The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-03-10
In and About Arizona.


This is a wonderful and most inter-
esting country, differing greatly from
anything | ever saw before. The gen.
eral features of the country are an ele-
waited table-land, out of which rise up
great mountains three, four, five and
seven thousand feet, the plains between
them extending varying distances, from
ten to two hundred miles. Occasionally
still lower depressions are seen, through
which meander little mountain streams,
usually nearly dry, but sometimes
swollen to torrent No forests or
trees greet the view, though patches of
cactus and the shrub-ike mesquite help
break the monotony of the scene. There
is a cactus everywhere, and of every
variety, from fifty feet high to as small
as ones finger. | have visited some of
the mines in this vicinity. They are
wonderful. The pumps used in clear
ing them of water are some of the largest.
heaviest and most interesting pieces of
machinery have ever seen. They raise
one thousand gallons of water minute
to height of eight hundred feet, Their
transportation to the mines must have
been a serious problem. | can't tell
iiON thSJ SNSl SOl llClC, Dul ltlC tllCN
are at the top of a mountain, fifteen
miles from a railroad station. Some
pecuiarities of the customs and charac-
ter of the people are very noticeable.
Sunday is hardly to be recognized, save
by reference to the calender. The
stores are all open, and business is
generally carried on the same as during
the rest of the week. The openness
and publicity Of what are regarded in
the East as criminal practices are a con-
tinued surprise. Open saloons in the
best streets have games of faro and
poker going on in full view. AT some
tables women are dealing the cards.
Gambling houses are as openly and gen.
orally advertised as dry-goods houses.
A big sign, " Keno,' is just opposite.
On the other hand the good people,
and there are many of them, are among
the best in the world. They are hos
pitable, generous, intelligent and cult
waited. More copies of the Century and
North american RerieU are sold here
than in those cities of similar size else
where with which am acquainted, and
the bookstores have in stock publica-
tons which indicate the highest culture
and literary attainments. | came here
from Solomonville, riding about forty
miles of the way in the typical western
stage. Though small Solomonville is
an important place, being a county
seat. 1t is at the base of the ella Noun
tains, along the summit of which eX-
tends the border of the Apache Indian
reservation. The people thereabouts
are great sufferers from the marauding
excursions of those Indians. They
never fight openly, like the Cheyennes
and other tribes, but creep upon their
victims unawares and always fire from
ambush. The Apache is feared and
hated as mad dog. Residents of the
East know little of the numbers MUIR
dered by them. In that portion of the
territory they amount to at least hun
dred annually. They are killed singly
one at time. Settlements are never
attacked, nor are several men together,
but one man alone, or a sleeping camp,
is the victim. More or less apprehen-
sion is felt at all times. All are con-
stantly watchful, on the alert for dan
ger. AS a protection nearly every man
carries Winchester and a belt full of
cartridges wherever he goes. Court
was in session during my stay. Jurors,
witnesses and others were all armed,
and some were excused from service
upon making oath that their families
were left unprotected by their absence
from home. A short time since I made
an excursion with party of friends to
military camp some fifty miles north
west of Solomonville. The country was
wild, rough and interesting, and the
scenery varied and pleasing. We saw
an abundance of game, principally jack
rabbits and California quail, and bagged
all we wished without appreciate de-
lay. These quails are far more highly
colored and beautiful than the eastern
variety, and have long feather trailing
back from the head. On this excursion
we visited an interesting salt spring.
A stream of hot water, strongly saline,
gushes from the solid rock and flows
rapidly down the mountain side in a
course some three feet wide and two
feet deep. Near the spring The heat of
the water is so great that one cannot bear
his hand in it, and at a distance of
several hundred yards it retains much
of its heat. The rocks about the spring
are thickly covered with a finely
powdered white incrustation of salt,
Just like the finest table salt, and there
is so much of it handful can be
gathered in Ia few moments. The popu-
lation of the district through which we
passed is agricultural and principally
Mormon. The crops are watered by
irrigation. Large canals for conducting
the water from field to field are en-
countered at frequent intervals, and the
smaller water-courses form a network
over the whole face of the county,
l R,Yl.alIe