Arizona weekly miner., 1875-05-28
4 TRIP INTO THE COUNTRY.


 Tn this article we propose merely to giv
 an outline of the country over which we, il
 company with Frank Murray, in one of Brook
 & Lynn's best buggies drawn by those ia
 vorite roadsters |" the grays" travelled ol
 Sunday last between Prescott and Big Bug
 asv ve shall have something more definite t,
 say of each of the more prominent points ol
 the route in separate items.
 Leaving Prescott about nine A. M., on Sat
 urday, our route lay in an easterly direction
 over an undulating country covered with
 carpet ofgreen grass figured here and ther,
 with red, white, yellow and blue flowers anc
 tufted with bvnches of chapparel. Aftel
 passing Fort Whipple short distance tht
 junction of our road with that leading tc
 Chino Valley was reached, where we contin
 ued on to the eastward in a, to us, terre incoq
 nitio, passing slaughter house flat and the
 Salvador or Bul Whacker mine, neither of
 which we found time to examine The road
 was in splendid condition and the horses in fine spirit, 50 that we were soon on the down grade approaching Lynx Creek at place known as the Virgin Mary's just beyond which is the celebrated - mine which Lieut.. Thomas and others discovered while constructing the grade over the hill and which that gallant officer facetiously plead as an excuse for not making speech at Genl. Crooks farewell reception, avowing his ina bility to leave the country on account of his interest therein, and that as he was going to stay, there was no occasion to make a speech. This mine has yielded some rich specimens, but has not been developed sufficiently to say whether it is really valuable or not.
 A short distance below this crossing are aAid to be some valuable hydraulic claims but they lay off the road and were not vis- ted. A ditch taken out above crosses the road short distance this side the Virgins house, and the later rains have washed the banks away SO as to render the bridge across 1t unsafe for horses which are liable to step through holes and break their legs. It should be repaired at once
 Between Lynx Creek and Spaulding's sta ton on the Agua Fria the country is more open, the hills still gently sloping with an occasional flat with rank growth of vege- tation where in ordinarily favorable seasons, no doubt with proper cultivation, very good crops could be raised. The drive to Spaul- ding's occupied about two hours, weather lovely and our enjoyment complete.
 There we remained some two hours, had 1uuch and drova do-n to th. Uo-o-. o, Agua Fria ranch owned and managed by Mir. | Nathan Bowers.
 The valley of the Agua Fria, from Spaul- dng's to Bowers, inclusive, as we saw it clothed in its early summer robe of green and gold and backed by the Verde range is as beantifuls landscape perhaps as can be found on the continent.
 Leaving Bowers ranch we bore away to the southwest, leaving tine valley just above where the hills come in and close it up, and the stream drops off into canon. Our route pointed in the direction of the old Tioonder- oga mill and mine for two miles when we drew rein at what in olden times might have been mistaken for an old fashioned horse mill but we were not long in guessing that it was really the smelting works of the famous Sil- yer Belt Mining Co. and although not bound was heard nor human being in sight NC determined to camp and await further de- Telopment, and if it was really abandoned, thought some ofrelocating and setting up on 'ur own hook. Dan Thorne in miners garb 'oon made his appearance and explained that 'he men were all at dinner some half mile way at spring. Frank took walk to the amp while we examined the mine and works md on his return reported the distance to ave stretched to . mile and and half.
 We returned to Spauldng's, where we re- q aained over night and in the morning started s ut for days exploration, and having met r he Misses Kitty and Belle Hitchcock at Mir. n 'owen' the day before, and accepted an in T itstion from them to visit their father and T 'other, examine the mines and admire the n cenery of the Big Bug, we turned our hors- ? heads in that direction and after mod G Fate drive of an hour from Bowers' found " 'rselves approaching their residence, having n fiven over an uneven, though not very rough Il 'ad of some seven miles in length. As we S 'all have something to say of this place A, sreafter, we will not attempt description W ere, but merely pass on to much more V, ugh and rugged rosd above the house and Ill for distance of mile and half to the ei abslla mine which was the end of our four ol y, from whence we returned by the same ute already described halting at Hitch co cks, Bowers' and Spaulding's, accepting te vitations to eat everywhere and doing full H 'tics to whatever privilege such invitation co y imply. The fact is the town may be 're lavish of strong drink but for rich but tau milk and good eating generally commend be to the Agua Fria and Big Bug.
 Sunset on Sunday found us at home again reshcd and invigorated by two days ar' oymeat of the Inequalities of Arizona to lnery life. up When completed, the tunnel under the sA' deon river between New York and Jersey aa