The Phoenix herald., 1879-07-30
ARIZONA TERRITORY.
The Early History of This
 Country.
President LiacoIn's First Ap-
 pointments.
Facts and Figures Worth
 Knowing.

The tract of land purchased from
 the Mexican government by Mir
 Gadsden, under the treaty of De cembsr 30, 1853, and originally called Arizona, formed part Of Sonora It was 400 miles in length, about 130 in width, and contained 10000 square miles, or nearly 26, 900. 900 acres. The present Territory of Arizona en- braces all that purchase, except what lies to the east of the 109 degree of longitude. and also 6 portion of northwestern New Mexico sufficient to constitute q section of country of 120, ,912 square miles or Y, 383.6S0 acres.
 Until the last session of the 37th Congress, Arizona was embraced with in and under the laws of New Mex ico, although many efforts had been made for a separate organization. Senator Gwin, of California offered a bill in the Senate, on the 1uh of December, 1857, making a separate organization but it was defeated. On the 3d of April. 1860. Senator Green of Wisconsin made several efforts to secure what MT. Gwin failed to get, and his bill was also defeated.
 Again during the Seth Congress, energetic efforts were made. and at the second session of the 37 Congress, sth of May, 1862, the organic act un- der which the organization has been perfected, was passed by the house of Representatives. At the third session of that congress, the Senate, on the 20 of February 1883, passed the act and it received the approval of President Lincoln a few days after.
 Ir March, 1863, the President made the following appointments of officers for the Territory, as pro yi,ied for in the act, namely: Cover nor, John A. Gurley.o of Ohio; Secre- tary, Richard c. Mccormick of New York; Chief Justice, John H. Good win of Maine; Associate Justices, Wm. T. Howell of Michigan, and Jos. P Allyn of Connecticut; Dis trict Attorney, John Titus of Penn- sylvania, Marshal, Milton B. Duff field of California; Superintendent Iadian affairs, Chas- D. Poston of Kentucky. These appointments were all confirmed by the Senate in extra session.
 TWO FACTS GENERALLY UNKNOWN.
 It is generally understood that Prescott was the first Capital of Ari zona. Technically and really this is not so. In fact, the government of the Territory was formally inaug- lrated at Navajo Springs, 40 miles west of Zuni, on the 29th day of l December, 1863, and here it was that Goodwin (who had been made Gov srnor on the death of Gurley) issued l lis proclamation Mccormick made | ! speech, and hoisted the stars and stripes; Rev. H. ". Read made prayer; salute of fifteen guns was | fred from two aEvils, and the crowd ung the Battle Cry of Freedom" Subsequently,, the seat of government vas erected at, or near, what is now Prescott.
 Another fact not generally known s that the Prescott Miner is some months older than the town itself, iaving been established at the first ite or Fort Whipple. 23 miles north 'i Prescott, and again the old office 1 the Hiner was the first building rected in Prescott. And ; still again he Miner put up the first brick in the Territory. These re pleasant "reminiscences.
 THE TOPOGRAPHY OF ARIZONA
 It is estimated by those with whom have conversed, and who, from ob- crvation and so forth, know what hey are talking about, that three fths of theTerritory is composed of one fifth sandy sterile eserts, and one fifth of arable lands. his is a pretty fair estimate, though the latter is being increas- I through systems of irrigation; be- ides at least one-tenth of the noun ain ranges are good pastoral lands nd more than one-tenth are well i'm bered. The metaliferous region nay be summed up as containing early 16.000 square miles or 1e, 160,- % acres. This large area contains very description of metals known 3 exist among primitive rocks, and n such abundance, at least so far as urface indications go, as to be be- ond comprehension.
 THE MINERAL RESOURCES.
 The mineral resources of Arizona re simply wonderful. From one nd of the Territory to the other it's fountains contain either gold, silver T copper Almost every elevation Tithin it's boundaries is spangled Tith cr7ppings of precious metals, ,very liver in Arizona meanders