Arizona weekly citizen., 1888-04-28
THE SANTA CATALlNAS.
A True Tale of the Pathfnders.
The Difficulties Encountered, the cht seen aud the Resu ts Accomplished.

A stranger coming from the east and seeing for the first tune the wonderful lains .;hst stretch in miles of territory md days ot travel along either side ot the Southern Pacific railroad, your cor tespondent became possessed Ot rn ln- tense desire to inspect in detail those grand. gloomy and picture que moua- tslps which sbut m these plains like the heavy moalded frame Of picture. To see friends ID Dr. Wsrdwelfs houseboll made Tgcson a tOrtcnste poIni tor oo- fervatiop. Through these friends the ncauaiutGnce of Capt. and Mre. MIlu- more was made. Tho formers admirs- ole system co; bringing lost streams ot
 water to the slrfacs was thorough!
 investigated. and while doing this the writer suggested that he would be glad 70 fellow these streams to their source ID toe mountains. Much Co his sur
 prise Capt. MiltimOre responded ty h.
 reducing him to MsjOr NJyes, i1 com
 nsud Gt Fort Lowell, and tC Lieut.. Murray, who vas to set ont the neXi
 morning. with s troop of cavalry on H
 ,onr through the Cateii8as. These
 ,fficers cordially invited ths slter Co ioIu the troop; Mrs. Milfim0re provided
 he camping outfit and ths captgins
 ,yercoat made hIm at once one of the staff as far as blue and buttons go.
 The calm of the mCuniains, that r.
 those sand foothills, spars-iy covered oy
 vegetation, present to n stranger from
 the east the appearance Of gFEGd gar
 ieDs devoted to the cGoti plant. For
 most is the giant cactus ID its hutod columns twenty or thirty feet in height, surrounding them those of every vs-
 riety many now towering ID beautiful colOrs, with wide spEc $ of clesn sand
 between, sImilatIng well arranged and
 well kept garden. Maldens ID sun hH's
 and gardens with rHkes and hoes were
 looked for ia vain. Passing by these
 gardens and several r8nches hals for
 she night was made by rvulel G' th,
 loot Of ike mountains. The Cgtgi n
 at this point presented the appearance of an iuvulsersble fortress walled 10 t.
 precipltous rocks .hey differ in fact
 from any mountains the writer ty'r
 crossed. for most mountains, thai is out
 side 'le southwestern states lie m Ions
 ranges with w:de piateEus Gt the top
 winch eZ, pt some high pslks, are habi Q
 abe, and may, 70 some extent, b5 culu-
 vhtel
 But t..u mountains surrounding TCc sop, for they gre said Co be alike. aI made up of high, uHrrOw rid ,es shut !.
 hy outer walls uf barre rock. and while
 the outside walls bre desoiate m barren ness :ho inside k fertile and we'll tiu heTrd. Inc resemblance tn au o.d-fasn oHed slone fort of gigantic siZa l. % ticabi- in the few cHn1rs winch op-I cat lu'o the plains like sally sorts vl lI.f
 within tle mountain is m.ie up ui ugT roE divides or ridges and deep Csurn- All She inside Il IDS have 5lssy q D., and bottom of 0 JhTk, rich sCi.. one feel
 If uv magic 1T ID ported Co C1uadn O. the state of Maine. SLcv was foCcd from q few inches tc several feet; track. of lsrlr bear S ere seen ln the snow auC soft ground: deer and mountain sheer are UleutiIul. maBy kinGs Cf birds .r- clIdiuc he humminC bird Ucre uuCer- ous. The gTass appeared Co cc ch!ehy | of t1ss kind called pl1a gTs@-, but tb | soil Is good enough for clover or any rgu,s variety. Among the trees yer. ! noticed the vbite pine, spruce and fr O C5nRda BRlsam Ct the north; tLe yei.oS pr spruce plne, sycamore, poplar. HsVst, l willow. scrub oak and peCui Ir kind Q {, dAr, also 6 fine black w6ina. i1 the | focthIlls.
 The base of the mountains appears to l ,f aavnr-N trrr.Hfa | snsrse, hpd m a state of rous. ant diHin- | tegra.lou. Above this fils sand rock. | little cuartz aud sumo loose rock lk.
 horn blend exists. Iasid, tle rocks on, | x ll covered with ao-l Enl trees o
 b--e and four feet m diameter Q,
 over one hundred m . c gut are qn c l -ol4mon as rnle, the uud5rc-owth hls ! leea destroyed by fires ie.viIg the large ] trees uuhurt und giving n pGrk-.ike E- ! Ject to ihe grand fsfC5's, which cove | be mount Gins except iU ;Es cu,ercbn'u- | The obj \. of the expedition was tU tnC ! 8ni Iosks trails and 10 aCcustom bOtL 1 officers and men tO make their way II | she mountains on foot and with horses l At each camp the men we're allowed {, | huut by themselves. II took ur day 1 % reach toe summit from Fort LOwel ! by the way of Canon Del OrO, ThI. | csiion Gs we'll ss all the others k SO well defended or closed ID hy rocks that 2 | direct entrance is Im mpossible The troop,
 had to climb one ridge after another un- | :il n steep smOth descent brought tt I1ft | ,he Del Gro, which has at it= bottom .
 roaring torrent of water, the ls-sest fON 10 the mountain. Being oD ils north
 side it i. fed b. snow drifts concealed l. | yul0hea and amid trees all the wEy l., ;he top.
 Before reaching this canon the troop csmpsd twice amid the ard and bsrreI
 rocks Cf the foothills where the first | enemy met were rst sle snakes. n wCicl
 ench of our Lieuteusnts distiEguisLec
 he mselves in single cumbats. Ascend | ing the Del Gro alter rainy night or
 be soft banks of its stream amid nun
 erous bear trails, the real adyaJ ce up The mountain organ. The rise is here s, | sradusl that the troopers were allowed ! go ride for several Ei.es. IL was quite | exciting and "cross country rider ni | be east would have hev-r undertaken such s one. Lieut.. Murray, ao mpanir6 | ny his faithful guide and hunter, Ice | NariuC, led the column. Then cFm, ! Lieut.. Dean with Sergeant Eiohai-er | .ui the rest of tbe troop kept in clos. order by the stern voice of Corporal Me | iuliife. while tue writer ID observing | 'hHt the last man must have the besi ,ai n followed ID the TeEr- Alter thIs uelve pack mules io charge of Issar Shaw on a winged mule ( .he wings coz isfed of Issac's M x.cla -purs. several
 uches loag) To see If. Shaw dsshlnR
 bout over the rocks Essisted by "
 Roth and considerable uTofauIty. his
 mule often bel need on his hiud legs only, was interesting. Following the column came Sergegnt Wiimier with the rear guard.
 The Del Gro WIS crossed more than l q hundred times in it's many vindings as the canon sscended higher aud higher | S ba uiilul cataract oi several huudred
 fec in height is situated near the head Of the canon. the column made clstorn a-ound i,. The troopers e dis
 mounted and mounted as occasion re- quired. It began to seem as if an as-
 sault was ordered against some territle
 unseCn enemy for without warning 8
 hla var horse threw his rider gud turn-
 blsd backwards into the stream, where
 hs nearly droEDed before beng rescued.
 From this point the progress wss in-
 tensely exciting, 1t was like the game o'