Graham guardian., 1895-04-20

| ohNAo hhO nav III NiS
territory. Some $50 voted, all but
two for Mason city for the county
seat. al. Jones, who was after
wards recorder of Cochise county
was, with the vote of Stiles ranch,
elected sheriff.
Now, after the vote had been
counted and the returns duly
signed, folded with much
care in an empty flour sack, con-
signed to the care ofCharley Whit
low to convey to Salt river, there
was little uproarous revelry, in
the midst of which we were sur
prised at the sudden appearance of
the commanding officer, Lieut..
Riley, Co. A, 2lst Infantry, APP
pointed from the ranks by Presi-
dent Grant, and very strict dis
ciplinarian. Sternly the orders of
the department commander were
told, and as solemnly he was as
sured "no whiSkey in camp" when
we were startled by the call of the
sentry, stationed a few yards away;
a challenge; a low reply; and then
clear and loud came the ringing
tones of the sentry, "halt! man
with little Mason city whiskey
and give the countersign." The
whiskey had given out; Jim Beatty
had gone to his wagon for the last
bottle, and on his return being
haltea1oyy;; ~; the sentry had jovially
answered as a661Ee: We were
caught, and leaving the owner owner OF
the new county seat to explain
matters as best he could, we all
cleared out to bed.
News travelled slowly in those
days, and after some three weeks
we learned to appreciate the wis
dom of Bobby Burns, when he
says: "The best laid plans Of mice
and men oft gang aglee." Salt
river was thunderstruck. Picket
Post and Stiles ranch had cast
bigger vote than the rest of the
county combined, but the board of
supervisors being equal to the
occasion, Picket Post was counted
out. Cause :"Illegality of election,
whiskey at military post" and
Phenix just "jingoed" Mason city
out of the county seat.
The air around Stiles ranch was
blue with profanity, and it is said
guns and ammunition were gather
ed and descent planned on the
Salt river to bring back their lost
county seat.
But there was good material
among those rough brawny pio-
neers, and the results of their la
bors to-day need not make them
ashamed. The commonwealth
which they built, not yet near
reaching its ssmi-centennial, will
compare favorably with many of
the older ones.
Its material prosperity is as
sured, for it is built on solid
foundation. Those conservators
of the territory in the older days
wrought well. The hardships they
endured, and the battles they
fought with dangers seen and un-
seen, have borne good fruits.
Look around and see.
Gen. Crook assumed command
of the department in June. of this
same year, and one of his first or
ders was for the abandonment of
Camp Plnal, which was at once
carried into effect. / left for Tue
son with the last detachment on
the 4th of July, with what plunder
we had left. Mr.. Toole joined me
on the Gila, and we drove out and
camped at Blue Water, on the old
stage road, where we were joined
by ]. D. Walker, who was, think,
then residing at Maricopa Wells.
AT night, by the camp fire, our ex-
periences in the Pinals were gone
over, among the rest the ore we
had seen. Mr.. Toole, (this was
before he had become acquainted
with Banker Hudson,) expressed
himself as tired of Arizona life,
and that he would retire to Cali
fornia. Mr.. Walker, on the con-
trary, would stay. We had little
mescal along, and under its sooth-
ing influence Mr.. Walker told that
there was a little girl awaiting him
back in the states, and that he was
now thinking of writing to ask
her.
''To come to me and share
What ere my hut bestows,
My corn-shuck bed, my frugal fare
My labor and repose."
Those were his exact words. I |
remember them distinctly, looking
backward down the barren reef of
a quarter of century oflife. Was
he not then thinking of the one
who so nobly ministered to the
troubled closing days of his busy
life? | think so.
j. III. VAUGHN.
SAN JOSE, Ariz., Apr. l4th, 1895.