Graham guardian., 1895-04-20
EARLY DAYS In ARIZONA.
"REMINISCENCES OF OLD CAMP
PINAL.
AS Experienced by One OF the Pioneers of
the Territory.
Communicated

(Communicated)
/ was in the Pinal mountains
when the first piece of rock was
broken on the Silver King, and
there is no romance attending the
history of it, no hair breadth
escapes of hardy pioneers. The
immediate cause was whiskey.
"Humbug," you say? no it is fact,
just as I tell you.
In the fall of 1870, General
Stoneman, afterward governor of
California, was in command Of the
department of Arizona. He estab-
lished camp IN the Pinals and
stationed there several companies
of the 21st infantry.
A saw mill was taken from Tue
son, hauled to Picket Post and a
road commenced to Mason Valley,
where was located Camp Pinal.
Mr.. Poole, afterwards banker, was
sutler, and Gen. J. B. Allen was
with him in Mason Valley. l
ran a iitsllse iittle store on my own hook
IN Surprise Valley, which war; ro. On
the trail, and at which place the
first silver ore struck in the Pinals
was brought, In April, 1871. Gen.
Stoneman had issued very strict
orders that no liquors should be
brought to any government post.
Any citizen should be at once or
dered from camp and any soldier
put in the guard house found in
possession of it. But a small suit
ler outfit in those days without
whiskey, not being of much ac-
count, and the paymaster due, with
four months pay, set our heads to
work to defy military regulations
and rake in some cash.
There was camped with me Jim
Fay, who was to run the saw mill
when built, but in the mean time
was drawing pay and rations. We
hit on a plan, went to Florence,
then in its infancy, bought from
Joe Collingwood ten gallons of
cleaned out empty coal
oil cans, daubed them with paint,
them "machine OIL" and
placed them with the saw mill sup
plies to be shipped to Fay. Every
thing worked all right, and the
"oil' duly arrived by government
pack train, and when the paymast-
er arrived we were ready for him.
We dispensed that whiskey with
care, and as great favor, at 80
cents a drink, and as a still greater
favor, for SIS filled two canteens
one Sunday morning, that a few
might stroll from camp, take a
social drink and play a little
"draw," away from the prying
eyes of the first sergeant, who hap
pened to be the late J ohm ]. Devine
of Florence. Next day one of the
party brought to us some chunks
of rock which he thought was sill
yer. He worked in Nevada, he
said, before he Unlisted. Jim Fay,
Mr.. Cate, the government pack
master, and l walked out with him
that evening and brought in more
rock from a little brown hill on
which they had sat down to enjoy
their social drink and game.
Johnny Hart, of Tucson, was
then camped in Mason Valley, hav-
ing been fitted out by Gov. Stafford
to prospect. We sent him some rock
next day and down came another
prospector, who, it seems had also
been fitted out by Gov. Stafford.
Jim Fay and some soldiers went
out and showed him the little hill;
he pronounced the thing "no good;"
he was hunting for gold. A few
days afterwards | was advised by
Mr.. Toole to say no more about
any mining prospect, for this talk
would, no doubt, bring up a crowd
Of citizens, and then our "cake will
be dough-" for we will all be or
lered away from here.
Stafford, in the mean time must |
nave heard of this find, for by and |
oy came another man also we'll fit
ed out by the Governor. He
bought the last of the whiskey and |
returned to the Gila, there traded
'ff the outfit provided by the gen.
'rous and enterprising Governor,
md cleared out.
Whoever the future historian of
Arizona may be, he must always
count A. p. X. Stafford among the
niger posts who pointed the way
hat mankind will travel, a guide
Who brought with him from the
,reezy plains of sage brush Neva-
la generosity and kindness, free
rom any hypocritical pretense.
About this time | received word
rom below to come down and help
orm the election board at Picket
Post, at the first election held in
he new county of Maricopa, which
lad been created by the sixth leg
slative assembly the previous win
er. County officers and the loca-