The Arizona sentinel., 1877-08-11
Central Arizona.
Letter to the s. F. PoSt.l


 Writers have for many years vainly tried to describe the joyful emotions that the weary traveller experiences on reaching an oasis on the great sandy desert of Africa, after many days and miles of dusty, dreary travel, and now feel that it is impossible to fully portray such emotions after cross ing our own great Americ tn desert that lies in Southern California and at last reaching this little oasis on the Gila river called Florence.
 GRIM COLUMNS OF CACTUS
 Greet the eye continuously, varied occa- casionally with Mesquit trees and chap peral along the river banks, and although these cactus columns and other strange splants would be highly interesting and Aorramental in Central Park or Woodward's Gardens, they become terribly monotonouS when viewed for several days from stage coach window through clouds of dust. The Southern Overland Stage Company's coach | es are of the old Concord pattern, and are large. roomy and comfortable, with either four or six horses, making over l00 miles every twenty-four hours. Arriving within 1 twelve miles of Florence the traveller begins to see signs of more advanced civilization in the shape of land, rich, waving crops oi barley, wheat and other cereals, groves of cottonwood lining the road, fields and river banks; fruit trees loaded with tropical and northern fruits, gardens etc., greet the eye and gladden. the heart Florence is a thriv- ing little town located on the south bank of the Gila river, 237 miles east of Yuma, and is the initial point for some of the most important mining districts of
 CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ARIZONA.
 The Pioneer and new Pine Grove or Ran dolph districts are only thirty miles distant, and the Globe district distant seventy miles by trail and 120 miles by wagon roa1. PhG- nix and Salt River valley, and the new gold district recently discovered on Cave creek, north of Phoenix, are also in close prOXlm- ity to Florence, thus rendering it. .geOgraph- ically, an important mining center. It Is at present, no doubt, the liveliest town in Arizona. Every stage brings in load of strangers-miners, merchants, speculators, and last, but not least the inevitable, ire pressible newspaper correspondent, from | l of Florence contains about 150O inhabitants about evenly divided between Americans, Mexicans and Spaniards; and vet retains all the evidence of its Mexican origin. The streets are laid out wide and straight, shaded on each side by row of fine Cottonwood trees, and at their roots, along each side walk a babbling stream of running water, thus reminding us of Salt Lake City in its general appearance Numerous buildings mostly built of adobe brick, are now being erected, and the streets present lively and thriving appearance. Two hotels are in the full tide of success, the Elliott and the Florence. It is the county seat of Final county. and has good accommodations for the officials and the courts. Its county clerk boasts the finest and most complete records of any county in Arizona. A good and well arranged pOstOffice is convenient ly located on the main street, which is also used for the stage office and the express office of Wells, Fargo & Co.,, who have re- gently established agencies at every impOr. 4ant point in the Territory. The buildings are all built of abobe, as lumber is very high and has to be hauled all the way from Prescott, distance of nearly POO miles Like all other southern frontier villages the buildings are only one story high, gen erally having w.de porch or veranCal surrounding them. Nearly every branch of industry is now represented in Florence except the printing press. Yuma, Tucson k~dnd Prescott boast of their sprightly and 4 enterp,ising newspapers, which are eagerly read Tn every miners cabin in Arizona. Ye1 Florence has no paper to spread before it. neighbGrs either the beauties of its location the enterprise of its merchants, or the wealth of its surrounding mining region IL would certainly be paying enterprise to publish here q lively and wide awake semi-weekiy newspaper.
 Lying directly in the path of the ap proachi. g Southern Pacific railroad, whicf will no doubt reach within 100 miles of here this coming winter. and with the near proN unity of the rich silver mines of the Pioneer Pine Grove and Globe districts, the ricl and well cultivated agricultural lands tha surround it. its flour mills lis water privi - lege and good climate and central location the future prospects of Florence are indeed promising. Good stage roads lead iron Florence to Prescott, Phoenix and Ehren berg on the north, Tucson on the south Yuma on the west, and the mining districts on the northeast. The climate of SOutherl Arizona is very warm, yet ill the vicinity 0 Florence it is not as warm as Tucson C
 Yuma, or as warm as Southern California its altitude bein / about 50O feet. The rain. season usually commences aDoul the Hliu de of July and lasts about two months with shower nearly every afternoon, whici is duly appreciated. In the mountains ant mining districts the hot air ij rendere' endurable by breeze nearly every day,an' cool anu pleasant evenings and nights ena
 be us to lose in refreshing sleep all recol lections of the hot day preceding.
 THE MINERAL WEALTH OF ARIZONA
 Does not lie many particular portion o
 the Territory, but is scattered all over it il
 almost every mountain range, from tn
 Sierras of Nevada and Utah to the SOnOr
 line. But as it is not my intention to nov
 attempt a general description of Arizona
 l will confine myself to a description of tll
 Pioneer and new Pine Grove, or Rand lp.
 districts, near Florence, where have spen
 the last six weeks endeavOri.g to form
 correct o-linion, so that might convey t
 others an intelligent description of one (
 the richest silver mining regions in tn
 world. I feel that l am not sufficient
 posted to do justice to the subject eve
 now. The Pioneer district lies thirty mile
 northeast of Florence, on the western slOp
 of the Pinal mountain range, and extend
 along the range toward the Gila fully te
 miles A good stage road runs to the cente
 of the district, and a tri-weekly mail scrvic
 is already established with pOstOtiices g