The Elk Mountain pilot., 1881-04-21
new MEXICO AND ARIZONA.
A Pin Tx isa Cd. Bf,insd to u
Illinois Audience


Col Wesley Brainerd, of Evanston
ILL.,, who is himself a practical engl-
neer, miner and metallurgist, and who
has been spending some time in the
mining regions Of the Rocky Noun.
tains and more recently in tour 0!
observation in Arizona, Sonora and
New Mexico, spying oct the land,
read a very elaborate and intereslirs
paper before the Evanston Philosoph-
ical Association on Monday evening,
On "Our Gold and Silver Mining In
dustiy" We make room fer its clos
ing part, as follows:
So much is now being said and pub
llshed about the new Cor rather old,
mining sections Of New Mexico, Ari-
zona and Sonora, that l deemh my
duty to say a few words regarding
them 1t Is evident that the boom is
now in that direction The compile
ton of the Santa Fe to its connec. ton
the Southern Pacific, together with
the several raids on the mining camps
by newspaper men, followed by out
rageously incorrect and exaggerated
letters, is having the usull effect.
Thousands Of men, with and without
means, are rushing loto that country,
to meet with disappointment and loss.
haye yet to learn of anything in
the way OF mines in New Mexico that
justifles any unusual interest or excite
ment. One thing IS certain, the rough
elements of the Two civilizations will
be there, and fer number of years to
come that Will be-b.oody ground.
FEW WORDS ABOUT SONORA.
The American people have about as
comprehensive a Knowledge OF the in.
terror OF Africa as they have Of this
state of Sonora in Mexico. ] went
into that country last year, via the
Southern Pacific road from San Fran
cisco, through Los Angeles and Fort
Yuma 10 Tucson, Arizona, theace by
private conveyance. The distance
from Chicago to Tucson by this route
is $500 miles. and though it is now
very materially Iessened by the South
ern Pacific with the Santa Fe railroad,
it is still lar enough away to entioe
that class of people who have an ;1ea
that the value of nine increases in
direct proportion to ITS distance from
civilization. The principal features
of this country are similar to those OF
Southern Arizona tracts ofsapdy
desert-great scarcity of watef-nu-
merous small ranges OF mountains des-
titute Of timber ard wu.er-a clinlat te
SO ens1vat,ng dcrllg the greater por-
ton of tbs year that white man can
not, aod the natives will not work-a
scattered population composed of
Yackee Indians and Greasers, in a
semi-barbarous coadition-the neces-
ssries O. life (for white many hardly
attainable at any price. The proper
ton CT cultivated land compared to
the deserts would SHOW about as much
as one small po.stoe in ten acre
field. Society, such as it is, in a
chronic STATE Of revolution, q hap
pened there during one Of their revo-
lutions, but no one knew what all the
fuss was about), and mines not up to
tine average Of Colorado or any othe,
of our mining sections. The only
timber that the country produces is
the mesquite, tree about the size Of
our cherry tree, which bears bean
on which the people live principally.
This and the cactus-with here and
there, when little water can be OBJ
ta:ned, few pomegranates, figs and
palm tree+iour,sh. There is not a
tree OF brush in the country but has
its thorn or rock that does not conceal
some deadly insect or reptile. The
chief productions Of the country are
poverty, ignorance. Incidence, super
stit;on and tfeachery. 1t IS the natural
home Of the lizard, scorpion, tarsn.u-
la and rattle snake. The people live
chiefly on tortile " tostea," -four and
wafer. mesnnife he1nc eH;rn,nld mill