Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1899-10-25
ABOUT ARIZONA WEATHER.
An Interesting Letter from an Old Timer on the Subject and His Predictions for the Com
 ing Winter.

KingmAn, Ariz-, Oct. l7.--Editor JOURNAL MINER-I notice that none of the first settlers have made any reference to the weather in the days that have passed. Arizona, like northern CAliforniA, is subject to great extremes. During the winter of lS63-64 l came to Arizona In crossing the desert on the Mohsve river there were several settlers and shey told me it had not Tained for two years. crossed the Colorado river January 2d, 1884. I soon met parties who had been mining on Lynx creek and they told me i. had not rained for one year past. On March l7 party of four, three Of them being Thos. Matthews, Wm. King and Ned Morris, started from Lynx creek. (there was no settlement in PreseUtt) with train of mules to go 10 Fort MohsSe to get supplies as provisions had given out at the river. It commenced showing when they csmped at Williamson valley and ID five days over four feet of damp snow had fallen. Had it not been that the party struck a trail made by 8 band of about loo ante lope ir going to lower altitude. the party would have lost their mules. It rsined on the Colorado rlver for three days and the ground so soft We could not get about for miring down.
 In 1865, the latter part of No vember, l started for Prescott. We reached Williamson valley the last day of November. On December l 1t began to snow and the next morn ing the snow was over a foot deep. I got a plank at Fort Whipple and built the first sleigh ID Arizona. There was good sleighing all during December and the thermometer registered below zero every morn ing. Soon after January 1st it moderated and on the 7th we started for home. We found Louie St. James near Williamson valley. He had an ox team and had vintered in the hills. Some soldiers who were located at Flagstaff came in to Pres colt about the middle of December and reported six feet of snow at that place. They lost their horses and made themselves snow shoes out of horse hide, but came near losing their lives.
 In the spring of 1865, with seven other men, visited Salt river val ley. We found Jack Swilling camped a little east of where the asylum now stands. We picketed our horses and took turns standing guard. One of the guard shot at an Indian. Next morning we found mcccasiu tracks made by Pinal h. dians, the moccasins being peculiar in that they had peaked toes. We went over the ground where Jack proposed to dig a ditch. We found the ancient ditch where the water had been taken from the Salt river The river had washed the channel nearly thirty feet deer, so that a dam would have to be built thirty | feet high in order to use this ditch that had probably teen dug by a race Of people thousands of years previous. With the prospects of having to guard against Indians aud the distance from a market caused us to give up the idea of investing there. but soon others did and today we behold there the hourishiDg and modern city of Phenix and the lovely ranches and orchards sur rounding her.
 The winter of 1S66-67 vas q wet one. General McDowell made a tour of the territory to inspect and | locate military posts. He found the | Hassayampa river a river indsed. He lost two men in attempting to cross It and had to wait few days in order 10 construct boats out of wagon beds. He also had great difficulty in crossing the Salt and GilS rivers.
 So, after all these years of close observation of the climatic condi- tions and changes, and taking the past for a criterion, ! think we may reasonably expect the approaching winter to be cold and wet.
 W.. HARDY.