Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1901 — ARIZONA’S AMBITION. [ARTICLE]

ARIZONA’S AMBITION.

Her Citizens Now Demanding Admission to Statehood. The citizens of Arizona are making every effort to get the favorable attention of Congress to their appeal for admission to statehood. They point out the wonderful development of their country, its increase in population, the construction of new railroads and the establishment and encouragement of schools and population as sound and sufficient reasons why they should be admitted to citizenship. New Mexico and Oklahoma are also demanding admissiotf into the sisterhood of States. The population of Arizona has greatly increased in the decade 1890-1900, rising from 59,260 to 122,931. The material development of the territory has kept pace with the increase in population. Some of the richest copper regions of the country have been developed and are now putting out ores worth many millions of dollars annually. Besides the copper, gold and silver ores there are valuable deposits of the rarer metals which are being worked to a profit. The arid climate of Arizona has been one of the obstacles that the homeseeker has had to contend with and the absence of water for mining purposes has seriously interfered with work in many of the valuable mines. It is a problem that the people do not consider beyond their ability to solve, however, and one of the greatest works of the present time is the construction of an immense storage reservoir that will cost several million dollars and furnish water to a large district. The climate is such that the presence of water in abundance makes it profitable to raise the semi-tropical fruits and vegetables that have proved so valuable in other sections of the country.