Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-04
ARID ARIZONA.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE SPARsELf
SETTLED TERRITORY.
Mining aad the Cattle Business-Peaceful
and Progressive Indians-Black-Wal-
mt, Live-Oak, Prickly Pear and
the Maguey Plant
TCh,no Valley Cor Chicago Times !

lChino Valley Cor Chicago Timesl
lam afraid | was somewhat hssty in my
last letter in saying that Arizona is not pro-
crossing as well as could be desired think
moro gold and copper are being taken out
this year than ever before and less silver,
the latter on account OF a strike of the
miners. There is less talk about gold and
gold hunting, a the men who own paying
claims do not care to say much about them,
and are not at all anxious to sell out They
60 plodding along, and whenever they visit
the town bring considerable amounts OF
shining gold with them. Mining is not
dead in this country by great deal, and
there are more houses being built in Prescott
this season than ever before in one year
The cattle business too, is receiving a good
deal Of attention. and many fortunes have
been made in it, though not as large and sat
isfactory ones as will be made in the next
few years. II you say cattle to an eastern
man nowadays he Immediately runs his
hand in his pocket to bring out money if he
has any money to invest There is no lag
ging back in this matter at least. and now
that the Indian troubles are settled in this
territory vast herds are being raised in every
county.
People sleep out of doors here with per
feet impunity-some from choice, others to
overcome the effects of bad whisky have
seen several lying under bushes while. the
sun was shining brightly, and upon inquiry
found they were might herders," or men
employed by the freighters to look after
the mules during the night to prevent their
straying off. The wagons they use for
treighting in this country are immense, and
frequently there are ten spans of mules in
front of Txp,
1rawn along at once, one behind the
other after the manner of railroad train
The wagons behind the first one are called
-hack-action" wagons, and are complete, each
pne having a barrel of water on either side
Loads Of copper from the mines are thus
hauled TO the railroad station, the trains TAX
ing back merchandise from the states. 1t
seems TO me that one of these wagon boxes
will hold as much as a small house. OF
course, freighting in this way is slow, but it
is very sure, and the miners are bound to get
their goods in time, but frequently good
deal OF patience Is required. Everything
costs good price in mining region neces-
'arily, and fruit brings a sum Of money that
eastern farmers could scarcely realize In
The sheltered hooks many of the older set
Tiers are turning their attention to fruit rails
ing, In which they are remarkably success
tul, and raise apples, peaches, grapes, and
melons in considerable quantities
The Ava-Supi Indians come in once in q
while from their secluded homes in a valley
near the Little Colorado river, which is
almost inaccessible. The trail leads down
the sides of mountain which is very steep
and rocky. In this valley the aborigines
have a nice home, where they raise good
crups and remain unmolestei, our troop,
never having found it necessary to beat up
t2eir habitations or war upon them in any
way. These habitations are mostly in deep
canyon Of Cataract creek. which rises in the
Bill Williams mountain. These Indians are
very peaceful; elect their own chief, and
'eem to progress well enough There
is q considerable strip of good farm
ing land along the creek on which they
live, which is cult waited most successfully
by the Supies. They sometimes leave their
secluded retreat for the purpose Of bringing
n dried peaches ami dressed deer-skins,
which they barter for cotton goods and other
'tutfs. Especially do they drive good bar
gains with the Noqui Indians whose pueblo
Is above them in Arizona. Any one who
>upposes for an instant that red man does
aot know how To make a good trade is mis-
taken From early youth they are trained
20 make the most of their worldly goods and
ook out for their own interests. A buckskin
in their hands has a value which a white
man never dreamed of. and it certainly is
astonishing to see how soon they learn the
value of money.
/ neve. have seen such juniper trees be-
fore, and was delighted to find the black
walnut trees here, not such huge trees as We
see in Indiana, but veritable black walnut,
81.
the shell thinner than those of the north
Live-oak trees grow OH the hillsides, and
these too are of the scrub variety. Upon
asking what they We're l was informed that
they were scrub oaks, but they are totally
different from those of Indiana and Illinois.
Pine trees grow here of magnificent pro
portions, and manzanlta bushes abound
everywhere OF course this is the land of the
cactus, and there are many varieties, from
the grand Soarra, or giant cactus, thirty or
forty feet high, to the tiny round balls
with their bright yellow and crimson bios
SONS. Pri key pears grow to enormous
proportions, and some them thrive in the
barren granite lodges, \. lere there does not
appear to be soil enoug. to support a blade
Of grass. How wonderful they all are with
the maguey plant at the head, which ranks
among the most wonderful vegetable pro-
ductions Of the earth, giving us a delightful
ir Ks, pulque) fiery spirit known as
aguadiente, fibre out of which excellent
ropes are made, and pulp which can be
easily manufactured IN paper. This also
is frequently called the century plant, from
a supposition that it only bloomed once in q
century, but this is all a mistake, as it blooms
every 10 or II years
Tucson, which few years ago was poor
Mexican village, has become a respectable
looking city of some 16, 100 inhabitants The
world moves and this territory moves with
it, and potwithstandin the heat in many
portions # it and other drawbacks, will soon
make itself felt in the great body polite.
Our surplus population in the older states
must fni homes. many of which will be in
this arid zone. Metals are as essential to the
happiness of the human family as anything
else, and here, where there is such an
abundance and 50 grear a variety, we may
look for branches of industry which will give
employment to great many men. Miners,
as a class are good men, although the
unions sometimes play the mischief with
them and cause great unhappiness Pros
pectors are out IN the mountains all the
time searching for mines, and a hardy class