Arizona weekly enterprise., 1889-08-31
A Wonderful and Interesting Place.

Natural Bridge, on Pine creek, in the northern part of Gila county, is one of the greatest natural curiosities in the United States, equaling if not surpassing the Natural Bridge of Vir ginia. It spans the creek at height of about 200 feet, and the walls of the canyon rise above it on either side | 700 or 800 feet, and on one side form a perpendicular precipice. The bridge is of lime formation, and the inside of the great arch, which is some 250 feet | across, is worn by the water as smooth | as though chiseled by the skilliul l hand of a stone mason. The arch on top is nearly if not quite 400 feet in width, 1000 feet in length across the canyon, and at the thinnest part only six feet through. About the center of the arch is hole large enough to
 admit the body of a man, and through
 which one can look down into the
 crystal pool of water 200 feet below.
 The dyke which forms the bri !ge
 extends in a sweeping curve up the
 right side of the stream and together
 with the bridge proper affords sur
 face area of about one hundred acres
 of fertile land, which Mr. David Gowan
 has converted into fine farm. He
 has considerable acreage under cul
 tivation, and is gradually clearing the
 best portions of the land yet available.
 He already has small bearing orch
 ard of choice fruits, vineyard, alfalfa
 patch, field of corn, and kitchen gar
 den. Tobacco thrives wonderfully
 well and two crops year are raised.
 MT. Gowan raises only tobacco enough for his own use and to supply his neighbors. A magnificent spring is- ues from the right side of the canyon, at height to admit of the water be
 ing easily conducted to any portion of
 the farm, and the volume is great
 enough to fill ditch four feet wide } and two feet deep, and to irrigate 3 much more land than is available fo1 3 cultivation.
 ) The climate at the Bridge is exceed 9 ingly equable, being warmer in sum l mer and much milder in winter than s that of the surrounding country, and
 to this fact is ascribed the wonderful,
 variety of vegetable growth-number 9 ing some two hundred and fifty species f of trees, shrubs, vines and plants. Mir t Gowan found growing there a tree diff t fering from any he had ever seen, ant s no one who visited the place coult e tell its name. Mr. Gowan finally sen !, few twigs to the Smithsonian Insti y tute at Washington, and in due tim tt was informed that 1t was variety 0 L cypress known to grow only in Greece ?, The vicinity abounds in numerou e fossils and shells, and wherever moist e ure percolates through the calcareou ], rock beautiful stalactites are formed = Underneath the bridge are numerou
 caves and caverns, some Of which hay
 never been explored, and which ar
 lined with these opaque cones resenl y bling huge circles.
 of The Natural Bridge has become e. popular summer resort, especially wit tt the people of Phenix, and Mir. E. H Y, Cook tells us that at the time of hi Id recent visit to the Bridge there wer le some twenty-five persons campe g. there. There are no accommodation lg for visitors at present and the plac h. is accessible only by trail windin n- down the side of the canyon and yer le steep in places.
 e. Should the Central Arizona railroa " be extended south over the route prC pc posed, it will bring Natural Bride ed into prominence as one of the wol le ders of the southwest, second only e. Grand Canyon in point of interest i'll the sight-seer-Silver Belt.