Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1899-07-12
Some Bits Of Arizona.-The Colorado
 River
(BT sHARboT N. HALL

old 'dobe smelter and begun the
 tollsome ascent of the Raw Hide
 mountains.
 Time was, they say, when one
 could easily drive down Williams
 fork 10 the Colorado, but today it
 would puzzle q span of elephants to
 draw baby carriage through with
 no load in 1t.
 Raw Hide wash has one conspic-
 uous virtue ss road, If 1t Is sandy
 and rocky and hot, and crooked ss
 the trail of successful politician,
 1t Is yet place in which no one
 could get lost.
 When nature set the grand old
 bulk of Raw Hide peaks to keep
 ward over the desolate places of
 earth she remembered the restless
 white man and drew her finger down
 the mountain side and made a way
 for him. but fl be be minded to turn
 aside he must have wings or the accommodating legs of a hy.
 So, following the marrow wash we crept up to the very sky, looked out
 over the stTangest, most beautiful
 view in the world. Grim, rock rib
 bed hills relied away iu every dIrec-
 ton, glittsTing in the sun light aud
 splashed with colors as bright as if
 fresh from an srtlsJ's palette. Giant cactus. iron wood, grease wood, and every desert denizen struggled for elbow room and stately yuccas lifted
 tall flags of truce from the fortress
 like rocks. The scarlet blossoms of
 the fish pole cactus burned b.lOw like torches, and far to the westward the dim, blue mountains of Calitor- mia loomed up like another conti- nent.
 A silyery haze such as veils the splendoT of the Grand Canyon aud gives 1t half it's beauty, hung over all the country and transfgured it With enchantment. However, real iiy was near enough. We had climbed up to the roof of the world only to slide down again and de cidedlY rough and bumpy cellar door we had to slide on.
 More sand, more rocks and miles interminable, tIll at last the vel come smoke stack of Planet shelter came in view and We cried water in a chorus. How the horses drank. How WE drank and waded and gathered water crosses for dinner.
 He was a wise old philosopher who said, "As a comfortable shade in the desert is the smile of a be- loved one; like cool waters IS the sound of a friendly voice. It is worth the journey just to know how good a cotton wood tree. knee deep in green grass could look. We had patiently sat under yuccss and mes quites and cacti, more productive of picturesque scenery aud language than shade, and here was something civilized at last.
 Planet is one of the old mining camps of the territory, for all this section, indeed, was old when north ern Arizona was scarcely known. ln I the copper boom of twenty years and l more ago 1t had its palmy days and | Is now as silent as if it had never been a prospective Bisbee or Je- | rome. The little shelter came down 1 the river from Needles by boat aud {. up the Fork by mule wagons and still stands ready to work the fine ore they say the mine will produce | in abundance.
 From Planet to Aubrey landing on the Colorado river, just above the Fork, IS only twelve miles and the pleasantest part of the long journey. The mountain peaks and ranges succeed each other in unbroken ranks to the rIVer bank, where the canyon is almost as grand i as at the famous Hance trail, two and more miles above, and less beautiful It is the same turbulent water, too, whirliBg onward black and rolling to find the sea. It was high water and every stream between Williams fork aud Yellowstone was adding it's quotum To the food, with drift frou ,hcus- and miles On its bosom. The river at this point Is between two and three hundred yards wide and deep enough to float a large steamer, even at low water. Though so muddy as to recall the Missouri, the water settles quickly and IS very sold. It is the only drinking water 1ne finds in ali the country and really seems too noble stream to be wasted by flowing through such a iesolate, worthless country, for grand and beautiful as the noun .ains are they are but barren wastes lf solid rock from which the storms lf past centuries have swept ever ' atom ioi soil, if any ever existed. Even the cacti ini uncertain footing md look plnoh d and parched ID with those of more 'ertile regions.
 Mines and pining attract the icanty population between Needles md Parker and at present the out ook is very promising in that line, specially for copper propert i-s. There are. indeed, small bars of fine ioil along this part of the river, but heir size and the difficulties of irri- ,ation and market have prevented much interest being taken in them.
 Aubrey Landing IS one of the old James in Arizona history. Colonel Richard J. Hinton, author of the yell known hand book Of Arizona, ytites under a recent date that b, new 1t first in 1858 and later in the leight of its prosperity when its most palaIal residence boasted the inest marble mantle piece, probably be only one, ID Arizona. We found
 broken corner of this relIc of past 'rardeur, but the cracked walls aud { adobes seemed little iu [ coping with the tales of old days. Three graves huddled under a sand | ar seemed more typical, especially { s the big saloon Is still standing. .ubrey IS sixty miles below Needles q nd about the same above Ehren- V urg, it's only direct means of com T lunication with eithsr being by -ay of the river or over trails that lmost defy inc patient feet of the .urdy burro.
 But gold will lead people any here and when sportsmen learn of be thousands of ducks, geeze, swan c 1d other water birds tha, crowd le river and the numbers of fish lat swarm its waters they will soon . blow the miners. Wild and unset .
 m N