Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-11-09
TRIP TO RAY
a Region whose Former ACTIVITY is
about 10 Dc Restored.

4 trip over an unbroken country to a
district new % the general public can
not but be % interest. The preliminary
surveyors o. the proposed wagon road
10 Mineral creek, Harvey Harper. W.
A Kimbau Warren Shrine Of Mesa,
and Republican representative made
late start Saturday morning from the
KimbaH hotel at Mesa. a drive was
made fifteen miles to Buchanan's wells,
where the team was watered. Mr.
Buchanan expressed a strong hope
that the road would be built. From the
wells the journey was continued seven
teen miles TO Sand Tank wash. where
water can always be secured. Here
dinner was pread under 4 mesquite
and washed down with hot coffee and
/ "reminiscences OF the conquering Of the
wilderness of the great southwest, told
by the older members of the party.
From sand Tanks to the old town Of
PinaI the distance is sixteen miles.
over q much heavier road than had
been experienced. The teams were
watered again at Hewey Hewett-s cat
tie ranch on Queen creek wash and
four miles from Pinal, which was
reached at 8 o'clock.
At Pinal it was learned that Perkins
and McGrew had bonded their gold
mine to eastern parties for $15.OOO. TIE
mine is in the Pinal district. The deal
was negotiated by Denniston, Of Tempe.
Old Pinal presented a sorry spec
tacle of desertion. It's one-tine glory
rested on silver in general and the
Silver King mine in particular. To
survey the great zone of copper stain
on the Silver King mountain IL is easy
to suppose that in the near future
Copper King viii resurrect the old
town and give it greater life than it
knew in former years.
Sunday morning the rigs were left at
Pinal and the journey resumed on
horseback. An old road in fairly good
state of preservation was followed over
q high mesa above Pinal creek. Bel
lamy's ranch up the creek from Pinai
was passed. On his ranch there are
200 acres fenced with a rock wall.
When the Silver King was running.
the ranch furnished butter at so cents
per pound and eggs at 80 cents per
dozen.
About four miles above Pinal the old
road descended into Pina1 wash and
passed through a box canyon called
Hell Gate. Here the horses were
watered. The nearness of bedrock to
the surface at this place throws the
water out OF the sand and an album
dance of water is always running.
Four miles from He'll Gate is Bow
mans mine, where the old road ends
and where new construction begins.
To fcrI-r
a much heavier load without any con-
struction than can be hauled from
Florence to Mineral creek.
From BOwman's mine q trail was fol-
lowed four miles over two divides and
intervening hills and washes to the
head Of Copper canyon. This is the
amount of new road that must be built.
1t can be put through with nothing
more than ten per cent grades and as
proposed. with s.. 900 can be constructed
with nothing greater than a fifteen per
cent grade. Half way there is a large
spring Of water flowing from under
some walnut trees. The expedition
named the place Nogale springs. From
the top of the second divide the pro-
posed road enters Copper canyon wash
and follows it to its mouth into Mineral
creek. at which juncture is located the
town of Ray. The wash contains no
sand but heavy gravel and rocks
which eliminate any objection to its
being used. The wash is seven miles
long. There is nothing necessary to
be done to il except to throw out a few
rocks and bushes. 1t viii he noted that
the proposed route has an abundance
of water on it; 50 much that freighters
viii not be compelled to carry any.
This fact brought the proposition more
favorably before the Mesa gentlemen.
each Of whom has been a freighter in
his time. c. NJ. LANDER.
NEWS FROM BUCKEYE.