The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1857-01-16
Arizona.

o. all the humbu.s Of the day, that Of
creating a new territory on, Of the country
acquired from Mexico by our late treaty
through Mr.. Gadsdsu, is the greatest. IL Is
stated that the inhabitants Of this district
have already taken the preliminary steps 10,
form territorial government with which
view they have elected Mr.. Cook, IA a
delegate to Congress, who, being provided
with the requisite credentials will endeavor
to secure the early organization OF terri
tory, under The name Of Arizona.
One account stiles the population Of this
district to be Il, 900, another 1000, the
lowest Of which is greatly exaggerated, even
il we include IN the number all the wild.
Indians who nov roam over 1t, bu, who can
not make il n permanent abode on account
OF its utter s,erility and grea, deficiency in
water. The Mexican population Of this
district, which is abou, rs large as the State
OF Pennsylvania, was, in the year 1858, as
follows La Mesilla. a village on the Rio
Grande, iony miles above FL Paso, 100
souls. From this valley Westward, there
isneilher village nor ranch, (iarm housel
until the Santa Cruz river is reached, dis
lance Of two hundred and fifty miles. This
little stream which with Us would scarcely
be called creek, may, in many places, be
leapsd over BY man Of agility, and alter
meandering abou, bundled miles, is swal-
lowed up by the sands Of the desert. Bu'
80 few are The spots in this desOlale region,
where man eau gain subsistence, that u
few settlements made here by the early Ro.
man Missionaries, nearly two hundred years
ago, have never arisen to the Importance Of
village Of a years growth in our Western
territories.
The following are the villages in the val
ley OF the Santa Cruz Tucson, 90 miles
South OF the river Gala, has population OF
less than 400 souls. Tubac. 81 miles South
Of that, 200. San Nayier, village, which
three years since, conrained but a single
Mexican family and about 200 PaPaso In
dams. This place contains the finest church
in the State Of Sonora, to which it then be-
longed. Lastly, Santa Cruz, with popu-
la,on OF less than 500, making total pop
ularion Of $500 souls. From the Santa
Cruz river Westward 10 the Colorado. dis
lance OF nearly 300 miles, there Is not vii.
lagc or hamlet. A sterile desert, wiihou,
trees, water, or grass, extends the whole
distance. With the exception, therefore, Of
the miserable villages on the Santa Cruz,
the entire Gadsdea purchase, West OF the
Rio Grande valley, GU, Of which it IS pro-
posed to make The new territory OF Arizona,
did not, three years since, contain single
inhabiiant, the Indians alone excepted.
One newspaper account, which lies be-
fore US, states ,ha, =" in this territory are 10
be found mountains, which are probably rich
in mineral wealth, fertile plains. and one OF
two considerable rivers, while the soil allows
the abundan, production Of the grains AMI
other crops peculiar TO the genial climss Of
Texas"
Il is laughable 10 read such statements As
this, which are wholly without truth. The
only rivers, As they are called, in this vast
district Of nearly 600 miles in extent from
cas-, to west. are the Santa Cruz, before
spoken OF, aud the San Pedro, liule muddy
stream some twenty feet broad, and which
for hall ito length becomes dry in the sum.
ner. As TO fertile plains, there are none !;
for how can there be fertility where there
j. no soil, and when rain does no, fall for II
months in the year, As TO minerals, they
"probably" exist in the mountains but have
yet TO be discovered.
Another writer, abiding TO The subject,
comes much nearer 90 the truth in saying,
tina, OF the 90 600 inhabitants OF this dis
uici, over 5000 are men IN buekram suits,
children Of the mist, which sometimes de.
scend from tho California mountains upon
the plains Of Sonora" There Is more in
this movemen, than we at the North sup
pose, and j, looks like prcjec, 10 carve out
new slave State, to be made up Of this ten
million deser, aud southern California.
Proridsaos Journal.
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