Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1874-07-16
Womack's Letter.
A Journey Through Arizona,
FROM FORT YUMA TO TUCSON
THE PIMA VILLAGES.

lOtcl III IOWll-lne OOlOfduO
House, and Jared well. The
proprietor is a Chinaman, who
answers to the euphonious cog
nomen Of "Billy," and is both
polite andattentiye to the wants
of his guest. Billy was educa-
ted by the missionaries, and is
a man Of more than ordinary in
telligence.
Arizona City is on the Arizo-
ma side Of the river, at the
mouth Of the ella where it runs
into the Colorado. This place
is acknowledged to be the hot
test in the United States. The
only mode Of conveyance from
this place to Tucson is the
blackboard, a light, two-horse
Ab ggy, which carries the driver,
one passenger, and the U. S.
mail each trip. | engaged a
seat the next day after my ar
rival, leaving my four compan-
ions to follow daily, one at a
time, and Join me at the capi-
tai. At eight O'Clock the next
morning, l left the do6je town
OF Arizona City or Fort Yuma,
with its streets of yellow sand
and its naked Indians, its tdrdn-
tulas, centipedes, blue-tailed
flies, enormous ants, burglars,
desperadoes, murderers, and its
pandemonium heat. The land
on the mesa is a sandy desert,
but near the GiIa it is exceed
inSly fertile, producing fine crops
CT every thing which is put in
the soil. The most beautiful
part Of Lower Arizona is the
PIMA VILLAGE COUNTRY.
Although not as healthy as the
northern portion of the terrific
~, it is better adapted to the
cultivation Of semi-tropical
fruits, on account Of its genial
climate. Indian corn, wheat,
and the finest vegetables can be
raised here. It is also a good
place to raise large hogs and
beautiful squaws. The hogs and
sgUdays are sold to the military
10y the pound, and the pound,
and the owners, the Pima bucks,
net a large sum yearly by this
kind of traffic. The mesquite,
the cottonwood, the willow, the
sage bush and the station keep
ers constitute the principal tim
/ Der, while the cactus, the horned
toad, the black ant, and the APP
ache Indian make up the socie-
ty. There is a large portion of
Lower Arizona, which will ul-
timately be settled. The land
especially upon the Gila is very
rich and easily cultivated; it
has many advantages which
make it desirable place for
the emigrant; the soil is a dark
sandy lOam, alluvial and willnev-
er wear out; plenty of wood on
the river, while the mesa near
the margin affords nutritious
grass for cattle and horses. -
Wherever water can be had in
sufficient quantities for irriga-
ton, even upon the sandy mesa,
enormous crops have been gath
cred. While travelling together
the driver and l kept a good
look out ali the time for Indians.
A sPECK OF WAR.
One day we discovered par
! ty Of horsemen galloping over
the mesa, and making directly
for a low, sandy butte, just a
head Of us, We felt very un-
easy for our safety, and soon
placed ourselves in fighting
trim by re-capping our pistols:
besides these, the driver had a
Henry rifle; we expected to be
fired upon in few minutes
by the barbarous Apaches, but
upon our approach no hostile
/ demonstrations were made
They proved to be a party of
McXicans, who had stolen about
/ TWO hundred head of horses
from California, and were leis-
urely making their way to the
State Of Sonora. Being two
I hundred miles from the scene of
their operations, and no officer
being near, they stood awaiting
our approach to have a talk and
to rest their animals. Upon
driving up, they said, "Buenos
dio cabailerasv' we returned
the compliment, and were on the
point of proceeding, when they
invited us to get out and eat
sandals with them. One of
them came near me apd said,
"Esta Vd. bueno Catolico, Sc