davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Arizona miner., 1866-07-11
THE FOURTH OF JULY

In all new and small communities there ;s
 apt to be great diversity of opinion as to
 the celebration of holidays, and particularly
 of the Fourth of July. There was an an
 prehension that such diversity might exist
 here this year, and interfere with a gen.
 eral and hearty observance of the day. but if proved otherwise, and everything passed of so pleasantly that the day will long be re- membered with the utmost satisfaction. Al daybreak the flag was hoisted on the staff in the plaza, which had been repaired for the occasion. As it went up the Prescott Brass Band played appropriate airs, and there was lively firing of guns and pistols.
 At II a. m., the Court House was filled with ladies and gentlemen, an unusually large number of the former, and many per sons gathered on the outside, the building being altogether too small for the crowd The speakers desk was covered with the hhericsn nag. James Grant, Esq, rresi- dent of the Pioneer Society, presided. After music by the band, which was stationed on the balcony of the Court House, the Declar. ation was read by Robert Meacham There was more music, and then the Govern or delivered an oration, which will be found in full upon the first page of the MINER Of to-day, and which seemed to give general satisfaction. After more music the audience dispersed, when (ust at noon) national sa- lute was fired by a detachment of Captain hrause's men, from Fort Whipple. Two mountain howitzers were used, and from their position in the centre of the plaza they stirred the whole town with their brazen echoes The firing was in good time. and very eredtable to the artillerists.
 In the afternoon the people made social calls, enjoyed horse race, and had good f time generally. The liquor saloons were closed during the day, to which some ob- Jected, but which probably saved much noise U not disturbance, and added to the success ot the day The ball in the evening was by . lar the best affair of the kind ever had in | Prescott. The managers had taken pains to | prepare the Moutezuma Hall and to decorate It. The band was well placed, and every thing wsat ss merry as marriage bell. . Some thirty lddie' tGsietaiy -sfrsse5 9erg present. and rCshaE twice or three timss
Arizona miner., 1866-07-11
nEArn OF GENERAL sCOTT.

This venerable warrior died on tho 29th ot May. Notwithstanding he had fni i'hed his work and was ready to depart, the American people will deeply mourn his loss, and grieve that they can no longer salute their aged chieftain. Peace to his ashes. May those who succeed him ever remain as faithful to their country, and leave to posterity as clear record
 The Aita of June 3d thus alludes to the Generals life
 Winfield Scott was born in l7SG, before our Constitution was framed, and he lived untii after its permanence had been secured by the overthrow of the great political hersy of SC cession, which had threatened its existence for nearly half century. He was Captain in tie regular army at the beginning of the war of lSl2, and q Major General after its ! close. He was the chief military hero of thc contest, having shown eminent courage, Judg ment, quick perception and tact. It was not however, until lS4l that he became the head of the army position which he held for z, l year.. In lS41 he led the American army tC ! the Capital of Mexico in campaign that de serves Co rank among the greatest mliitar! a, hie,ements on record With only l2,UVI men he conquered country that had 6U,OV' soldiers in arms, and with 1000 he marched
 into it's chief city, where 52, OO0 Mexicans ha' been entrenched His civil government wa not less successful than bis campaign in wal and many of tbe principal Mexicans expresse their regret at his departure In lS42 be wa instrumental in preserving peace with Gres Britain, when taere was an acrimonious dis pute about the Maine boundary line, and | 1859 be again was a peacemaker, in the mat ter of San Juan Island. In that year he vi:
 ted our city as a Commissioner. and was rt ceiyed by the people of San Francisco with ma ny demonstrations of profound respect. ! 1860 be urged Buchanan 10 garrison an strengthen the southern f0rts, and after th administration of Lincoln came into powei he threw all his influence and energy in iayC of 1t anc the preservation of the Union, to tli cause of which he remained faithful through out. lu 1855 he was created Lieutenant Ger [ eral, and he held the position until Grant su, ceeded him. General Scott went to EuroI for his health in 1861, and lately he has bee sojVarning in New Orleans, where he died the age oi so, full of years and honors. Th heart of the Nation will follow him to tl grave with sadness for his loss. with admir-; ton for bis intellect, and with esteem for b moral qualities. Ills fame will be chcrishe as part of our national greatness
Arizona miner., 1866-07-11
THE MAILS.

