New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-08
A LAND OF FIRE AND FLOOD,

5oY,p~rytScs AMID prrRIFIED FORESTS AND YAwoT'
ING cANoxs-.REuAINs or THE CLIFF JEWELLERS
trroN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNEI
FLAGSTAFF. Arizona, Sept. 11.-FlagstaH year
ago wa, an uaredeemed inferno; now 1t is for the
most part quiet and of good repute. 1t owes Its
permanently to the timber business. From north
western Arizona down to the southeast into west
ern New Mexico, stretches vast belt of magnificent
pine forest. Here the belt is cut by the railroad
just under the shadow of the San Francisco Mount
aims. The trees are of extraordinary height'
straight and huge their proportions. Between
them there is no uudergrOwth--all is clear and
open. Here and there the openings widen out into
beautiful natural parks, clothed with rich growth
of grass No finer cattle country could be imagined,
save for the lack Of water Water is almost Literally
as precious as gold. Men 90 out prospecting for
springs just as the miner searches for groupings OF
ore. He who secures n spring control thous-
ands Of acres of land. But the springs are few,
often small and not always trustworthy. The little
Antelope spring which supplies the cluster or
cabins bard by, sometimes runs dry. Then water Is
hauled III barrels for miles and sold ike any other
commodity. The saw mill, which turns out hun
bred thousand feet of timber day TO supply
contract OF 100000 feet for tho Mexican Cen
tral Railway, Is ruL by steam power. Yet lot lLlS
II is necessary tn pump the Waier IN pine. .IoII
springs nine miles away. At WnsloW the raliioaQ
company sunk an artcs.an Wei I,'OO IeoC anu
struck salt water, a a'h Ok 'AeS su-N '-'o'-
well which proved q failure
From the line OF New Mexico the railroad runs
for many miles through the barren valley OF the
RIO Purrc0 The river bed is broad, but the stream
itself is only q sCanty uvulc.. YET "neh lA..9
comes one of the sudden, fierce thundeI-Storms
peculiar TO this region the plains are hooded &a IN
an hour the river becomes a raging torrent. nave
this happen again and again. lot u is the rainy
season now; but in few hours the water ulS,
appears, the torrents plunge into under ground
watercourses aud the sands arc parched us before
Ut has been suggested that huge stone tanks be con-
strqcted to hold the water instead OF PERM Jung II
70 flow of AT once. The suggestion seems gNoQ
One. Artesian wells have never obtained much
success in the western country, and the water
problem remains one Of vital Importance.
TIE PETRIFIED FOREST.
II lis BY no means only among the forests that
there are excellent cattle ranges. Near Hol6rook,
town perhaps 100 miles to the east the plains are
covered with black gramma grass and immediately
along the river water easily obtanable by wells
Back from the river there are occasional springs
and natural tanks Some have been taken up by
the MormOns, who have four or five settlements In
this general section. The same mania is prevalent
in this country as elsewhere regarding the cattle
business. Herders have been coming IN contin-
ually near Holbrook during the last few months,
and many more are only kept out by the high price
of cattle Hobrook appears likely to be the largest
cattle point on the line. 1t is of note also as
being the nearest town to the petrlted forest which
Is twenty miles to the north. To reach the forest
tits necessary to secure wagon and driver, camp
ing outfit, and hammers and drills The drive is
long hot and tiresome, across country for the
most part sandy rocky and barren.
The forest at first sight shows only masses of gray
and brown rock half imbrdded in sand. closer
view shows that the rocks are the trunks Of fallen
trees lying about on the desert in strange confusion
Not much to see, you will say, but the hammers
and drills soon put different aspect on the case.
Hidden within these stony coats are clusters OF
crystals some white and sparkling like diamonds,
others green as emerads. and Others OF a rich
purple Some are grouped in the hollDws of geOdcs.
You ceave a mass of dirty gray stone asuuder, and
the light is reflected in hundred prismatiC hues.
Elsewhere the bexaz Onal cysals ranged IN solid
ranks running with the grain. o.. daintily marked
Ants and agates there is an abundance, and of
garnets as well, which are sngularly largo and
perfect and commend themselves to the dlocum-
mating miuerdlO-.st. California oilers 10 the
botanIst field uneLccllcd IL variety OF flora, bat
for the Grologlst. / suppose, no section OF the
country presents ncher material than Arizona
Professor Thompson, who Is in charge OF the
United states Geological Survey, now al work upon
map Of this Territory, tells me that IN riding ten
miles near Zunl, one passes from the CTeiaceols
age 10 the Granite period with all the successive
formations plainly visible. IL u often much the
same III the CanOus. West of HoiOl0Ok tue Tdh-
road crosses the Canon DiablO cXJTaOr. mary
phenomenon with enou b Of the internal about 1t
20 give the name q relish. You travel for miles
along perfectly level plain which suddenly sinks
while under your feet yaWuS a Cla,m 300 feet deep.
On che other side the Level plain continues. There
is simply a great cash IN the plain running for
scores of miles north and south. On the sides The
different strata be clearly traced To the irrev
eIent mind Arizona suggests a monkey and
parrot" experience in ITS pasr. country so water
worn ana ire eaten 50 qpaeayed cCnTllsed rent GRd
night 10 long and peaceful holiday.
AMONG THE CANYONS.
The generosity with which stones arc scattered IN
thls land renders travelling on blackboard
effective means Of peuance, aud riding on horse.
back source of fearful uncertainty. / can speak
with feeling for | have lately made two eXcur-
sions One was to Oak Creek Canon, twenty miles
south of the town. The pine forest extended all
the way and far beyond but pines are not water
proof, as | was forced to find each Of the three
nights that we canped the trail. But the
canon was a wonderful sight. We came to it on its
lower wall, and rs we broke through the trees We
cav rising over against us a mighty elf Of rod and
yellow sandstone aud Limestone followed out into
caves, chiselled INTO towers and battlomentS and
stretching straight upward to height Of 900
feet crested with great pines that from the bottom
look ike blades Of grass. 1t was perhaps
thousand feet that we climbed down side,
and at the bottom among shrubbery and trees we
found clear, cold mountain stream flowing
down the narrow valley between the canon walls.
And here, too, down in this far-Oh assure In the
Aa1bs rust we found the inevitable SquatteT raising
his beans and onions and waiting to 500 whether the
survey would give his land TO the railroad or tie
Government. The stream abounded IN fearless.
Canv trout black-spotted fat and tOOthsome, TO be
weighed by pounds, not ounces as in the East, and
we speedily secured strings that would hold their
own even az Fulton Market on April l. There wero
some slight attendant diScOmfort5 such as rattle
snakes and taIantuias. but happily neither VIII go
out OF ITS way to bite and no one was inclined to
nffpId them any encouragement. But we paid dearly
for our fishing in the climb no the prec canon
wall IN the binding glare of pItliess sun.
RELICS or THE CAYE-DwELLERs.
NV other trip was to some recently discovered
mir of the clff-dwellers the mountains north
ftbis town. There was much attendant antelope