Arizona weekly citizen., 1882-10-22
ALetter from the Mountains.


 wind sighs in mourntul unsion and
 old Sol has to some extent modIned
 his varmth-giving powers all Of which
 warns us of the nearness of
 the end of the year 1882. Those of us
 who live "in the hills" mike our
 friends in the city, have 10 elections
 and the hurdy-gurdy blare of m eIcit-
 ing political campaign to tell us of the
 near approach of the ides of Novem-
 Der. but instead look upon the fair
 face of Nature for signs of passing ! cycles. The willy but eIniling candidate
 does not visit the sylvan shades of the
 foothills nor the rugged rocks of the
 mountains consequently we rely upon
 our patriotism alone to remind us Of
 the love and devotion we owe to our
 country. And 1t is well.
 In my opinion nature reserves Arlzo-
 mas share of smiles till autumn for this
 IS certainly the most beautiful and en- Ioyable season of the year here. Clear,
 bright days, a genial sunshine, beautl- ful breeZes and sunsets that rival m
 beauty and grandeur the famous Italian
 article, bring health, joy and happiness ]
 sters from the north come here Tn
 autumn and assist nature m mlngllng
 merry spring-time and lonely autumn | III one. What pleasant place would | these beautiful valleys and mountain
 slopes be for those who have exhausted | nature and impaired their health Tn the dust excitement, heat and glitter | of our modern summer resorts. A | NI 4N r.. Nh.a hNN NNaH Tn | autumn would be worth a dozen sum- and would knock dyspepsia and mers at Long Branch or Rye Beach other fashionable ailments higher than
 MT. Gildroy could fly a star-spangled | kite.
 Mining matters are looking up here and I predict that the Kansas camp will before long develop into one of the | liVeliest and best in this part of the | Territory. The BarbOcomsri and Red | Oak and Sonoita Mining Companies
 have forty excellent claims and assays show them to be very rich both in gold
 and silver. They have men here now
 at work and will next week put to work
 large force and develop all their interests as rapidly as possible. Until
 Maj. Simpson and MT. Puterbaugh dis covered rich deposits here, no claims
 had been taken and prospectoIs rarely came into these hills, but now there is
 more life here and prospectors and | good chances" hunters and are com ing in daily. The mines are easy of
 access, convenient to the N. M and A. | K. R. and extend from the head of the | Sonoits into the foot hills of ranges of
 mountains east and south. The best veins are in limestone formations and
 are to be found in low ridges and small | buttes. l understand that a number of | Tucson and eastern capitalists are en- | deavOrIng to secure interests here and | that the erection of a mill near the Limestone Chief mIne this winter Is among the probabilities. The Chief Is only two miles from Sonoita Station on the \. Nj. X A. R. R. and bids far to
 form one of the richest that has ever been discovered in thIs part of the Territory. Rock from the croppings of the ledge assayed S75 In gold Sl3 in silver and gets better deeper down. In the same group are the Dexter. Summit, Smuggler, North Star, Little Dot, Little Nell and Osawatomie all of which show up rich.
 I am informed that some tune this | next month large party of eastern cap- Italists will arrive here with a view of | securing some mines and that 1t is their intention in case they succeed in getting a hold to expend an immense amount of money here. Let them come; there is room for all and in my opinion mil lions of tons of rich ore here that will not be hard to reach.
 The hills hereabOuts are alive with all sorts of game and our larder is at all times plentiiully stocked with the choicest selections. It would paralyze the average editorial dyspeptic or gouty barrister to gaze upon even an ordinary meal in our pleasant little camp and then such appetites as We have after a ramble over hill and valley cannot be imparted by the more conventional ar ticle, "a-ittle-lemon-and-sugar." Deers are plentiful and fat and their sleek belts surround me on all sides. In the foot hills around us there are also plenty of cinnamon and black bear, antelope, turkeys, quails, rabbits, mountain or rock squirrels and in fact the choicest game to be found anywhere. In the col ectlon there are also mountain lions, man-eaters, catsmounts, partners and wild cats. But these animals We do not look for; We havn't lost any especially the animal which the MeXicans call the man-ester. That IS the only name for him that Is known but that is quite sui ficient and suggestive for me and I en- certain as little desire to give him an American name as I do to meet him. The man-eater Is something like the panther and is of the cat species. It has a long body, very short, stubby legs. is yellowish in color, has large and fright fully piercing yellow eyes and is the most muscular wild animal, perhaps, to be found. His claws are as long as mans fingers and are as sharp as needles. Ills teeth are very long and, like hls claws, very sharp and he springs or leaps upon his victim something after the manner of panther, but with much more force and deadly effect. To meet one means fight, without any prelimi- naries and to fight, means, nine times out of ten, a victory for the man-eater. l cherish no desire to meet one. The bears here are also decidedly too belige- rant to be desirable companions and members of our party rarely go ont alone. When they do they generally get up little running match Gust to amuse the bear, of cOurseD and not un- frequently come into camp and wait till next day to go back after the gun and what other sporting apparatus that one has no use for Tn a gO-as- yOu-please, no rule running race. Even the partners are not the most dOcile animal to be found here, and 1 experience no yearning in the catacombs of my bump of domes- ticity to secure one for pet. They, too occasionally, "have some fun with the boys" and can change fellows's gait from the slow and measured tread of the | day labOrer to the tieetness of the wind about as successfully and as quick as most animals. l know whereof I speak 1 l met one the other day, l did not rec ognize him at first and I have since e1- perienced DO desire to have the | acquaintance ripen into intimacy. l was out in the foot hills l looking over some mines; had q small | pick, a canteen of water, some samples l Of rock, several choice and beautiful | plants of the cactus family, dainty lit- | tie bouquet of wild flowers and most | excellent lunch which I soon intended | to devour. I had entered a deep, rocky, l narrow canyon, a wild, weird and TO- | mantle place-a sort of grand and ma !estlc tomb of the silence of centuries and was gazing in silent admiration up- on the solemn grandeur around me, when I espIed far above me, peering in- tently down from & shelf of rock, that | which l thought a deer or cayote or squirrel. l was not positive just which | of these animals it was because the | natural history branch of my education | was abbreviated by the tumult of war between the States. I thought l would | relieve the monotony of silence around | me, and mechanically reaching back to | my cabOose pocket drew forth 22-cali- | bre pistol. There were two loads in 1t, | and l calmly calculated on giving one | to the animal and ressrving the other