Mir. POSton, mail contractor, is said to be on the way to Prescott We hope such is the
 act, for he has not been here in many months, and this people have heavy account to set tie with him. No white man has done them and the Territory so great injury, and he ha. a fearful responsibility upon his shoulders. Il he can explain his manifold shortcomings we shall be glad, but we fear 1t will be mpossi- pie. It will not do to plead Indian trouble, for these do not exi so as to interrupt mail service, and never have. Not single carrier employed by Mir. Poston has been killed by Indians, and only one of those engaged by his sub contractors has fallen It will not dc to plead insufficient pay, for trusty men have offered to take his contracts ofr his hands and give him good bonus-as, for instance, Mr. Grant, who offered him Sl 500 a quarter for the contract from san Bernardino to Pres colt. In almost any other Territory man who had done so much to annoy and iniure the public interests, would be hung to the nearest tree, without benefit of judge or jury
 Rere we are patient, lawabidng people, and mean to proceed properly, but MT. Pos ton must do better than he has, or expect to suffer for it. This community is determined that it will not be outraged in the future as it has been in the past. Every day we hear the exclamation that it were far better that we had no mail than one so irregular, unsafe and uncertain as we nave nad for year past. Then we could employ our own expressmen. as We did in 1863 and 1864, and depend upon a prompt and satisfactory service, if not a frequent one. Of late it has been utterly fu tile to count upon the coming, the going. or the security of any mail, and the number of letters and papers miscarried and lost has nearly equalled that safely delivered, while the time consumed in going from point to point has been such as would have shamed sprightly ox-teams.
 We repeat it, Mir Poston has heavy ac count to settle with this people, and for his own sake We hope he will come prepared to do so satisfactorily.
Arizona miner., 1866-07-11
NEW MEXICAN ITEMS.

We have the Santa Fe and Albuquerque papers to May 26. There is no stirring new.. The Gasetk of May 18th has these items:
 We understand that on the 9th instant , coach arrived in Franklin, Texas, from San Antonio, bringing mail from the latter plao. This is the first mail communication had be- tween these two points since the beginning of the war.
 We understand that Lieut.. Olphant Ina been indicted by the Grand Jury oi Bernai. llo County for the murder of Mir. D. R. kno1 at Fort Craig some three months since.
 Right Rev Bishop Lamy has gone to Franc, on business connected with the Church in New Mexico. He started some three wesk. since.
 ! General Carleton has been on visit to the Bosque Redondo Reservation during th. week. He Is accompanied by Maj. Benjamin | c. Cutler.
 | We understand that the regiment of color. ed troops is en route from Leavenworth to l New Mexico.
 The Ca,sh of May 2Gth says Colonel
 Howe Watts, additional paymaster, returned from the States on Tuesday, bringing wi,A bim a half million of dollars to be used in the payment oi troops in the District of New
 Mexico.
 Lieut.. Col. Sykes is coming out with the
 colored troops that are now on the way to th,
 Territory Col Sykes, it is we'll known, VA.
 in the service in this country many years aVo
 and had many friends among our people. Il,
 belongs to the 3d L. s. Infantry.
 Among the coufirmations made by the Sen. ate on the 4th inst. reported in the WssLn,
 ton Chronicle of the 5th, we notice the follow
 ing: To be Brigadier General by Brevet |, the regular army, Breyet Colonel James II Carleton, U. $. Army, and Major of the [. S 9th regiment of Cavalry, August 3d, 1885 James L. Collins, Receiver of public moneys . Santa Fe, New Mexico.
 The public will be pleased to learn ttl 2 these nominations have been unanimously coo iirmed by the Senate. Col. Girdin Chapin, who is we'll known n . New Mexico, from the services he renaefsl here during the Texan invasion, we are sls, e to learn has passed through the war saisl, l and Is now in command of eight companies c { Infantry in Arizona, his head qnarterS ben, e at Fort Goodwin. The Colonel was in oon e mand at Fort Buchanan at the breaking oa of the rebellion and brought his commasd { S New Mexico upon receiving the oryirr ivr tt, ] abandonment of that Post.
Arizona miner., 1866-07-11
VEGETATION ABOUT PRESCOTT

