The weekly Arizona miner., 1868-09-26
TRIP TO THE COUNTRY.


 Bowers. head of the firm of Bowers Bros, Sut- lers at Fort Whipple and oldest of numerous Yankee family of that name. No sooner had we seated ourself on a hair cushion, than Herbert started the ponies, and away we rolled over the smooth, gravelly road to the post, where we alghed and partook of a very good dinner, af- ter which We conversed with the genlemanly officers of the post on Indian and other matters, lit a cigar. mounted the vehicle. which sped along quickly down Granite creek, past some splendid fields of corn, Hungarian grass, etc Besides Mir F. and ourself the wagon now held two more distinguished persouages. Mir. John Reese veteran who fought under Rosecranz, and Mir. Bassham, an ancient and gifted gentle man of the Copperhead family. Soon as weswept out of Alexanders cornfeld, and began Co climb the low hills on the east side of Granite Creek, the ever recurring Indian subject was brought up, and while discussing it we arrived at the spot where a few weeks previous, the red dends murdered a Mexican, who was on his way from Prescott to Reamis' ranch on Lynx creek. We saw the tree under which the poor fellow breathed his last, and to whose shade he had crawed al- ter the wretches had left him. Of course. cir- cumStance of this kind was not uncommon to any of us, but still thIs one occurred recently, that some of us grit our teeth and cursed a race whose hands are stained with the blood of thous- ands of Americans and Mexicans. We soon got out of the rolling hills. and while rattling over tbe level mesa this side of Lynx creek, saw spread out before us the beautiful and rich valley which should be named !" Woolsey Valley in honor of that pioneer. who. time and again. has had his last hoof of stock stolen from him by the Apaches and other Indians, while noby endeavoring ;o make for himself and others homes in said val ley. and wrest it from the grasp of the worthless lshmaelites who polluted il with their villainous presence. To the north of the valley we beheld that long string of 6.000 or 700O feet high m0En- tains, known as Black Mountains, whose canityOns and gorges afford trysting places for thieving h. dians. To the South lay the mountains of Lynx creek with those of Walker and Big Bug. and still further south we saw ihe high peaks of the Brad shaw range. On looking to the northeast, we saw that grand old pile, the highest and largest in the TerritOry-the great San Francisco. stand ing out boldly, prominently, over and above every visible point in the Territory. and filling ones mind with the grandeur, the magnifcence and the sublimity of Nature. Straight east we beheid the Mescal range-the home of the cursed Apache-Mohave-w its sharp topped hills and ghostly appearance. We strained our eyes to get n glimpse of the Mogolone range but lid not succeed. We then turned our gaze upon Big Bug and saw the mountain upon whose side a short time ago. an Indian shot and killed that gallant frontiersman. Robert smith, and imagined we could see the red rascals seampering out of range of Billy Gavin's unerrng rife. while ayeng- ing the death of his comrade Becoming tired of this view, we withdrew our gaze and fixed our eyes on Big Bug hill. where, on a morning in July '65, over loo whooping. vipdictiye savages at- tackled and fought for nearly three hours party of seven men, composed of Vim. Gavin Thomas Goodman, Jas. A. Anderson, John Raibe, Chris. Klotz, Theo. W. Boggs and J. R Masterson and remembered what @ noble defense these men made. and how they finally won the victory We remembered the tons of rock that the Indians bad packed and thrown upon the roof in the vain attempt to break i. in we remember the forest of arrows they shot at the men. and we also re- member the ghasty look of dead warrior who received in his open mouth an ounce bullet from Tom GOOdman's rife. We had seen enough of that hill and in passing our eyes to the north We saw high rocky point on the trail from the Agua Frio to Big Bug. where, in June i64. they waylaid and murdered highly educated splendid young named Jones, and could not but re. collect how shockingly, brutally, they mutila- ted his lifeiess corpse. But we are tired of emu merating these sad affairs in the history of our young Territory. and will change the mournful subject to something more pleasant.
 On making Lynx creek the writer was agree ably surprised at beholdng the improvements thathad been made since last he visited it. Houses had been erected fields of corn wese to be seen on every hand. The first ranch arrived at was that of N. K. Lerty, and after alighting and partaking of some refreshments offered us by the worthy and venerable host, we took a stroll through his corn and found it to be first rate. with large wel-flled ears. We then examined his garden. and were pleased with the quantity, quality and size of his vegetables. As the day was wearing away, mounted our vehicle bad,s Messrs. Lerty and Thomas good afternoon and drove rapidly past long string of ox-wagons on their way to the Agua FriO ranch for hay. We soon arrived at the ranches of J. J. Gibson and l.. Ellit kraus & Miller, and others, and were bnoyed up with the looks of the large crops In little while we came in sight of the pioneer ranch of the valley, the Agua Frio. where hun dreds of old Arizonians have rested their weary limbs appeased their hunger and thirst and talked over the past, present and future of our Territory. The old ranch looked strange to us {; lt did not look as of yore, when but q small turnip patch, smaller beet patch, and an acre or two of corn was all the crop n it produced We felt like asking " Who's pin here since Ish pin goneW but on reflection choked down that question, faced the music and took a square look at fully four hundred acres of tall yellow corn about 20 acres of alfalfa, 20 of. Hungarian grass or of buckwheat, as many more of melons squashes. pumpkins, etc, and vast extent of meadow land, with grasses of various kinds The dwelling house in the centre of this forest of corn was the only thing upon the place that put us in mind of ancient times The slate rock from which it is built we knew. for we had seen them dug oqt of the ancient ruin upon which the house now stands. Upon seeing this we became meditative, and wandered, in imagination back to the time when the now extinct race that brought these rocks from the hills to build their dwellings, gathered around the fireside or the field and went through the routine of life. but just then the voice of Willard Rice the Wlior Dono of Agua Frio fell upon OFT ears, and we alighted, shook hands and entered the building WA lnfo nlI