Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-06-23
THROUGH ARIZONA.
Z Line Of Travel that AbOundS ID
The Picturesque.
qnr VALLEY OF the SALT RIVER.
Region Full Of Natural Advantage;
A Mngn lc Mt Climate. with Al.
most Perpetual Spring.

loiii0r DCscrst Nous
Leaving Thatcher, Graham County
Arizona. on the 3rd inst. travelled ls
miles to Bowie station, on the Southern
Pacific railway. While crossing the
30 called "BIg Hollow where the mail
coach was robbed few months ago. q
number OF men ON loot "hoy' iu sight
ON the brow Of the bill ahead Of ug.
AZ We bad just been converting about
the recent robbery, our first impression
was that they we're highwaymtn, and
that we had better prepare Tor the
worst one young man who was &C.
turning from the mines with consider.
able money about hs person insunc.
lively drew out bis "hr pocket book
and stuck 1t into in empty mail sack
b.ug at bis feet fcmatking while doing
90. that the robbers would not be very
apt to look Tor booty 10 au empty mail
sack. a few moments later. a8 the sup.
posed robbers came nlarcr we could
see they were McEclns. marching aloug
in single file, aud when they came up
even with The coach. sure enough ihcy
mluoncd to the driver to stop. But in.
aeau OF commanding u, to mold up
hands, they asked politely ior something
90 cat, as they were hungry, having
walkcu already .Ung distance a
portion ul our lunches were readily
handed out, aud we continued our jour
ncy much relieved, particularly our
arrival at the station SIC learned that uu
That very day uagsIaying had com.
mcucgd on branch road which Is
being built from Bowie station to Sol.
umonyillg; and that o. was expected 20
have cars running into thc latter place
VS. the ist OF July next TINS will bung
our settlements on the ella within easy
reach of the railroad, SOlOmunyiiIe
bail. within i've miles from Layton, the
nearest Mormon town.
a railway ride Of W miles brought me
90 Benson, where Bishop Peter a.. LOT.
green me, me with q team and took me
10 bis home ON the San Pedro river.
the neat day MAY lthI we held q
special meeting 90 ST. David and 40.
tended 10 tile usual labor VI gathering
historical Information.
The 81. David ward embrace, ail the
Saints residing ON die san Pedro river.
numbering 81 families. or gsJ souls.
Only % lAmWgs reside on toe toWnsitg
ul ST. David while the remainder live
900 scattered condition both above and
below, The settlement extending nOuh
aud south about ten miles. Inc upper
Ilrt OF the settlement o. known rs hilc.
donald, thus named in honor of prr,i.
u.nt Alexander +. Macdonald. now Vt
Mexico. For q ahOr, time from 1885 TO
1851 an organ led ward OF that name
tSatcd, but owing 10 the smallncss of
tie membership 10 was amllgamatud
with the 81. David ward. The village
% 81. David Is situated on rising ground
about bali % Milg east OF the san Pedro
aver, and one mi G from the Tag station
on the railway on the opposite side OF
lhNt stream. 10 ls seven miles southeast
%. Benson, aud IS miles southeast from
lUe old Mexican town Tucson, about 81
Mules due north Of the boundary line
between the United States and Mexico.
aud over one hundred miles by nearest
wagon road southwest OF Thatcher, the
headquarters Of tie 81, Joseph stake, TO
which the ST. David ward belongs. II
o. the huulhgrumust OF all the settle
mgnts Of the Saints iu the UlItgd States
being situated south Of 31' north lati.
iudy the altitude Is about 5000 feet
81 David was inst settled uy IhiIamu
{, Merrill aud company iu 1871 aud Or
gu'E-d as a ward 10 it2. 10 was
named 81. David 90 honor OF Apostle
David W. Patton who was mariyred in
Missouri 100 1885. When the 81 Joseph
sake Of Lon was Organized iu 1855,
50. David was made me headquarters
OF the SAME, but a few year ll,rL when
the bulk oi the membership was found
10 be on the ella river, and President
Christopher Layton moved over there,
Thatcher IN Graham county, became
headquarters. The facilities Tor large
settlements on the san Pedro arc
limited, through scarcity Of water. The
river, which llows 100 a deep channel, Is
so hard to control II lowing wells
prove a success Ia this part OF the
country. winch Is iUndly anticipated, Il
Will open up a bright and prosperous
future Tor ST. David. On the 10Th OF
February last, Joseph A and lonn X.
McRae, and grandsons ui the late
Bishop Alexander MCKac, Of salt Lake
Civ. obtained beautiful aTtcsian How
which l5o lar as Is known was the hf5t
OF Us kind in the Territory Of Arizona.
The MCRdes slnS two inch pipe and
struck the water at depth OF 40 feet;
the How, which Increases steadily is
about 2Lo-o gallons per day Inc
same parties are now sinking a siN-inch
pipe near by their FIRST well, and all the
people are anuou,ly awaiting further
developments. This pioneer aucsIan
well is about three miles north OF tho
81. David townsi,e, in a nuighborhoOd
known as MaIcus-a part Of tue ST.
David ward,
The san Pedro river rises in Mexico
beyond the Sierra dc san Jose, takes q
noTthwcstcrIy course and finally puts
into the CHA about one hundred miles
northwest OF 81. David, The
valley Of the san Pedro reckon
ing from the boundary line ON the south
to point where IL enters box canyon
ON tine noflhwest-ls about S. miles
long; at the point where ST. David is
situated IL Is nearly Us miles wide, but
the lower yalley-liom the base Of the
Mesa on the east 10 the Mesa on the
VESTS only about Tires miles wide.
The Huachuca mountains ON the south
west, the Whuesloue ditto ON the west
the Dragon range on the east, and the
Gailuro mountains on the nouh define
the shape and extent Of the san Pedro
valley. The point ON the river where
The Mormon Battalion boys had their
famous Hght with the huiidIOs Is about
% miles south OF ST. David, but the
command IN continuing Us historical
u. 81