National Republican., 1880-08-23

| WIN ueie anu lUefrf DfOmlhCuOusiy bhfOWu
in, the barren, rocky scenes YOU have in the
| Potomac at the Great Falls, without tho trees
or water, would you call it an inviting coun-
try2 Some Of the mountain scenery down
through Lower California is interesting, aud
the windiugs Of the railroad show that much
engineering skill was required to lay n con-
tuuou5 track from oakland to Los Angeles.
At one point tho road completely eucirclcs a
peak, crossing itself on high grade over the
| tunnel whore it first struck the peak. Many
tunnels had to be made to build this road and
! II zig2ngs its way through the mountains I'LL
IL reaches the open plain somo miles before
| reaching Los Angeles called the city OF The
| angels by The Spanish priests who named IL.
! But tho angels have not been seen there in
modern times, nor since the angelic hosts of
| Rome, in the forms of Spanish priests, have
anything like angels been known in those
parts. There is a narrow strip Of country
there through which stream flows sufficient
for the purposes Of irrigation. In this valley
almost any kind OF vegetation can be
produced by reason Of the oquablo eli.
mate that. is pecuiiarty of that
section. On leaving Los Angeles the rail-
road runs out into and through the Colorado
desert, down 2J6 feet below the level Of the
sea. This desert is in California, and not in
Arizona, Us many in the cast imagine. | mon-
tion this fact because this territory has desert
enough of her own without being charged
with what is outside Of her borders. This
Colorado desert might be flooded with the
Colorado river or the sea gh5 be let in upon
II; expect it would swallow up The river and
IL would take good draft of salt water TO III
it. 1t was just slightly warm and a little
dusty going through the Colorado desert, but
when we reached Yuma tho thermometer
was only at 1i7o, and This, OF course, was re.
lrcshug, This town is noted as being mill.
taly post and as being the seat Of the tori.
torial prison. The Indians wear the cheapest
kinds Of costumes in this country There
were plenty Of them at Yuma dressed in uoth-
ing but breech-clout and streamcr, sus.
pended rag behind, useful when sitting to pull
up between the legs as sort Of apron. This
was primatyo costume, it appeared
TO me, but even then they wear more
clothing than the climate warranted. IL
WAS nothing but thoir eXtravagant habits
that led them to indulge in this vain APP
petite for dress. Nothing but u little mud,
cool from the riverside, lIastcrcd on the
head, is needed to make ones toilet at
Yuma. We brsakla5ted at this delightful
riverside town, aud 1t was so cool aud pleas
ant after coming up out of tho great Col
orado desert, which is in Calilornia-peaso
don't forget that IL is in Callornia-that We
, thought it would bo fine place to visit
durlnB the summer, place where one could
keep so warm and comfortable, tho thermom-
eter rarely over marking more incorporate
degree at midnight than llOo in tho shade
think IL ls something more than two hun
dred miles from Yuma tO Casa Graudo, and
this was a ride in Arizona. Sago-bush, grease.
wood, cactus aud dust were the principal pro-
duCtiOns, 50 far as we noticed along the line of
, this Southern Pacific railroad. There were a,
+ few rocky peaks and bald mountains to be
9 seen, and wo were the recipients of an oCca-
sOnal zephyr and tho warmth Of an un-
cIouded sun. Further than this there was
5 nothing specially enjoyable in tho ride from
70 Yuma I'LL we took stage at Casa GIande for
9 Florence.
t At four o'clock in the morning we were set
= down ut place called hotel In this delightful
, littlo mud town. Such looking objects were
t never seen crawling out of u public convey
: ance anywhere east. Fine alkali dust had COW
I cred us, the coach and horses as though role
! in an ash-heap. The moon was shining aud it
was clear night, but the dust that clouded
, our way seemed to make the night hdcous.
a The road was cut into ruts and the dust was
a over telly-deep much of the way, which was
+ whirlCd into tho air over and into the coach,
C till we nearly smOthered with it. This is the
= glory of an Arizona stage ride. Florence is a
J small town OF about 500 people, n county-seat,
l q signal-statiOn, q depot for freight teams and
is where the United States land Office is located.
!. l suppose there are about eight or ten full
| boodcd American families here, the rest being
= a mixture of American, Mexican Indian and
y Spanish. 70 our great disappointment, upon
4 our arrival wo found no river here aud no wa.
II ter running through tho streets, us had been
y pictured to us in the books Nearly ever sum.
i mer the Gila river sinks, what Is left of
l. it, in the ground about twelve miles above here,
$, aud reappcars about twelve miles below, leav-
l, ing this place rs dry as IL desert, Everything
), in tho shape of vegetation then begins TO
burn up and tho dust is fearful. The
10 trees planted by the roadways lose the most
n of their foliage and many OF them die The
II ella valley is rich aud would produce
c abundance of everything if tho water kept
ntyin mn hp oh is nnt,
h siderable freighting through to Silver King
o mine, also to the mines ut Globe City, but
& aside from this it is dull, dead town, and So
II cety very thin. There is no church here,
v and Sunday is like any other day. Schools
Il are kept open eight or nine months Of the year,
y and an itnerant preacher comes occasionally
IS to preach to an audience of about a dozen.
L Saloons do Tho best business OF any of the in
II stitutiOns in the place. At court time they
), are lively aud the town is full of ranchmen
IS aud miners. Politics are waking up in the
il territory, and party lines are being drawn as
8. never before. The democrats have commenced
o the campaign with man who went to Rich
!. mond during the war to carry Arizona into
d tho rebellion as their candidate for congress
it The republicans are organizing, and, from all
| learn, are in the majority in the territory.
d Two meetings have been held in this place ioI
g organizing the party here, Mr. C. NJ. Is
20 Paulison register of the land Office, presiding
d at both meetings, The register is Il man from
is New Jersey, and claims to be skilled in all thC
1t tactics requisite to lively campaign.
ID The mining interests aredevoloping largely
ID but the want of facilities for getting machinery
ID and other materials to the mines makes the
II work 90 slowly. Silver King mine, thirty
10 miles above here, is turning out almost solid
c. silver if the statements of parties here who
y have visited it are true. Loads Of bullion and
n. rich ore go through here every day
10 and stacks of machinery are going ia
* this mine The work at Globe city aud
'e down at Tombstone is increasing all the time
ie and no doubt three or four.yoars' time will
p show the world the heaviest mining develop
t. mcnts of the country to be in this arid, desert
II territory of Arizona. "Uncle Sans farm"
o covers u considerable patch OF North America
n / flnd and it is all irst-rate to travel over and
o. SEQ how much that is good and how much bad
y for restless yankees to pick nom; but to those
10 who have comfortable homes | would say
T. stick to them before changing them for un
cortainties. To capitalists, adventures and
ie those who would like little, or rather Il con-
IL siderable, rough life here is tho place fol
10 them. For tho information OF my Washington
;" friends and in behalf OF all who have thought
l. upon Arizona, | will try to give you an occa
J. sional letter as her acquaintance with The
. country affords mo material interesting OF
valuable to your readers.