Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-03-01

THE LoRING STAGE MAssACRE-INTEREsTING LET
TER FROM DIR. ToNNER
Correspondence Of the Commerclall
PRESCOTT, Arizona January 49,
As the interior of Arizona is a terra incognita,
some notes from my trip here may interest you.
left Ehrenberg, on the Colorado, in company
with two friends and an escort of six soldiers,
for drive of one hundred and seyenty-one
miles, through Apache land. Our first fifteen
miles was over rocky mesa, barren save an occa-
sional Palo Verde or Suwarrows. The former is
a tree Of bright green color, but leafess the en-
tire year the latter is the Columnar Cactus,
growing from ten to twenty feet high, and about
foot in diameter. 1t throws out branches like
uplifted arms and has very wild appearance.
Travelling at night mo stretch Of the imagination
was necessary to suppose them savages awaiting
us, though the reflection soon came that it is not
the way they show themselves, when after
scalp lock or mule.
Our first station was only twenty miles out,
near the oonstantia gold mine of which there
are great expectations. The faith Of the owners
is shown by their works, as they have in process
OF erection large mill for the reduction of the
ore.
Mine host at Roberts Station treated us we'll,
giving US the largest room and widest bed in the
house. The latter only lacked softness, the mud
floor composing it not having been wet lately.
The proprietor was model worth copying. being,
all in one, Boss, Caterer, Cook. and Clerk, and
could excel in counting large sums, was
proved to our disgust in the morning. Wecould
not feel much sympathy for him when he told
us he had lost seventy dollars, the night before,
and was evidently trying to make it square, off
of us.
Our second days ride was twenty-seven miles
over rolling desert We could have travelled
farther save for the lack of water which is at
this station procured from well one hundred
and twenty-five feet deep, and supplied at 1.-TWO
bits head. The weather was very cold oblig-
ing one of our party to build fire during the
night, and melt two inches Of ice before using
the basin i'll the morning We regretted that
the ice could not be saved for our summer heats.
Next day, we drove to Cuttings Station. which
was truly an Oasis in the desert everything in
order an excellent table and smooth floor
they had been compelled to sink well two hum
dred and thirty feet to reach water. We told
them we would not give the trouble of drawing
for us, but could drink milk instead so it was
furnished on this considerate suggestion.
No water on the road forced us to travel forty
two miles the following day to Wickenburg.
Nine miles west of it we came upon the scene Of
the late stage massacre. Our escort being sew
eral miles behind we instinctively put ourselves
on the defensive. The others looked to their
arms, to my legs, this article having saved the
only survivors of the tragedy. The tortueus
tracks of the stage after the driver was killed,
the remains Of the horse shot, and the grave Of
Hamell all mark the spot. Its horrors are too
well known to require repetition. The compile
ity of Mexicans with Indians with the affair ia
asserted in Wickenberg, but nothing positive is
yet known.
The town spoken of consists of about twenty
adobe houses and its chief business is drinking
and gambling. II is supported by the employees
Of the Vulture Mining Company, whose mill is in
the vicinity, and employs about two hundred
men. Their mine is thirteen miles distant, and
il very rich in gold quartz but the expense of
hauling the rock to the mill is seven hundred
dollars per day, which takes large share Of the
proceeds. They hope however to procure suiii-
cent water in the mine to run the mill, when it
will be moved there and prove the richest mine
in Arizona This vicinity is infested with hostile
Apaches. and persons yenturing outside of town
go heavily armed, expecting every bush or rock
TO conceal " our mutual enemy"
The road from here to Camp Date Creek was
over smooth rolling mesa, and through rocky
canon. The latter looked fearfully suggestive
of concealed weapons but they are seldom seen
when OF where looked for. At Camp Date Creek,
we were most pleasantly entertained by the
commanding officer, and found away here
Wilmingtonian, Lieut. H., Of the 21st Infantry.
He had been five years away, and was perfectly
exhausted at bed time replying to mis- inquiries
about dear old Wilmington. The Brandywine
particularlyis is melting memory in this parched,
barren, country. l told him of our new hotel,
and Opera House, new Railroads, Delaware Ay-
6nu6, odfInqudhe, anu DesJ OI hll tne ltet Beuef-
alton of girls, are the prettiest we haYe
in any section the last six years, Alaska not
excepted. He wants leave of absence at once
North of Date Creek, the road was very rough
for eighteen miles, through mountain passes
covered with trap rock and boulders, which made
| our tenure of seats uncertain as that Of Office
hol lers. In Bells canon we were shown pile
of rocks which marked the grave Of Mr.. Leghy,
| who was Superintendent of Indian Affairs here
| in 1865 and was killed there while on his way to
| Prescott, by the Apache Mojaves. One OF our
party, being the present Superintendent for Ari-
Zona, felt peculiar interest in 1t, and intends
giving the remain proper burial, in the hope, we
| told, him of having the service performed for
| himself should he fall on the wayside, by the
| hand of his wards.
| Prescott, the country suddenly changes, from
| barren rocky mountains and mesas to beauti-
full rolling country covered with pine, cedar, and
| live oaks. We room reached Prescott, nestled in
| a pretty valley with neat frame houses painted
| white, and green blinds looking as if New Eng
| land village had been dropped there or strayed
| from home. 1t has a central Plaza around
| which are the main business houses. Those for
| gambling occupy half of the best side and ap-
| pear to have the most customers and quickly
| undeceive one as to it's New England origin.
| Three stores do most of the business which is
/ now wholly dependant upon the military and
| mines the crops having failed the past two years
A new Methodist Church and Court House con.
stitute the public buildings and the arizona
| Miner the newspaper of the place.
Proceeding to Headquarters, one mile from
town, we were warmly received by another Will
mingtonian, Dr. b., who is Medical Director Of
the Department. With him we will rest while
| ToNNER,