Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-08
AN EXCITING TOWN
WILCOX, ARIZ., IS A TYPICAL
FRONTIER SETTLEMENT.
APPALLING Percentage of Saloons and
Faro Banks in Relation to
the Population.

From the Pittsburg Gazette.
Wilcox, AriZ-, is a remarkable frontier
town. In the past Wilcox was the scene
of more shootngs, hold-ups, train rob-
berries, Indian raids and general free fights
than any town in the west. It boasts of
eleven saloons and as many faro games
to a resident proportion of not more than
200 persons. AS for the present. the big
mining boom in that section of Arizona has
given rise to loose money and some
pretty live, brisk business times, while the
cattle industry is one of vast Importance
| there being $4,000 head of stock in the i'm
mediate country about Wilcox. Wilcox has
bright future, since a great deal Of east
ern money is being expended in opening up
its rich deposits of copper and gold.
Wilcox has also unique literary diStinc-
ton as having inspired Augustus Thomas
play, Arizona" 1t was in the Chricahua
pronounced cherry crow mountains that
Gen. Miles captured Geronimo, the raiding
Apache chief, whom he deported with his
followers to Pensacola, Fla.
Pray for Rain and Rations.
I have just returned from long stay in
Wilcox and the surrounding country. writes
a correspondent. The Inhabitants divide
their time praying for rain and praying
that the rations will not be discontinued to
the Indians on the San Carlos reservation
If 1t does not rain-and there is a probable
ity that it will not at this season of the
year-the cattlemen will lose over 40 per
cent of their range cattle. If the rations
are discontinued to the Tontos and San
Carlos Apaches on the San Carlos reser-
walton the Indians may get ugly and go
to killing stock and raiding the more re-
mote ranches. There are $3.50 Indians on
the reservation and they are not self-sup
porting. The drouth is something fearful
in this section Of the territory. 1t is es-
DpciallV hard the with
| calves. In one day 1 saw twenty-five cows
with their calves lying dead beside the
bodies Of their mothers. I saw three dead
cows that, singularly enough, had persisted
before the calves. There are many places
| in the country where water could be de-
veloped, but thus far no one has had the
energy inclination to develop 1t. They're
all afraid that your cattle will drink my
water. They'd rather lose dollar than. let
you in.
Stock Poor.
The cattle men are not doing much now.
The stock Is too poor to work" So they
linger about Wilcox and Cochise and add
to the picturesqueness Of the towns. VIII
cox is surely picturesque. 1t abounds in
types When Augustus Thomas walked
up and down in the dining room Of the
Hooker ranch and dictated the lines Of the
popular play which has added to his fame
as well as his wealth, he had not only the
vivid present but the lurid past from which
was at Wilcox that Joe George and Ed
Wheeler held up the Wells-Fargo seven
years ago. George took to the hills and
was never captured. while. it Is said, Wheel
er was killed in Colorado.
Famous Types.
Wheeler was a deputy constable In Will
cox and was also proprietor Of the Head
quarters saloon. He sold over a barrel Of
| whisky day at rs cents drink, and he
! poa In bo sspa,
in connection, but he was profligate and
| spent his money like water. Wheeler was
hard case, but once he ran up against a
better man who pulled Winchester and
made him dance hot foot" en- the bar
while he emptied the tills and treated the
crowd. Wheeler was daredevil. Once he
roped a Chinaman. He struck his spurs
into his pony and would have killed the
Chinaman had the rope not become tangled
in a hitchng post and parted. When old
John McComb, who has been proprietor OF
the wilcox Hotel for sixteen years asked
Wheeler what he meant to do, he replied
"I would have dragged him as long as the
cayuse would have went" Several years
ago Downing and Alvord committed one of
| the most daring hoId-ups in the history Of
the west: Downing Is in the territorial
prison, while Alvord is still hiding out In
the hills. BLACK Jack Ketchem used to
hang out at Wilcox and he subsequently
was hanged by the Arizona authorities for
holding up train. Styles and Burts were
another hard pair who came to grief at
Wilcox. They don't have many shootings
now In Wilcox, although last winter a
bunch Of cowboys rode in and put OUT
| some of the lights. still, that's mild!
All this was big fund Of information for
Mr.. Thomas to draw upon, while his stay
at Fort Grant, only twenty-eight miles from
Wilcox, delightful army post with a de-
cided social atmosphere. was fresh in his
memory to lend a proper "tone' to "Ari-.
zona."