A miner who lately came from Virginia City says vegetation is so scarce in that region that two mullen stocks and bunch of missiles are called grove"
 No such dismal account can truthfulIy be gwen Of the country about Prescott. We do not know of a mineral region which is more plentifully supplied with vigorous vegetation. The pines are tall and graceful, the oaks and walnuts are well proportioned, the cotton woods and junipers are thrifty, and along the rayines and streams the shrubbery is varied and often beautiful. The hill sides abound in tall grasses, and wild flowers of an hundred kinds scent the air The boquets gathered just about the town are remarkably pretty. We think many of the flowers are not found Tn any other country, and not few have a delicacy of tint and fragrance that would de- light the gardeners of the East.
 On the third page of the MINER of today We copy from California paper, some verses on mountain flowers, and in the spirit of their author we feel thankful for the gentle work. oi nature which idorn this part of Arizona Aaaed to the excellent climate, the exquisite ssies' and the magnificent seener,. they make 'n'' Che most agreeable mineral region upon the Pacifc slope.
Arizona miner., 1866-07-11
0UK COMMERCIAL POET.

EDITOR or ARIZONA MINER Many of yOu, readers were greatly disappointed, when iss last number os tnehiiSEk made its appeafahSs at the absence of the Pptical CUInmerca column, which was SO gracefully commenced in your first number for June. IL was tryiz to our feelings, when after hearing tue posi recite iD " the ravings of love- (go0d pun Oa the Ravens of trAde) that mOlasses was tVv bits gill-pork six bits per pound, etc. that he neglected to chronicles decline tn its market price ot these staple articles of yankss diet. Even had he been unable to do so, lba report e0nscienciously decline in the ma' kets, his many admirers would have liked eI ceedingly well to be permitted to see oos more of his "pieeesn in print IT he h 10 cOntinle, as one of your correspondents ceok not you persuade him to set the writingz b music We tried his last production to solg short, common and particular fvery meth tunes, but 1t wouldn't work. Three of or acquaintances have bad colds. brought on D, trying every tune n the last Dew song-book. on it Whether the pork was not grsag enough, or the "molassesn too sticky to pfo. ducs any musical combination, we have aoi been able to determine yet, but hope Co scos. as We have friend assaying 1t who will r. port shortly.
 Then another thing be is not up Co, ovi. dentiy. He occasionally misses feet. To be sure, some would not object to ghi., provided he would miss them all n one or two verses He would gratify the reading public II hs would try this, by shortening bis pome' and making it in singable condition for in. stance,
 Oh lasses up in Prescott costs just two bits riii
 Shouting the battle cry of Freedom
 That's if you pay your blll.
 Shouting Inc battle cry Of Freedom" etc eie
 By fixing this thing up in this way, oora- sionai!y altering 1t to suit other popular ain, it would benefit men, women and children by offering an inducement to study the markets
 Hoping you are wei,-that every body s and that your commercial poet is still four. lshing, we thank you for this portion of ths MINER. XYZ
 Prescott, July 10, 1866.
Arizona miner., 1866-07-11

that number of gentlemen. The hall accom- modated three setts at time, and the dane ing was kept up until nearly two o'clock m the morning, all enjoying it greatly. Mir. J. w. Knott acted as floor manager, and filled that difficult position in most acceptable manner. The other members of the ball committee, Messrs. St. James, Blair and Brown, and the members of the Pioneer So- ciety committee, Messrs. Barnard, Christie and Van Smith, and the Marshal of the day, Colonel Garvin, deserve the thanks of the community for their services.
 About one hundred dollars was realized from the ball for the benefit of the school fund.
Arizona miner., 1866-07-11
PUBLIC LANDS.


