The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-06-16
Outing of the Southern California
Editorial Association
IN ARIZONA'S GRAND CANYON
A Visit to Phoenix and the Salt River
Valley
An Inspection Of the Residences Of the Cliff
.DweIIers-r1ost Hospitality Entertained
by the People Of Arizona

friends accompanying them. returned
from their annual outing yesterday morn
ing after ten days trip which was full
OF interest and incident.
The party consisted of twentyth rec
members, mostly editors OF country
papers with their wives, with sprinkling
OF special correspondents and m agazine
writer's. On Tuesday. = 9TH, the men,
bers of the party boarded car which had
been set aside for the use of the editors
by the officers of the Southern California
Railroad company, and a start was made
for Arizona in general and the Grand
canyon of the COLORADO in particular. 1t
IS just about twenty-four hours by rail to
Flagstaff, Ariz., which point had been
decided upon as the most available from
which the canyon could be reached.
The people of flagstaff had been noti-
fled OF the coming of the editors, and the
board of trade of the town took it upon
themselves to entertain the visitors, and
forthwith took them in hand upon their
arrival at the depot. A little delay while
the dust of travel was being removed,
reasonable time for good breakfast,
and the excursionists found themselves
ready for ride around the little city and
its environs, in four-in hand tallyhos
provided by the board of trade. Flagstaff
is city claiming 1900 inhabitants, and
so far as may be judged from the ubild-
ings and Improvements to be found, the
estimate IS a fair one. There are some
mines in the vicinity which contribute
to the support of the place. and agricultural
development in one or two branches has
exceeded the home demand and provided
a surplus for shipment. But the indus
fri ty-hf nl lyuE loo taff thoh
progressive and prosperous place 1T is are
stockraising. numbering and grazing. The
range cattle OF Coconino country, of which
Flagstaff is the county seat. are numer-
Gus and fat. and the summer rains which
commonly begin in July are expected to
start new crop OF grass aid make them
srill fatter. The slipping OF stock has
lately been stimulated by higher prices
than have ruled for some years past.
and the opening of the coming season is
likely to find no more cattle on hand
than are regarded as necessary for the
proper stocking of the ranges.
Quarrying is a business OF considerable
magnitude at Flagstaff, the stone handled
there being represented by that used in
the construction of the Los Angeles coun-
~ court house, the Bradbury block and
several Others among the best business
blocks of this city. The output is rough
ly estimated at 80 carloads per month,
Will "a CCOilstdullN increasing utiu anu DIS
the merits of the material come to be bet
ter, appreciated.
The largest single business at Flagstaff
isthat of the Arizona Lumber aud TIM
Der company with mile at Flagstaff of
d capacity of 90. 600, 100 feet per annum
and others situated in places where tim
Ter is most available. As Flagstaff is.
surrounded by heavy timber for some
thing ike 10 miles around, the supply is
practically ineXhaustible
But the excursonists, after ALL were
not so much impressed with the resources
OF the town as with the courtesy and hos
pitality of its inhabitants. The town and
TIE inna bitants thereof were fairly turned
over to the uses OF the visitors. Any
thing, from toothpick to a brick house,
from dinner not OF herbs to q four
horse coach, was placed at the disposal of
the editors almost before the desire was
expressed; ana good many things were
provided which had not been thought of
by the foreign contingent, but which
proved very enjoyable. After good din
ner and an hours rest thei Gallybos were
again brought into use and the whole
party driven out to see the cliff dwellings
among the crags and precipices OF the
San Francisco wash preciptous cam
yon seven miles northeast of Flagstaff.
The walls of the canyon are composed OF
Il soft sandstone broken up into irnmen Sc
block by the combined or alternate action
of earthquake and clOudburst, and the
disintegrating effects of hchen and
Weather. rhe houses or rooms Of the
clifkdwellers are built in the cefts of the
rocS, ths front walls composed of layer
Of stone and mud, the roofs, floors and
rear walls being the natural rock. Some
Of the houses are so thoroughly destroyed
that only a shapeless pile Of stones and
mud, and the marks of smoke on
the rocks now mark the spot that
once was home in which men
and women lived ard loved and lit
tie children laughed when maize was
plenty or cried when the rains did not
fall, and the drying cornstallls wthered
in the sun; presumably those same ch i'd
rem made their mothers hair to stand on
end as they crept or toddled too
near to the edge of the cliff which
thousand feet below. There are other
houses, practically uninjured; the little
fireplace in the corner, black with smoke
of ancient fires, the walls showing the
marks of the broad palm of the woman
who puddled soft clay over the inequali-
ties of the rocks. and the indentations of
baby fingers whose owners evidently tried
to .'help." In these latter rooms are bits
of pottery scattered about, aud some-
times little corncobs, which, thrown
away with corn still upon them, or half
gnawed through in the effort to obtain
I'll the gram, tell plainly the tales of q
year OF plenty or Of the famine coming
AFTER long drouth. or still greater bitter
ness of long. -drawn-ou siege of a savage
enemy who camped by day and by night
on the trails over which the cliff dweller
must go to reach the water which he
must have or die. There are other dwel'-
ings. more difficult OF access and still uii-
explored. in which may yet be found rel.
les which will throw some light upon the
life and origin of the strange people