Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-07-28
ARIZONA ODDITIES.
Rambling Notes on Mountains, Mines and
Indians
F. G. DE FoNTAINE.
Especial Correspondence. !


Indians
Especial Correspondence
PHOENIX, A T., July 20-When Columbus
made the egg stand on end, no doubt several
Of the spectators at once said: "Why, any
BODY could do that And now that we are
opening rich mines IN Arizona and rapidly
Increasing our output of silver bullion, all
the new comers wonder why it was not done
before. Wild Indians and want of trans
portation account for tho delay; for it has
been known for over a century that the
region was rich in minerals Indeed, any ex-
pert IN mining can see that this Is mining
country; for the exposed rocks show It, In
the deep cuts one may see granite, slate and
auartzite, and all the schistose and meta
morphic rocks which indicate the vicinity,
or at least the strong probability, of the pre-
cious metals. But there are many very sud
den changes in the rock OF this territory.
Nearly all the high plain in the northern
part-6.0O0 or 1900 feet above the sea and
800 miles from east to VESTS in sand
stone formation, and so there is nothing better
to be hoped for than thin seams Of coal and
iron.
The big Colorado, however, cuts 80 deep
that you can find all the rocks In its walls;
and have been at one place on that river
where the southeast wall showed from top
to bottom these changes-soft limestone,
dark sandstone, red sandstone, gypsum, very
hard limestone and then sort Of Witty
gray grit and under it crystallized rock and
granite, You can go up a canyon or along
benches and end all these rocks, and the en-
gineers say that the south wall of ihe big
canyon there is over mile straight up and
down. The San Francisco peak is II 600
feet above the sea, and all the mountains
south of that have precious minerals-gold
and silver, as well as copper and lead. You
come down hill very fast in this direction
from San Francisco; but Prescott is still
over a mile above the sea, and we come
down hill still faster from there to this
riyer-the Gila. South of here the country
rises again, and there are the rich mines
which have attracted most attention. 1t is
very hot country ip the low plains and not
at all cool on the plateaas in the day time;
but the nights getvsry cold. have known the
mercury to vary 40 degs from noon 70 mid
night for many days together in June and
July. Hot days and cold nights turn a man
brown very fast, and | don't think one Of
average health would ever get fat in this
country. iuutcu, L thiAiA tuc SiiiitaSS nslS q
tendency to make fellow lean and lathy
like the wild Indians
always had great curiosity about the
Indians, and in 1872 made a long trip across
the Navajo country, and spent many weeks
idling among that people and the Zunis and
Moquis. But you cannot tell much about
Indians from what they say now So many
travellers and missionaries have been among
them, and they have heard so much about
what white people expect them TO say, that
they manufacture it TO suit the market. You
have to get an old and mighty honest Indian
Jas Indians gol if you get their real judgment
about such things as heavSn and hell, a Gre
ator and hereafter. ha,o heard and read
a great deal about deep religious instinct
among the Indians; but those who found it
had better luck than l ever did. I have
seen all the tribes from Winnipeg to Chi
huahua, and ! never saw an Indian pray.
And as far as people have told me who did
see it and hear their prayers, they only
prayed when they wanted something very
bad-game or fish or vengeance. As near as
l can make out, they have an idea that it is
very rude and i'll hammered to bother their
gods unless there is an extreme necessity for
it; and am told by those who understand
the language that they generally wind up q
prayer with solemn promise that il their
god viii help them out this time they will
not ask him again for ever so longl Ny
guess would be thst the Indians are mostly
fatalists MS