 The theory has lately been advanced in Prescott that no ranches could be taken up until the public lands were surveyed by the United States. If the statement were true of other Territories, it is not SO of New Mex ico and Arizona. By the Act of Congress. approved July 9, 1851, sec. :, it is especially provided that lands in New Mexico, which then embraced Arizona, shall be subject to the operation of the pre-emption act of Sep tember 4 lS4l, rhetaer settied upon bsfoye or afler aie surrey.
 Referring to this in his report for 1865, the Land Commissioner of the United States says:
 By the 7th section of the Act of Congress, ap. proved July 22, 1854, the pre-emption privilege was extended to lands whether settled upon be- lore or after survey, within the region of country eomprehended by the present Territories of New Mexico and Arizona As Arizona has not vet been organized into land district the authori. " to receive prv-vnp,ivu declarations in virtue or the Act of &2d July, 1854 is vested in the sur. veyOr General at Santa Fc.n
 The Land Office has lately conceded to the bill introduced in Congress by Mr. Bidwen.
 
 all locations of lands heretofore made by the State of California for internal improvements. public buildings and seminary purposes. This gets over the objection that the State had no right to locate lands until after they should have been surveyed and brought into market. It also agreed that in the case of contact between the locators under the State and under the United States, the priority of location in good faith shall settle the title.
 Surveyor General Clark, in his reports for 1885, to the Land Office, speaks highly of the mineral and agricultural lands of Arizona, and urges that residents in towns or villages Tn New Mexico and Arizona should be al lowed the lands which they cultivate near the towns. He says: '" have again to urge the justice of the claims or settlers ppon the public lands who reside in towns or villages in New Mexico and Arizona tn a aPre-empuon or homestead right to the lands cultivated them in the vicinity of such town or Nhlage. Ihese pioneers, who settle upon the frontier, aud live n constant warfare win the Ir dians who at the peril Of their lives reclaim and cultivate Inc small tracts of land in the ueiehbor. hood oi the hamlet where their families are sath cred together for mutual protection are fusty en- utled 10 the consideration and protection of the government
 There is much truth in this, and such pro. | lection would cover the many cases in Arizo- na where lands near settlements are culti- vated but not constantly occupied by those claiming them.
Arizona miner., 1866-07-11
THE NUMBER OF APACHEs.


 A correspondent of the Cal, writing from Fort Goodwin, has the following estimate ol the number of Apaches:
 '' l put up the fighting men of the Apache Nation, between the kio Grande and the Colorado, and the boundaries of Utah aud Mexico, as follows, viz: Tontos-Chcf, Big Rump, ranging from the Mohaye country to a line drawn noltherly from the mouth Of the San Pedro, iuO; Pinals-three bands. ranging from the Mexican line to the Pinal Mountain. along the San Pedro River, 250; Coyoterus- Selh-ky- ze-On, or White Mountain band. Chiefs, Escutteselah, Bsublteseyen, and E.- kiwonnOnsegey, sU0; Noinlnsiltischigh band, 50; Babicbyeeh band, 100; Mangas ColUra- dos band, I5j Chiracahuas, Co-chieCs band, 200; Miembres, 100. Total, 1875. These figures disagree materially with your curres- pondent's ideas, but you must consider that but few men in Arizona have ever seen all Apache to talk with him. have conyersed. through captive interpreters, many times with the Coyotero Chiefs, all of them; and with the Pinal Chiefs Tah SC yaab, Eskaneeu- lah, their big Medicine, and Eskinaspas, tueir fighting man. My statements are the figures ayeragedH
 The Governors estimate of the warriors in Arizona was less than thousand, and allow ing the foregoing figures to be correct (which we douot) a to those between the Colorado and i.io Grande, we think it may be relied on, for number of the Apache families occupy the country between the Arizona line and the Rio Grande.
Arizona miner., 1866-07-11
TIE AklLONA LEo.o..-.4 |, .... AND
 THE PRESIDENT.

