Arizona citizen., 1874-04-11

Rio M1mbreS--1nCldenta ObSerVa.
 tions.
 RIO MIMBREs, N. M., April 5, lS74-I ar rived here last night at 10 o'clock with as little fatigue as I usually experience on the first few days of a day and night trip. The most disagreeable incident Of the journey is the irregularity of meals. Leaving Tue son at a. m. of the 2d, Cienega station was reached at p. m- and then had din- ner; stopped there two hours and with the same team made San Pedro Crossing at Il D. m. and there supper was served; left there just after midnight and got to Sul- phur Springs and breakfast at a. m. next morning; rested there two hours and moved on to Apache Pass which place was reached at 5:30 p. ..and after supper at O'clOck-started for Ralston and on the way, in Stein's Peak Range, camp is made for an hour at midnight, animals fed, a cup of coffee made and a lunch par taken of in the open air with decided ad- vantage; then about four hours wheels us into RalStOn just at daybreak; here an hours rest is enjoyed and after breakfast at OclOck-a start is made for this place, passing on the way, six miles out, a waterhOle where Barney's station once was but of which there is now hardly trace Left; twenty miles from this point Soldiers Farewell is reached, where there is wet weather spring, a deserted cabin and cor ral, and after watering the team and par taking of lunch, a ride of fourteen miles carries the traveller to Cow Springs station. now occupied by Jack Long, who is quite well-known about Tucson. From here road leads nOrtheaSterly thirty miles to Silver City, N. M., and another southerly one hundred and forty miles to JanOs in Chihuahua. A permanent spring of good water is a feature here. After taking a meal and two hours of rest, at six o'clock, the mule, the driver and myself moved on and made this point as before stated, where l found a good bed and enjoyed enough sleep, and this morning feel as when l left Tucson. AS eating and sleep ing are important features of life anywhere and under all cond1tlOnS,I may add here that excepting at RalSton, the meals were good and palatably cooked at all the points named-better in fact than is gen. orally found on interior stage routes, but all the sleeping one gets will not make him particularly happy and he is in good luck to get an hours snooZe here and there. On this route-at least to this place-a pas senger would do well to Keep lunch with in reach. A small canteen of water is ample and good water is the rule all along. The nights are still cool but with WOOlen shirts and ordinary clothing and one pair of blankets, a passenger will not suffer. The road is good all the way, and but very little dust and no sand of consequence are encountered anywhere. found great com fort under my, umbrella between Sulphur Spring and Apache Pass and am amply repaid for bringing it.
 No evidence of hostile Indians appeared on the way, and l heard no one speak of any fears on this score. N. NJ. Rodgers at Sulphur Springs, says that CachiSe and his Apaches want to return to that place and have the agency established there. The "Cld man" did not come under my observation, but I did see a dirty sub-chicf at Bowie, though l had no time to inter- view him. also met F. G. Hughes-Capt. JeffOrd'S clerK-at Bowie, and he expressed decided belief that the told man" is determined to maintain amicable relations with Uncle Sam.
 The buildings at Bowie show the effects of the late heavy storms, and heard that the soldiers are to be set at worK to make 9O,0O0 adobeS for repairs. The remains of a l0-Stamp quartz mill stand below the post, reminding one of worK and folly of the past, and If this ghost of SicEly min ing operation were removed beyond the travellers sight, the telling of unfavorable tales might be lessened. And still, the the Apache Pass mine did yield some nice gold in 1870, and may be made to yield much more under experienced and care ful management. Fully, OehOa & Co. have store well-hlled with all kinds of goods and it must be a welcome place for travellers and all paSsers on the road to add to their stock of necessities and com forts.
 Ralston is the next place of note-more note than importance. Four or five men are sinking into the ground here, and I was informed that Lieut.. T. w. Hall and another man of Camp Grant, were sink ing some money in the hope of finding more. 1 trust they enjoy the hope, for it is very doubtful if any other comfort will ever be theirs in thlS venture. RalStOn is a place of many houses with but very few people, and it presents ghaStly appear ance compared with what it did in May, 1870, when the Harpending gang were cooking up @ StupendOus Swindle in quartz and diamond mining, and crazily enthu- siastic people were jumping town lots and claims, and little knots of men were sitting around full of hope and fight over their worthless possessions. The famous bilKs Arnold and Brown as well as others, then talked big about erecting quartz mills on the Gila and building a railroad to haul ore to them. For further particulars, the curious reader is referred to Geo. D. Roberts, A. Harpending, their associates and dupeS. l am told now that the man at Ralston who damages good food under the pretense of preparing it for his hungry fellOWman, is enthusiastic in the belief that there are veins rich in silver at Ral- ston, and that a few others profess the same belief. would only be too glad if I could honestly say word to corroborate their confidence.
 This is a small town on the east bank of the Rio Mimbres, a fine and presently rushing stream which sinks few miles south of here. This place has surely seen brisKer times, for there are now more vacant than occupied buildings, The rich belt, although there is broad expanse of sandy and gravelly land which might with abundance of water be made produc- | tive StaoeS connect here tO and from |