The Arizona sentinel., 1895-03-09
/ FOUR HUN NDRED ysHEES Down the Gila EIVer.sEncI-
 dents of the "Trip.
EDITOR ARIZONA SENTINEL:

colorado and to see the towns anC i points CT interest along the route
 Having been at arduous work for the
 past four years, I obtained 90 days
 vacation from the General Manager,
 Mir. Louis l., Sweeny, of the Detroit
 Copper Go. of Morenci, Arizona.
 built boat 31x18 feet of the flat
 bottomed type, thinking it more
 suitable for the trip than a skif
 which would hardly undergo such a
 perlious journey through the two 35
 mile Of dangerous box canyons. No incident worthy of note trans
 pired until the Graham valley was
 reached, 35 miles from our starting
 point. Here we reached the pretty
 and progressive town of Solomonville,
 the county seat of Graham county
 which has the distinction of being
 the banner Democratic county of the
 Territory.
 Here we became alarmed over the fact that our butter milk jug was fast
 losing its supply and hunted up Mir.
 1. E. Solomon, dealer in this variety of refreshment and secured guaran-
 teed supply, together with his cheer ful wishes for its long continuance,
 and also for the success of our Journey.
 The next 40 miles was made through this beautiful valley which
 will easily vie with the Salt river valley. It is dotted as far as the eye can reach with beautiful farms and finely built houses, showing the thrift of it's people and enjoys an un- limited supply of water for lrrigating purposes. It is surely destined to become one of the greatest agricult- ural valleys of our future state.
 Leaving the old abandoned military Post of Fort Thomas on January 23rd. our next 60 miles of journey was made through the San Carlos Apache Indian reservation, reaching the Post at this place on Januery 27th. Here we were advised not to attempt the difficult and dangerous passage of Hila Canyon, below San Carlos, as no one had ever succeeded in passing through before, and upon our deter imitation to at least make the effort, the chief of scouts predicted we would never be heard of again. So with good byes said We left them January 28th to take our preparatory view of what they termed the "Bugaboo Canyon" We camped that night without entering it, at the mouth of the canyon and just above the first heavy rapids, whose fall reached 1Oi feet to the hundred
 We had laid in supply of 200 feet of half inch rope, and disembarking all of our camp equipage, we safely ran our sturdy little house boat the rapids. The next fifteen miles were but a repetition of this exhilirating but somewhat dangerous feat, which occupied every nerve and l care for the next two days, and glad enough were we when the evening of l the 3lst, saw us safely through this portion of the journey.
 After a nights rest We started out | again, congratulating ourselves that the most dangerous part of the trip must assuredly be over.
 . As we passed through smooth water for fifteen miles we felt this belief confirmed, when suddenly that afternoon, the canyon again began to box in upon us, and on either side the walls rose some three to nine l hundred feet abruptly above us not a ray of sunlight pierced the gloom whilst away below us sounded the 1eafening roar of falls and waters which we had yet to pass, making us for tEe first time really shuddered l with apprehension of what must be the impending disaster predicted by l our friend, the chief of scouts at the | Post. Even the very walls of the canyon seemed to reverberate with | the foreboding prediction.
 Whilst way above and outlined sharply by the clear sky, great masses of quartzite, seemed balanced and ready to fall down upon us. Never lid distance to the light seem so far from us as them, but to fully realize this situation one must experience it per can not portray it nor picture the untold sublimity of this