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


companies in this Territory. Some Of these
companies do not consist Of over 20 men, and
the average will not exceed 90 to the com
pany. This would make about 800 men TO
do camp duty, escort duty, ard fight the In
dians over an area of territory three times as
large as New York. and this too when the
ground has 10 be fought over and over again, |
and when they are constantly making attacks
in every portion of the Territory. In this
estimate Of numbers | have made no allow
ance for sick, nor have | calculated those who
will be discharged from expiration Of service.
BY the first Of January, the term Of service OF
full 700 of the above number will expire,
which will leave us, unless reinforced, with
only 500 soldiers, all told. No one who ex-
amines the country need be told that this is
only force enough to encourage the Indians
20 greater deeds Of barbarity; TO convince
them that the American nation is weak one,
and that they are the superior race, and will
soon drive us out or eXterminate US, as they
did the Aztecs.
| firmly believe that with sufficient force
the Apache could be conquered in one year,
and peace and security be restored to this
bleeding country. The Apache Indian is
obliged to live by eating, as we do. Ii sutfi-
! cient force could be sent to this country to
give escorts, and guard trains, and cut off his
supplies in that direction, and then keep
them constantly on the move in the noun
tains where they live; even il but few were
| killed, they would be starved out in one
year. If the government would take hold OF
this question with vigor, and give US peace
for one year, this country would in that time
receive sufficient increase in its population, so
! .Hot
ment would then be relieved from this enor-
nous expense. 1t is easy to be seen that as a
matter of policy in pecuniary point Of view,
it is clearly for the interest Of the government
to make one vigorous campaign, that will
settle the question forever.
now come 10 the question of cheaper
transportation, which is only second in impor-
lance To the Indian question. That may be
remedicd somewhat by improving our wagon
roads, and think it clearly the duty, and fol
the interest Of governments to construct q
good wagon road at once from here TO Albu
querque, New Mexico. Tue expense would
not be great; the difference IN the price o.
goods that the government alone purchases
would pay the expense. Besides, II would b.
of vast assistance to the citizens of both Ter
, rtories, and would do much u attract set
tiers along the road; but what we need NOR,
than all else, is a railroad or railroads, anC
fortunately nature has provided two excellent
routes across this Territory. that will unit,
, in iron bonds the Atlantic and Pacitc oceans
When this Territory was purchased frou
! Mexico, little was known of its resources
: and the price was paid believing it was wortl
the money for the purposes Of a railroad, IL
order that we could run a continuous lin
] through our own country, upon route tina
E the SHOWS would never blockade, with cas-,
! grades, and in the speediest and shOrtes
= manner connect the Atlantic and Pacific
/ These advantages, | believe all concede cal
e be obtained by surveying a railroad through
: this country. And had it not been for ou
a unfortunate civil war, to-day the cars woul,
r have been running on the Southern route
c and the Central would have been considers
= impracticable.
4 As it is, the building Of the Central Ia
e conclusively proven the wisdom Of the Gov
eminent in giving aid to the great railway
e that traverse the wilds of America. 1t set
Il ties the country through which it passes, an,
e adds immense wealth and population to III
d country. IL drives before the march of civil
), ization, without blood-shed, the hostile In
5 dian, and saves millions upon millions TO tn
i government, that would otherwise have to b
, expended in war against the savages Ii ais
o saves millions upon millions to the govern
l ment in the transportation of troops and SUP
plies. But to insure the construction of on
n southern roads, we do not ask the advar
e tages that were given tn the Central, in fac,
C we do not ask the government to expend
n dollar for us. We simply want REASONABLE
II land grant, and guarantee to our creditor
&c from whom we borrow money, that the int,
" rest on the bonds shall be paid. We propos
1 to secure the government for this assistance
" with our railroad and lands, 50 that it wi
% not have to expend or lose a dollar to insuI
the construction Of these roads. For til
l. alternate sections of land that are granite,
4 the value is supplied by doubling the priC
he on that retained. The settler who purchase
r is benefited, because, without the railroad
&C he would not have the land as a Gift, an
y, with the railroad, his purchases are valuabl
y The guarantee of the Government TO pay III
Of interest on. the bonds, enables the railroa
AZ company to sell them in foreign markets
D. much higher prices, and TO that extent Ell
le riches our own people Just so much NOR
and brings an additional amount of none
ir into the country. But the necessity Of
N road that is safe from winter SHOWS, is niue
lie greater now than before the construction
a the Central road. Now, all the mail lines
10 ocean and overland stages are discontinue,
v and the people Of the Atlantic and the Pacif
y depend for tin Transmission Of their mail
n upon the railroad alone. And YET, last vii
oil ter which was the mildest We have had Il
seven years, that road was blockaded wit
c. snow for six weeks at one time. | was tol
by one of the parties who aided in construc
Y, ing the Union Pacific end of the road, that
ID was blockaded when only half an inch