The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-09-10
The Yagaries OF Nature in
Arizona.

The following is an extract from private
letter from Mr.. Fred. T. Bickford of Washing
ton, d. c., to his mother, Mrs. Z. T. Bickford,
who resides in Montpelier Mr.. Bickford was
formerly the Washington correspondent Of the
New York Tribune and now has charge of the
Associated Press reports of the United States
senate. He Is at present absent from WASH
ington upon vacation, and is sent into the
western country as reporter for the Smithsonian
expedition. Mr. Bckford is pleasantly known
in Montpelier and vicinity, where his earlier
life was spent. The letter is dated at Fort De-
fiance, Arizona, August 90
81 am making tlnal preparations for my
trip, and with my departure from this point
shall sever all connection with civilization for
some weeks. We practically left the outer
world week ago, going into camp at Fort
Wingate, New Mexico. But there we had
daily mail and could hear and see the cars go
past twice day. Day before yesterday we
left Wingate, arriving here last night We
travelled entirely in the saddle. This is no
longer military post but is the agency of the
Navajoes 1t has but few advantages over a
camp and only communicates with the eastern
world once week, when an Indian is sent to
the nearest station, twenty-five miles south for
the mails. From here my party will be
distinct from all Others | shall have an
assistant, cook, mue'driver and an
Indian guide The train will consist OF
two saddle horses, two saddle mules and
five or six pack mules. ! am to go to the
Canyon du Chiefly, three days march to the
northwest and make an exhaustive report
upon the cliff and cave villages of that region
/ am told it Is one of the most beautiful of can
yons, though pigmy beside the Grand Can
yon Of the Colorado. After finish du Chiefly,
go with the same party to the canyon of the
Chasco and examine the ruins there. Later, If
the season Is not ended / join Colonel Steven
son, my chief, at Zuni, and go with him TO
visit some newly discovered ruins in the San
Francisco Mountains, Arizona, and, still later,
II wehave time, we shall make flying trip into
Old Mexico, possibly as far as the City OF Mex
leo. You see ! have cut out quite summer
jaunt This Is to me the most singular region
In the world. Nature seems to have been
stricken with temporary insanity when she
shaped and colored it. have seen q valley q
thousand feet or 80 across 1t, striped horizon
tally all around like the inside of q teacup in
mating, while vertically 1t was corrugated II
the most singular patterns. No one but o
Chinese artist on porcelain could do the sub
ject justice. have seen a good-szed noun
tain with large hole clear through 1t, disclos
ing the sky and other mountains beyond. hav'
seen pulpits and towers and spires OF every i'm
Rginable shape and size, bluffs with distorted
profles, caves followed by the torrents int
fantastic dwellings for demons, ridges OF law
thrust up in the earth's morning through tis
sures, nodded and cooled and left standing
while the sandstone mountain around 1t wa
eroded and ages since carried TO the bottom o
the sea. / have heard OF (but have not ye
seen) high spiral columns of black lava, oddl!
pictured in the cooling process, which column
were once, in melted state, the contents O
tunnels or craters of active VOLCANOES. Tn
hard lava has resisted the process OF erosion
while the softer mountain has departed
literal removal OF the barrel, leaving only th
bunghole behind. / have shot three big rattle
snakes, 30 far, and yesterday morning when
folded my blankets found young tarantul
hurr "a
picturesque vagabonds. They dress in thi
calico trowsers, with calico shirts outside an
whatever else In the way of rattletrap finer
they can raise. They are the richest tribe
nomads in the world, their wealth consisting G
sheep and horses principally. They make 81
but have no other use for money. They MAX
blankets, which are all the rage In the East Il
rugs. They will wear forever, and will hol
water like wash-tub, 80 firm are they. o