Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1891-06-24
"Reminiscences Connected with Ar-
 sana's oldest Paper.

ST. JOHNS, June lo.-- SpeSiaa t"f- respondence l have read your historical sketch of Arixonas oldest paper" aud find it is in the main correct, with perhaps few errors, one or two of which 1 shall correct. The material with which the first issue of the Arizona Miner was pub lished was not hauled from Santa re. as stated. but came from l4eay- enworth. Kansas. Mir. Hand also came from that city along with the Federal party, There is also anoth- ar important fact connected with the Miner, and its old files will prove it. which you have inadvertently overlooked. viz, the first house erected upon the new townsite of Prescott. The office of the Miner was the first building put up, it be ing of blanks set on end, commonly called boxhouse. It was first put mp at (oldl Fort Whipple. named Chino Valley. After the location of the Prescott townsite, the house was taken down and moved to that place, and there set up for the Miner office. So lt was the first house erected in Prescott. Another boy, year young CT than myself. assisted in getting out the first issue of the Miner. He was from Iowa, but | have forgot ten the name. as he roiurned la the States shortly afterwards; however. his name. like my own. shows up on the guard house book" used at old It. Whipple. Both of Us wer' chueked in the guard house for five days, but were finally released. by Capt. Hargrase. without the prefer. ment of "chargese or an examina- ,ioa. Lieut.. Gnif Taylor, of Prss- colt, was at the time provost mar snal of the Post, but our arrest and confinement was little eontempiible spite work of Inc quartermas;er, Lieut.. Nelson. \ few days prior la Lieut.. Neison's trip to Tucson, l had little unplcaSantness with the lieutenant, in which l used rather rough language to his high ness, hence his animosity towards me. On leaving for Tucson, Lieut., Nelson left Sergeant Baker in charg, of the .. Nj. department, and Mel son had nc more than got out o' the Post than Sergt. Baker again gave me employment, at SD per month. hersiing government cattle. My young friend previously men toned was employed at the same time to herd the government sheep, The sheep were herded to the east
 ward of the post, and the cattle in the opposite direction from the post, Each herd was furnished with suita
 ble escort of soldiers. One of the sheep accidentally broke it's leg. an the fact was reported to Sergeant Lockwood, post comnissary ser geant, who or,icred the corporal in charge of the sheep escort, to kill the sheep, which was doue. and the corporal gave nay Iowa friend one of the quarters, which he brought into our camp. as we messed tC geth- er, where II was cooked and eaten hy us. l presume some one saw the meat in our tent and reported the faot to Lieutenant Nelson. and so we were arrested for killing and appropriating government, property to our own uSe;" at least, this was Lieut.. Taylors explanation of the cause of our arrest. when we were taken before that awful august per sonage in brass buttons. for repri- mand prior to being ordered with out the limits of the post" How ever. at the instigation of the sol dicrS. somC of whom were educated gentlemen aHd men cognjzant ot all the facts. we were adylsed to disre- gard the Lieutenant's 'or,lers.' This We did. notwithstanding his hi shness reiterated his order" tws or three times thereafter. These are simply "reminiscences of the old times in Arizona and in recalling these incidents | do not do so with any spirit of animosity towards Griff Taylor or any of the officers of the California volunteers, as have no ill feeling towards any of them for things done over quarter of cen
 tury ago. The trouble in those days was due, probably, to the fact tha, nearly all officers looked upon every one not m line as an enemy to the country, hence their arrogance or seeming harshness at times.
 Yours, truly, ALBERT F. BANrA.