The weekly Arizona miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1868-1873, 1869-11-13

two crops are raised upon the same land each |
vear,-one of wheat, barley or oats, and an |
other of corn. know of one farm near Tue |
SON, thas | am told has been in continued |
cultivation during the past 100 years, that
has produced annually two crops each year,
and still produces as much as ever, and the
land am assured has never been enriched by
manure. The question now arises have we
an abundance of soil to raise these products
upon. IL would be superfluous for me to tell
the old settlers of this country that we have;
but TO those who are less familiar | will say,
that there is unoccupied land for hundreds of
thousands as fair and rich as the sun ever
shone upon, requiring no preparation save the
turning over the soil.
We have an area of territory nearly three
times as large as New York, and believe, at
least one third Of it is susceptible Of cultiva-
ton There Is much more | should like to
say upon this branch of our resources, but
time will not permit 1t is the prevailing
| opinion that Arizona possesses little or no
| timber when in fact il contains extensive
| pine forests, equal in size and quality 10 any
| on the face of the globe. Gen. Thomas G.
| Devin. now i'm command Of the Southern dis
| trict Of Arizona, told me that he stood on
the top of high mountain some distance
east of Prescott and with his glass could see
one dense forest of timber for one hundred
miles around, this | consider very good au-
thority and believe very conclusively estab-
fishes the fact, that Arizona is not destitute
| of timber.
| believe that the most chronic hater of
| Arizona has never denied that il possesses
advantages for stock raising, hardly equalled
any where. The grasses are of the most
nutritious character, and nature has so ar
| 10 hat e ha arp al
ways green; the climate is so mild that cattle
thrive rs well at one season as another, and
no disease has ever been known 90 break ont
among them; they mature younger than in
any country have ever lived in. The range
is almost unlimited. Here we offer to the
world free pasture for an unlimited amount
of stock, where nature has bouGtif1lly sup
piled the feed.
The climate of Arizona is unsurpassed
True il may be claimed by some, that the
Southern portion in the summer is too warm
but have lived there during the past sum
mer, and did not suffer from heat as much as
have in some Of the eastern States, and
cases of sun-stroke which are so prevalent in
the eastern States are unknown in this coun
try. AS for health, | believe in this portion
of the Territory n natural death seldom oe
ours. In fact it is so healthy that if yor
should tell me similar story to one | heart
told of case of long life in California, that
occurred before the Americans owned thu
5 country, don't know but | should feel in
, clined to believe it. The story is this: "Ar
old Mexican had lived for several centuries
and earnestly desired to pass away from thi
vale OF tears, but the climate was so healthy
: he could not die, and finally he told his son
S he could not endure life longer. He tried
o change Of climate, and went to Mexico, hi
feet had hardly pressed Mexican soil, unit
his wish was realized, and the old man passed
. away. His son with commendable filial af
lection, determined TO bring the remains o
!, his father back for burial on the old homestead
J but no sooner was his body brought in con
Z tact with the California atmosphere, than tn
J old man came 20 life again, sprang from hi
2 coffin, and was as hale and hearty as ever
do not vouch for this story, but | do say
y that this country is as healthy as California
!, Now come to the mineral resources Of tn
country, and feel that can speak Of thi
; branch with more confidence than any other
because l have spent all my manhood in tn
> mines, fer eight years in succession, worke'
! at placer mining, lived in cabin, and cookies
my own meals; and for nearly twenty years
have been connected with mining enterprise
II of one kind or another. have damned tn
q when the water was low, and at another tim
8 when the water carried our fumes away.
: have taken part in gold and silver quart
J mining in California and Nevada, and hav
examined the principal mines and reductio
: works Of Europe. My previous knowledg
u Of mining has naturally led me TO take spt
u cial interest in examining the mineral resoul
:, ces Of this country. / have travelled in var
. Gus directions from the Southern boundary
"a Arizona north to this point. | have foun
g the mountains threaded with veins rich
:, silver, gold and copper, far beyond anythin
l. | have ever seen elsewhere, and ! here pr,
~ dict that the time will come in the not yer
Of far off future, when Arizona will produC
y more gold and silver, than all the balance
3, the Pacific coast. This may be considere
J. enthusiastic, but when il is considered thu
IN there is hardly mountain over this vast TIE
III ritory that does not contain rich lodes Of col
y and silver, while for hundreds Of miles I'll
d rayines show prospects for placer diggin.
a, that would gladden. the heart Of any old Ca
+ ifornia miner and when it is considered ais
~ that the wealth Of these mines are yet vi
70 touched, the prediction will not appear
oi extrayagant. The inquiry will be made,
p Arizona contains such vast mineral wealt
er why has it not been proven before this tins
g There are several reasons, either one Of whic
'r is sufficient to result in the failure Of any o
70 binary paying mine. First the hostility
3 the Indians, which has almost wholly pr,
&c vented prospecting for mines, and rendere
" their working insecure and expensive. Sc
70 ond, the expensive transportation of ever,
~ thing consumed or used that is not raise
u here. Third, the want of capital to open Il
o mines. Fourth, the want Of experience an
" knowledge how to extract the precious me