The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-07-24
Che ! I, qi,tj:e4:[i qenl,e!r!:s;..
. GIce,7Nos. rs anu ~ Fourteenth Sircci

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AairN, Nos. % and ~ Fourteenth trcct
OUR WHEELING TOURIST s,
MIN Travelling Onward Toward the Net
ting Sun-Further Interesting Notes Of
His observations ON the Way. z.
Special correspondence OF the Intelllgenrer. III
Tucson, ARIZONA, July17-In preccd
Ing letter remarked that New Mexico, tt
all outward appearances, was good 70,
nothing, except to cut up into chrolnos tc
look at. But | suppose Il Is good for some
thing, on the general principle that an All
Wise Providence never made anything In
vain. When one pauscs, and Is persuaded
TINT mosquitoes, ileas and tho like, arc ali
made for specific purpose, you will
promptly admit that all the barren waste
that you sec In passing across New Mexico
and Arizona, Is designcd by nature for some
use TO man. yF5i ~ asg,- pa.
Minerals have already been discovered
IN paying quantities In tho mountain
gorges Of both Territories named. Indeed
Arizona Is now believed to be tho eternal
centre OF tho mineral area OF America,
but the minerals are only found In the
hill country. Then wliat are tho millions
upon millions OF acres Of the level iands
you sec lit for? Nothing lives or grows
upon them, except greaser brush, Spanish
daggers, and m occasional antelope and
coyote wolf. shall content myself by
believing TINT some day, down IN the fl.
ture, though l know not when, those vast
plains will DO pressed by the feet OF the
farmer md artisan. 500 tn
1t Is said TINT before New England, New
Mexico was settled, and that as far back
us 1850, Santa Fe was town OF no mean
proportions. Whether they we've Mexi.
cans or Spaniards no one knows. Perhaps
they were one; perhaps the other; per.
llaps both, or rather some OF both. Who
ever they were, they were miners, and
from that time 10 this they have been dig.
ging In the rocks for precious metals. Some
Of them arc stock rlisers-but very few.
Only now and then do you See, or hear OF
oil u ranch. Some hive gotten rich ut stock
raising, but many more have gotten poor.
! have seen single herds OF ca,,lea and sheep
OF two thousand or more; and nm told
TINT some OF the rich old Mcxiclns have
ranches containing one hundred thousand
cattle or sheep in each. They, however
are extraordinary fellows. They are
"Dons.n That word, or allix, is like Caesar
or Pharaoh. 1t is n title Of wealth or no.
bllity. There are quite number OF the go
called Dons scattered over New Mexico,
But the most Of the Mexicans arc poor,
lazy, and il may be allowed 10 use one
Of Wash. Bnggs' expressive words, II will
add "ornrv." u,
The Government has "posts" or "Forts"
nll around through these mountains. In
passing along, you occasionally sec tele.
graph wire sturt oil across the plains. 1t
goes 10 n fort, and there are from two TO
four companies Of Uncle Sans blue coats
stationed at each post. Their business is to
get killed blythe Indians whenever they get
hungry for blood. The Apache tribe is N
big one, and they hive their left ears paint
cd the most Of the time, and swallow I'D n
company OF our "boys" every now and
again. Instead Of un army OF $4,000 We
should have at least 100, 900; and instead of
navy OF thirty or forty sheet.iron skiiTa,
as We now have, we ought to have several
hundred vessels carryingg guns SO large that
1t would give Mother England the cramps
to read about them, much les to face them.
Without joking, it is well.known fact that
the Indians do about rs they please. About
ten days ago, gang Of the Apaches got
on the war path near STEMS Pass, the line
between New Mexico and Arizona, and
killed oil n lot OF the miners. And SO it
goes all over the Indian country; and SO it
will continue until we have an army large
enough TO keep them in subsection. But
Joe Blackburn and Dan Voorhees,, and that
class Of lawmakers are not willing, so we
must content ourselves with II small army,
and tip our hats to Mr.. Lo when we meet
him, or run il his mouth should water for
our scalps. siz't.i LgF
In crossing from Denning to Tucson
YOU pass through the Sun Simon Valley,
which is about fifty miles wide and several
hundred in length. The mountains on
either side are called the San Simon range
In this entire valley no water is found ex-
cept by digging wells. These wells vary in
depth from 100 10 $50 feet. The fact is,
the valley is desert, or is practically bar
rem. 1t is not all covered with sand, but
u considerable portion Of it is sand The
sand stretches arc called alkali wastes, and
not sprig OF any living substance can be
seen upon them. The water. is brackish,
and is heavily impregnated with soda, and
cannot be used for any purpose whatever.
They arc delightful TO look upon, for away
of in the distance, skirting the waste OF
sand, You can see, rs plainly US YOU ever
saw like in the north, n beautiful blue
expanse Of water. How cooling! how re-
freshing! when all about you IS burning
sand. But you are mistaken; it is not n
lake OF watei You see. 1t is q mirage-a
reflection, q deception. Many poor
traveller over the plains has lost his life in
trying to reach that sea which he thought
he saw, yet could never find. ..l -
None except those who have had exper-
ience in travelling horseback or on foot
across the plains, can form the remotest
iden OF correct distances. Yonder is n
lofty peak called "buttn pronounced
'bute") To a West Fircinian who has
never crossed the plains, lie would say it is
probably three or four miles away; bu, II
'greaser," who knows 10 certainty, will
tell you that it is not less than forty. Our
doctor" Mr.. Jim Moflett, ofparkersbury,
declares that he knows how 10 walk and
what walking is, for he has been broke
and walked home. ah many time, that
lie can't DO fooled in any such way; that he
will never believe that it is forty miles, or
the half, or even the tenth OF forty miles to
that cragsy peak. When the weather gets
cool aud tine walking is good, he means TO
step over 10 it and see for himself. That is,
il he does'not get homesick in the mean.
time, and IN Apache doesn't lift his hair,
both OF which, | take occasion to remark,
are among the possibilities. 7''
The Mexicansso far rs have seen; with
occasional exceptions, all live in adobe
houses, they are commonly called "dobies,"
for short They are built Of sun.dried
brick, one story, and not overten feet high.
They have flat roofs also made OF brick,
plastered over with mortar, sd rs 10 make
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