The National tribune., 1903-09-10

side me, rose hastily from his seat and
left the ground, saying quite audibly: II
cannot stand, this any longefw
Tears ran, down the cheeks Of the
old frontiersman. A purse was raised
on the spot of 500 per child. and
offered to the, Indians if they would allow
the children TO remain with us: but they
replied: DO you think we are dogs, to
sell our own children?"
A sort of b peace was patched up at
this conference. but no one had any con-
fidence id its permaIency.
Shortly after this reopened the
school, and taught it without interruption
until the vacation of the following year.
IA WILD GOOSE CHASE.
During my last visit home in Tucson,
(November,, 1902, while looking over the
contents of an old box stored away IN my
daughters trunk room, l came upon some
relics Of bygone days; namely, two Duck
skin bags. about 10 inches long and four
inches wide, to the mouths Of which were
alta ched two pairs of strong leather
thongs: also a leather-bound memoran-
dunn book containing my diary for the
years 1S71-1S74 l instantly remembered
that these bags, intended to hold gold
dust there generally called placer gold),
had hung for number of years against
n wall of my room under an Apache DOW
and culver full of arrows not so much 1or
ornament as for warning for all gulliole
people, inasmuch as these buckskin bags
remained empty during and after tne
greatest wild goose chase, reported IN my
diary MS follows, or in the annals of Ari-
zona's whole history.
In the Winter and Spring of 1877. a
man by the name of Miner, sandy-hair-
ed, red-faced freshman. made his appear
-ance in the northern part of Arizona. anu
while nj Prescott and Bradshaw, created
considerab excitement in his efforts 10
raise men to accompany him to some flch
placer gold diggings he claimed to have
discovered some years previously whiie
prospecting this Territory with company
of about 80 men, relating many thrilling
encounters with the Apaches while COM
ing into and en- route through the coun-
try and at the ''digsings," as also their
marvellous escape. though surrounded, pur,
sued and waylaid and constantly harassed
by Indians. until they reached the Colo
RADIO Desert, where they lost their mules
III sand storm. In Miners own language
1.-THE last seen of the mules were their
ears sticking up through the sand sur
face" Miner represented that the dig
gins" were extensive and rich. yielding
from a prospect hole sunk by him SIG to
the pan Water, timber, grass and game
were abundant, and all Miner asked were
enough men to make it safe and choice
Of claims to include his prospect hole
When asked how many men would be
necessary, he gave as his opinion that 300
would not be too many. and he would not
object to 500 or even 1000, for such was
the extent of the placers that all could
get good claims. He was ever careful IN
all his intercourse with his interlocutors to
tha ~ nf xgnndprfnI
covery, and no one could reasonably ex-
pect such a disclosure. His success in
raising men to 60 with him was not as
sured until he met Governor Stafford at
Bradshaw, who, on hearing Miners story,
promptly gave him the benefit Of his
counsel and support, and among the first
steps taken was the one to advertise
through the Arizona and some other pa
pers, requesting all those wishing to join
the enterprise to meet at certain time
at Florence, OIL the ella River.
In pursuance of this notice sometime
in the month of July, 1872 (my diary does
not give the exact date, but it must have
been during the second week of the
month";, there assembled ut Florence about
300 persons. Miner was among the lot.
So was 1. Hence the buckskin bags. The
school had closed for the long vacation
on June Is, time hung heavy on my hands,
and, although l had no more idea about
digging for gold than butterfly has about
joined the outfit" principally because
many others did, and especially because
Governor Stafford did. Nearly one-half
the number Of the assembled crowd were
from Yavapai and Maricopa, and the 9th
err kalf from Pinal and Pima Counties.
The formal organization was made at
Florence in the field Of Col. Ruggles. ad-
joining the town. Four companies were
formed: officers elected, and command
er-in-chief chosen. This position, by gen.
eral consent, was given to Governor SAT-
Of all and in their presence, related his
story, even to the sand storm, which
greatly enthused all hands and hastened
preparations to make a start-whither no
one but Miner knew. And from him we
learned that old Camp Grant, on the San
Pedro, was the point from which our
final start would be made, and from there
it would take from six to ten days to
reach the place where he had found the
gold.
The organization being complete, each
company selected its own route to Grant
All but one chose the old Camp Grant
road, and, by making dry camp, reached
there the second day out. The Prescott
company chose the ella River route, and
was six days in reaching Grant, to the
great annoyance Of those in waiting, who
were consuming their expensive rations
while lying idle. All being present, two
days more were consumed, in preparation
for the final start. Many added to their
outfit sundry tools and implements for
use in the mines; even the Governor him
self bought an extra burro and loaded
it with -four and 12-foot cross-cut saw;
the latter was deemed profitable invest
ment as well as q necessity, as lumber
wonld be high-priced and the Governor,
owning the only saw, would have q mo-
nopoly Of the lumber market. Saws were
in demand, but the Governor had pur-
chased the only one to DO obtained at
Grant, and the question with many was
What would be the price of lumber, and
how much would rocker cost? "a rock
er, sometimes called cradle, is primi-
tive wooden concern for washing placer
gold) But no matter, who cared, when a
few pans of dirt, as rich as Miner said it
was, would pay for it! and, then, the gen.
eral understanding was that ali were to
be alike interested in the mines, and NO
one felt disposed to complain at the pros
pect Of the Governors getting fat con-
tract to furnish all the rockers required.
So, with the highest expectations harbor-
ed, by all except a few, a very lew, less
sanguine people, We marched from Grant
in the afternoon Of July q, and camped
on the San Pedro, six miles below, and
the next morning bright and early struck
out for the "diggin's" with Miner in the
H.