that is now loaded down with grain, some of which will pay, at least, $40 per acre this year above all expenses. This immense tract of land will support a large population when properly irrigated, but while Salt River will supply a great deal of water, artesian wells will be needed.

"This Salt River Ditch is a grand affair, and the Company is greatly benefitting the public while making a private fortune. The ditch has a width of 25 feet on the bottom, with very slanting sides, and a sufficient depth to carry, at least, ten thousand inches of water, which will be divided into two hundred water rights, one water right being considered sufficient to irrigate one-quarter section.

"The Company, last year, at an expense of $22,000 made three miles of ditch, and now have six teams at work, intending to increase this number to twenty after harvest; they will have completed ten miles farther in a few months, which will give it a length of thirteen miles in all. The first six miles constitute the ditch proper, one right in which is valued at $350. The other seven miles constitute an 'Extension'; parties wishing to use it, will have to purchase a right in it also. Then each person will have to convey his water to his own ranch in a private ditch or, perhaps, two or three will unite and carry their water together. As all this part of the valley inclines slightly to the southwest, the water can be made available on one side only. The land on the northeast side of the ditch will have to be irrigated by ditches taken out further up."

This canal was later referred to as the "Farmers" Ditch, and left the river at a point south of what is known as Hurley's Slaughter House, the main portion of the canal taking a northwesterly trend after leaving the river. It was completed in July, 1872, and during the second week of August, the stores, tools, etc., remaining at the breaking up of the camp, were sold at public auction and brought the sum of $1089.00.

The Monterey was one of the smaller ditches, and in 1872 carried about a thousand inches of water. It left the river but a very short distance downstream from the head of the Salt River Company's Canal, and flowed practically due west for its entire length, about four miles. It was dug deeper and extended half a mile further in 1872.

The Mexican Ditch was also small, and like the Monterey its capacity was about a thousand inches of water.

The acreage under cultivation and watered by the ditches above mentioned, according to Mr. Barney, was as follows:

Swilling Irrigating Canal...
Wilson's Ditch

Juan Chiavria Ditch.

4,000 acres

700

66

1,300

making a total of seven thousand acres, which was the entire acreage of land under cultivation on the north side of the river in 1872.

The following is a brief summary of irrigating conditions in the valley in the latter part of 1872.

Frank Rowe was engaged in taking a ditch out of the Verde above the McDowell reservation. This was the second ditch in that vicinity.

A new ditch, named the Buffum Ditch, had been taken out of the Salt River on the south side, near the Miller Ditch.

The Tempe Ditch had been dug out deeper, and a new dam had been put in, and it had otherwise been permanently improved.

The Prescott Ditch on the south side was repaired by the building of a new dam, and its channel was thoroughly cleaned out, and it could carry at that time much more water than formerly.

In the fall of 1872 the Mexicans living on the Mexican Ditch enlarged the same, were clearing land and preparing to put in a much larger crop than they had sowed the previous year.

A new dam had been constructed at the head of the Swilling Ditch, which had been thoroughly cleaned out, and which then carried an abundance of water.

The Watson Ditch, Maddox Ditch, Van Arman Ditch, and Mexican Ditch No. 2 had each been cleaned and improved, more or less, in preparation for the spring season of 1873.

All of these were main ditches which were fed directly from the river, some of which had several extensions and side ditches, through which the water was distributed over the country. These extensions and side ditches were all in good repair in the latter part of 1872.

The Miller Ditch, Savory Ditch, Rowe Ditch and California Ditch were not yet completed at this time, and were not ready for service until the following year.

The completion of the Barnum Ditch was deferred in 1872 until additional capital could be raised.

CHAPTER VIII.

PHOENIX AND SALT RIVER VALLEY. PHOENIX LOCATED AND SALE OF TOWN LOTSSALT RIVER VALLEY ASSOCIATION FORMED MEMBERS OF SURVEY OF TOWN OF PHOENIX -FIRST BUILDING IN PHOENIX ERECTED BY CAPTAIN HANCOCK OTHER BUILDINGS FIRST COUNTY COURTHOUSE WILLIAM SMITH FIRST MERCHANT IN PHOENIX OTHER EARLY MERCHANTS-RISE AND DECLINE OF BICHARD BROS.-DESCRIPTION OF PHOENIX IN 1871-BUSINESS CONDITIONS IN PHOENIX IN 1872-TOWN COMMISSION FORMED.

When the first Government Surveys passed over the valley, a few months after the arrival of the Swilling party, as has been before noted, they found a cluster of houses made of rude adobes, and cottonwood poles with mud roofs, comprising what was then known as the Phoenix Settlement. The first houses of a permanent character to be built by white settlers in the valley were erected near the Swilling Ditch at a point about a mile from the river. Among these were the houses of Charles S. Adams, P. L. (Jack) Walters, Lodovic Vandemark, Frenchy Sawyer, and John Hoague, standing but a short distance from the place where the lower road from Wickenburg to Camp McDowell crossed the Swilling Ditch, in the northeast part of section 12, Township 1 North, Range 3 East. With the advent of pioneers and settlers, the agricultural capabilities of the