The Saata F. Gqsette of May l9. says-A- its last session the Legislature of Arizona pas sed the following resolution in support of tn, President and bis policy
 "Rcs0red, That m the present Executive O, the United States we recognize the ratriot and the statesman--One worthy to occtipy the high position once filled by the Father of his Country, and pledge to him a faithful and un. swerying support in the plan of reconstruction so successfully inaugurated by him in the Southern Statesn
 We are gratiied that Arizona thus stands side by side with the people of this Territory m the support of the Executive in his policy of reconstruction, and for the preservation of the constitution and constitutional liberty The South Western Territories thus present an un6roken front against those who would now give the finishing stroke to the work of destruction which was begun in 1861, and for the suppression of which the war was waeed with SO much vigor and at SO great an expense of blood and treasure, for four years.
 IL Is eiuinentiy proper that the two Terri tories should be thus unanimous in sentiment on this great question of life and death tn tle lsepuhle' During the fierce strife of battle they were united in their maintenance of the cause "l the country, and now that that strife haS been decided in favor of the country. ii is meet that they should be found in n solid Phalanx with those patriots who, with Presi. lent Johnson at their head, are striving fin ave, not only Co the United States. but to III mankind, the advantages which were gain 'u Dy the war for the suppression of the re-
Arizona miner., 1866-07-11

"oV. LION, oi ldalo, Ia thus eulogircd ni
 late number of the Idaho Pofid, the Leading
 paper in that Territory:
 Gov. Lyon left this week for the East. .na
 Gov. Ballard is expected soon to take tk
 heim ol slate. Gov. Lyon was the only Gov
 ernor Idaho Territory has ever had to ths 1 uate, wDo appeared 10 have any interest n the Territory, or whose influence amounted e
 anything Of any account. The bitterest ene
 my which he has will admit Gov. Lyon ds
 earnestly desire to promote the real prosper
 " oi this Territory, and was an indelatigshk
 laborer n The achievement Of that object. '
 there was anything dear to his heart it was Q
 Ink his name with the early settlement, or ganization, and advancement of Idaho. Bs- It was hls misfortune to succeed a man in thi GubeTnatoral office whose chief object in lk was to re-securc the office, and whose frieDb here and elsewhere labored untirinaly to ' slst hlm m that purpose. Gov. Lyon hst, rom the beginning, to contend with factios ln ms own party, who were bent on a restO1 ton Of the Wallace dynasty, and perfeetI . interruptions as to the manner by which { ' could be done. They howled upon his trd s just as the same faction throughout the Noft 1, are bowling on the track of President JOhS \ son. The very men who derived their ofict positions from him, the moment his back VI ! turned, were industriously conspiring agains him; A malignant press, because he cOua not be made an instrument to cover up ,h deialcations and rascalities of Territorial ok cIals, opened it's foulest sewers of falsehooe,S ,S' upon his adminstratiOa Notwithstanding all these disadvantages Got Lyon leaves Idaho Territory with an unsalhsa reputation as man and a politician. Hs made friends numerous and stro, z who EI long remember him in Idaho. A people wboe De served faithfully and honestly have badH voice in this matter of his removal Ifthg 'ould be heard on this question, two-thirdS Inc voters of Idaho Territory would enteri protest against the change.
Arizona miner., 1866-07-11

ooRREcrIoN.-in the Governors oration. as printed on the first page, the fourth and nth paragraphs in the fourth column. should read as follows:
 ne Arizona pioneers came to the country. as did Cortez to the halls of the Montezuma, TOT gold, and not to work like peasant, but no part of the continent has been SO difficult to occupy and hold, and where one has, to this time, accumulated wealth quickly, many have tolled like the peasant and given fresh proof that while no pursuit is more iascina ting than that of digging riches from the earth, none is more precarious or laborious r Remotely situated; away from the usual mes ol overland travel; with but one nayiga. Ole rlNeri with few placers and fewer streams TOT working them prolific in deserts. and uhlnhaoital'le localities; infested by the most lnhnman savages, and neglected by the governments The excellent climate and great wealth of Arizona in gold and silver have not 70 this day been a sufficient ''"afe'Ast F7sQ iclapt large papaati6Bi it