Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1872-09-28

most of the year, are dry, with
beds Of white clay nearly rs hard
as n well travelled road-bed. Whom
wet these are miry, and the plaza'
impossible in many places. One
we passed over on tho 10th was
six miles wide, and, by connections
with others, thirty miles long; and
if the valley of the plazas were al
to be counted as ono, it would form
n letter Y on each sdo Of tho Pyr'
amid range, and between tho Bur-
ro on tho east and Stems peak
range on tho west, in which not
less than q hundred miles Of land
is covered by plazas.
WATER IN ABUNDANCE
might be found in shallow wells
dug in or near these deposits OF
water. With these sources of wa
ter the railroad and cattle herds
will DO supplied with oil that is
needed for them. These plazas
have outlets to the north into the
Gila river, when there is large
supply of water, and of consequence
they are free from saline deposits,
like those which have no such out
lets. We have seen few signs of
alkali since leaving the valley of
the Rio Grande, and all the wells
and springs, even water in pools,
as sweet and good to drink for man
and beast
CROSSING THE LINE.
On the morning of the Goth Of
August, we passed through pass
in the STEMS peak range by an as
cent and descent of less than sixty
feet to the mile, and thus overcome
one of the great distractions other
surveyors have met with. The
passage gave us another thing new.
In the pass grew the maguey or
pulque plant. This is one Of the
tribe Of the century plants, and
was in bloom, sending up from its
crown of strong, stiff leaves stem
of fifteen feet high, surmounted by
crowns of flowers, on from eight TO
fifteen branches, and another on
the top. The mountain mahogany
here appears for the first time.
Small pieces of this, near the roots,
present the most beautiful speci-
mems of wood for small cabinet
ware. The tree is short, like all
the trees of this region, but we
saw some u foot in diameter of
sound wood.
THE VALLEY OF THE SAN SIMON,
which we next enter is fine grass
valley, between STEMS and CHR
ricahua (hatchet) range. The San
Simon or Sauz, is the result of the
springs and rains that fall upon
and rise in these mountains. Some
times it is u running stream, and
then it is lost for miles, and again
breaks out. Where we are camped
there is no real channel, but above
and below it runs. Water may be
found in wells in all this valley,
because it is underlald by slate.
The range to the west is said to be
rich in gold bearing quartz.
BUT THE APACHE Is THERE.
No prospecting has been done
in them, because of these Indians.
They are tho worst of all the In
dian tribes. They have no gamo
Or fish, and will not plant. They
must therefore steal and kill to get
cattle, horses and mules, all of
which share the same fate-are eat
en-. The central cores Of the mez-
raj and maguey are substituted for
bread; and the pods of the mesquite
bean, and acorns of the dwarf live
oak ground together and wet with
the large, winglcss grasshopper
and then baked, make their pound
cake. Not very palatable to tastes
polite, but very luscious to the In
dian mouth.
There is gold and silver in these
mountains; there is grass on them
md in the valley; springs exist
and wells can be dug. Commerce
and the European races demand
possession of these mountains, hills
ind valleys; the railroad with its
cars of freight and passengers will
pass over this shortest and best
route across the continent, and the
Apache must leave the land he
loes not use. The tread of civili-
.ation crushes and grinds to pow
Ter all the "Los" that stand in the
way. The Indian is fated to pass
.way as surely as the manuals of
ormer ages or the people of other
lines. J. G. KNAPP.