarcely any development of water for irrigation purposes during the year. In mining operations water has been developed in several instances sufficient for camp and use in mining operations, and it is apparent that depth in mining seldom fails to provide an abundance of water.

Stock raising. In all its branches stock raising in Mohave County shows a steady decrease, owing to the extremely light rainfall on the ranges, and scarcity of feed and distance between watering places has caused the decline in this industry; but the conditions will improve with the late summer rains, and the stock interests of the county will no doubt again become important as an industry.

Mining. This is the chief industry of Mohave County, and during the past year large sums of money have been invested. New mining properties have been developed, and important mining camps appeared in the rich mineral districts of the county. The development has been most substantial and the production of ores and metals has greatly increased during the year of activity. Gold, silver, copper, and lead are produced in quantities, smelting facilities being close at hand for the treatment of the ores. The county is rapidly rising in the mining field, and is recognized as a profitable place for the investment of capital in mines.

Undeveloped resources.-The fact that millions of dollars have been taken from the surface workings of mining properties in Mohave County must be sufficient evidence of the vast wealth of mineral which nature has stored at greater depth. The mining districts are practically undeveloped at the present time, only a few of the most favorable districts having received attention. The great veins bearing gold, copper, silver, and lead have scarcely been prospected, and mining men living in Mohave County predict that when the county's mineral resources are developed it will stand among the first in production of precious metals in Arizona.

Immense tracts of lands within the boundaries of the county might be utilized for agricultural purposes when dams are built in the mountains and reservoirs constructed for storing water. The agricultural possibilities of Mohave County's valleys form one of the most important assurances of future greatness. The soil is productive, the climatic conditions are most favorable, the markets are close at hand, and all that stands in the path of a realization of the development of these resources is a proper supply of water. Not alone in mining, but also in agriculture, Mohave County presents a wealth of undeveloped resources.