Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-10-29
Letter from Arizona,

ges with beautiful valleys averaging about
twenty miles in width. Those near the intcri
or arc very fertile, and at this season Of the
year are covered with nutritious grasses. But
those near the river are almost entirely Of
desert character, with nothing but grcasewood
cactus, artcmisia, sage brush and other plants
peculiar alone to the desert The mountains
arc bald, rocky and barren, and reflect the
fierce rays of the sun, which are scorching and
withcring 10 all vegetation. There is no water
anywhere except in the mountains, and it is
very scarce at that Game is abundant-ante-
lope on the plains, aud deer and bear in the
mountains.
The Colorado river runs its entire length
through II vast desert-a narrow strip averag-
ing about five miles in width along its imme-
diate borders is alone capable of cultivation.
The soil is extremely fertile. but the river is so
capriciOus in its course that it is extremely
hazardous TO undertake to cultivate the soil,
The only practicable way is to do as the In
dians dO-wait until the annual overflow, and
then put in the crops. The rise of water takes
place in June and July, but sometimes
overhows but once IN three or four years.
uC last Dl5 ONCIuON was III lOOi.
The valley is covered with q thick growth of
willow, cottonwood, mesquit, and arrow weed.
The mesquit yields anutritious bean of which
it bears two or three crops year; the Indians
almost live on them, so when the mesquit fails
they are always hungry.
The cottonwood and willow never attain
any size, as the river changes so often that
they are washed away
The river is nayigated by the Colorado
Steam Navigation Company, who have four
| light draught steamers, each capable Of carry
ing about one hundred and fifty tons ofireight,
by measurement They scarcely ever draw
over thirty inches of water; in fact, they could
not run if they did. The channel of the river
when at lrigh water fills up with sand 1t
two or three feet on the bars; when it falls it
goes down gradually about twelve or fifteen
feet and still has from two to three feet IN the
channel
The Yuma, Chcm-c-huevis and Majore In
dians live on the river and cultivate the soil
TO considerable extent. TheJ raise wheat,
corn, beans, pumpkins, squashes watcrmelons
and muskmelons They plant their wheat as
we do corn at home, and Il field of it looks very
pretty indeed. Melons and pumpkins grow to
enormous sizes, but as they grow close togeth-
er many of the former are spoiled.
When white men first came on the river
these Indians showed disposition to fight
the troops accommodated each tribe with a
brush and since then they have been satisfied
and have been peaceable and good friends tc
the whites. They are very honest-if they
were not, they, like other peaceable Indians
would be constantly in trouble. Their dress is
very simple, but very comfortable for theii
warm climate. The males-or bucks as we
call them-wear only "breech clout," which
consists of about a yard of manta Common
cotton cloth1 securely fastened by cord tied
around the waist; tie long ends stream out be-
hind and are generally ornamentcd. Some
times they get an old coat which they always
wear as long as it lasts, even in the hottest
weather. They look funny enough then; they
put one in mind of a boy with big letter il
the post Office" The squaws wear kind o.
bark petticoat which they call "yecatalcy.'
1t is made from the inner bark Of the cotton
wood AT the top it is fastened to a string ant
tied around the hips; the bark strips hang
about to the kness These squaws, like the
"bucks,' sometimes get on some extras-i
anything they get the skirt of a calico dress OF
a petlicoat and tie it around their necks. Some
of the squaws are very pretty indeed but they
present very bad appearance if they dress
, like other women, it seems so entirely out o
place Their faces are never good looking
and besides they paint themselves up ant
tattoo their chins as soon as they pass from
: childhood TO maturity Much more might b
, said that would be very interesting about In
) dians, but l doubt the propriety. Perhaps
| have overstepped the bounds already; if so,
ask pardon
Indians all wear their hair long. They Gu
it off just above the eyes, bur only enough t
expose the face. 1t streams down the back I
the waist but the ends are cut off square; yer
often they roll it up on top of their heads an
plaster it with mud this is not for comlor
neither to have a waterfall, or keep up SEN
bance of fashion, but to kill vermin.
1t will be readily seen that this country wi
never sustain very large population excer
in the interior. Farming is impractcable ca
cept as Indians farm, for no white man coul
make decent living. Nearly everything thu
is consumed in the country is brought into
i and nothing taken out. II is true there al
. mines here, but they have not yet been d
veloped, and very few are paying with IL
present prices of provisions and labor
> There are now only three places on IL
= river ofany importance-all the rest have die
natural death from necessity.
La Par, seven miles above here, has bee
II killed by this place. A permanent landing q
the river has brought few of the leading me
! here, and all the rest have followed.
Ehrenberg is one hundred and twenty-fV
{ miles by river and ninety miles by land aboy
Yuma. Nearly all freight for central al
c northern Arizona is distributed from this poir
IS The overland stage and mail crosses here, ar
II nearly all trains. The houses are all bui
n with one exception, of adobcs, sticks and mu
IS The population is nearly all Mexican, al
o everything is in keeping with the general cha
acter of a Mexican town. Horses, cattle, shee