Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1872-08-31
For the Register.
CAMP Mcdowell, }
ARIZONA TERRITORY, ;
July 30th, 1872. J

L 81
and surrounding country might afford
YOU something to waste spare moment
on and rs nothing better presented 10
give you partial description, so Tar as
my limited knowledge extends.
Camp Mcdowell is situated on ! 1ne
west bank of the Rio Nerde,seVen lliiieS
from its junction with the mo ' Snnr;
Latitude SO degrees 40 minutes, ions
tude iii degrees 40 minutes Marlc0Pa
Wells, a trading post eS'aoiis"eu auth
+he ella River, about % hiilee 'ai,
,rost The nearest settlement Is a Siii"ll
, " phmnix which is rapidly growing
80 -" =, ON Salt River, the same
up, p T;"er oll the defeated politicians
travel up, about so miles s0n aoa 1svsI
h 49, about 1899 feet above sea 1 1evei,
5 N.Y. nearest friendly Indians are ri nn
~ lJaricopas, living on the CHA mIy
ana VI I;.,on, The hostile tribes are
ihn ,nacbes. Moian>, Touto Apaches'
Pjnal Apachcs and Co!9 t..a apS Sra
,rT I'' bands live in the MassoSa' Sierra Sierra
tnrbo, PinaI Mountains aHd " ni'e
3I"v, They frequently make
IL, in the country adjacent to the post
ll nI ,rr boldest in Spring, FALL and
anu ,t Lorvest time. There is reser-
canon, " of ii square miles, the surround
w." yery hilv and sandy, not arabic
.h57,gb the bottom land is good, a
''H farm containing one nun
3'',' ef,,. ,cr,. cleared land, with
w aonia four miles long, is under cult
ygtion and leased which furnishes ths
pnsf with forage. VIZ: Barley, Hay, land
5a y all kind OF vegetables grow
VIII orass of the variety called graln,a'
crows freely after rain, though tor tne
last two wears there has been 81, scarGs!y
any owing to the lack Otram. he Mo
Vcrje i GENERALLY fordable, during .he
.rs.Lots il is unfordable, and 1t IS heVe,
-. Tna climate is mild in wlnter'and
extremely hot in summer: Hno" 49,. Hi,ei
Ais The place is occasionally Sisi I1
-. terrific storms OF WIND, ram, anu n"il
a q! by thunder and hSh'nlng-
'TSese occur in mid summer and dan-
agc to property and crops : oi intb. ,bs
Great During the SUNNI 90 L;nL %
thermometer generally 1 ~, me In;IJ,
t2O f""l: a. throughout the Terrific
lnSs primer Of adobe, q kind Of brick
ny "fI, 4, ri mud dried in the sun, size -
or ,h les long. inches wide aud inches
thick. which makes quite substantial
house, though would not suit yor State
rs the frequent rains would melt them
down. All the transportation Is by
wagons, and pack trains TO each wagon
are attached from twelve to sixteen
spanish mules, sometimes twenty or
more wagons together. Pack trains are
only used where wagons cannot 60 over
trails ~ the mountains, They are OWL
cd principally by Me1icans and freight
merchandise from Fort Yuma on the
Colorado River 10 Prescott and Tucson,
the principal towns, and from there II is
lacked On,uuipS for transportation 10
~nnium towns in Mountains. Tucson
Is $50 miles from Fort Yuma
The road, principally sandy and hard
to travel There are stations about eve
~ twelve or fourteen miles on these
go4ds, where trains generally camp over
night and stages change mail. To Il
prl>on ilSt come in the country the
habits OF the people would strange.
See men and boys ut work in the fields
harvesting. with each 4 revolver on,and
call at any house yOu may, night or day,
every person about has arms on, and 1t
appears to be part OF their dress They
say those that live on the ella river, they
have more to tear from the Mexicans
than the Indians The line Of Sonora,
Mexico, is only 50 miles from the ella
River Settlements and these MeXicans
frequently make RAIDS and run off cattle
and horses. and very often murder the
settlers Unless You can catch them
before they get back YOU never find
them. SOnOrO is mountainous and the
bottom land is all under growth with
only bride paths through which only
these rreascrs~ know anything about.
The /. :. Mail is always provided with
a cayalrv escort through dangerous
places, though sometimes you find the
stage standing on the road minus hors-
es. the driver scalpcd and contents OF
the mail bag scattered around, which
makes it quite encouraging to travel IN
this country by such couTeyanccs. But
short time ago, some two weeks,
band of Apacnes came within , miles OF
this Post, about 9 o'clock, \. NJ, and
drove off nineteen mules belonging to
citizen. One has to he extremely care
tui in taking evening airings, not to
stray too far from base, though men be
come careless and indifferent to all dan
ger after time, thenS generally when
they are caught.
These Apache nlians are not brave,
they wont attack ten men, though
should they find one or two behind or
by themselves, they are sure to shoot
them from some rock or tree. You
never see them though You very often
hear from them by way OF an arrow or
= bullet. They are short, thick tribe,
BRIGHT yellow with short hair, while the
NIarjconas are large, dark, with long
hair down 20 the waist, and always
painted and in every way superior
race They are gradually learning to
farm. / have seen some very line wheat
and barley, the products Of their reser-
walton, which they find sale for at Mar
icopa Wells The male portion are IN
dolent, the squaws do all the labor OF
both fam and wigwam, how think