Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1907-08-07
LETTER FROM ARIZONA.
Rev. O. Warllaw Out on Great
Fishing Trip-The Country.

Stafford, Arizona, July 29.-Edi-
tors keowee Courier: I have Just re-
turned from fishing trip out on the
Black River, seventy-five miles north
of Stafford. The trip was made on
horseback, our bedding and provis-
ions being carried by packs. Each
one took two horses-one to ride and
one to carry the pack. From the
time we left the Gila Valley to the
time we returned to 1t we were never
near settlement. We passed a "cow
puncher's" camp and saw f-ur punch
ers. whowere the only persona we saw
during the two weeks of our outing,
except our own party of eight and
another fishing party of four. We
crossed the Gila Mountains, the Bunite
Creek, the Nantac Mountains, prai-
rie twenty miles wide, and the Blue
Mountains, down to Black River.
Deer, bear, turkeys, lions and wolves
inhabit the forests along the Rlue
Mountains, while the river and creeks
contributary are full Of fish. We saw
as many as seven deer In a bunch.
Our sport at this season, however,
was spent on mountain trout, which
were abundant and fine. This is the
closed season for deer and turkey,
and consequently we could not kill
them legally. But we had plenty of
fish to eat.
On our route we passed the cliff
dwellings, where the prehistoric race
dwelt. These are mostly dug-outs in
the sides of mountains. We travelled
the trails and drank from the springs
where Buffalo Bill and many other
noted outlaws studied their cam
paigns of terror. We passed the
cabin in which was their rendezvous.
1t Is now in ruins. We also passed
through the Apache indian reserva-
tion, but not near Fort Apache. On
our way out and returning we passed
day with Pete Slaughter, as he Is
familiarly called. He has spent over
twenty years in the mountains with
his cattle. He does not know how
many he has, but they number up
into the thousands. He recently
bought small herd and added them
to his ranch, paying 1000 for them.
He and one Of his punchers gave us
a good dinner and asked us to call at
the camp at any time we happeued to
be in their range. Cattle punchers
are all jolly, big-hearted fellows, sla
TO see you and make you welcome
about the camp. We slept on the
ground. There were two ladies in
our party. They were not afraid Of
snaks, torrantula, ETC., nor were they
wakeful on account of the prevalence
| of bear, lions, etc, in the vicinity.
They wore divided skirts and of
course rode astride. My comrade was
the vice president Of the bank at this
place, who spent many years punch
ing cattle and knows the trails like
an Indian. We call him :" Uncle Jim"
Robinson. He is in every way quail
fed for companionship on a trip like
this. He Is a fine rider and knows
what horse can do. l have learned
by trying to follow him that horse
can do many things that l did not
before think possible for them to ac-
complish. / did not see "Uucle Jim"
try to make his horse climb a tree,
but from the way he rode up and
down the mountains I will not say
that he could not climb a tree on
horseback. He is a brave man, too,
but one night during an electric
storm he and l left our bed under a
tall pine and sat for quite a while in
the rain, sheltered by our "slickers. :"
We were not afraid, but we did not
want to sleep under that tree till the
storm had passed. We had a great
| trip, and returned much benefited by
the outing.
Mr.. Johnson, who came here re-
Gently from Central, S. c., is doing
we'll.
Miss Caldwell is quite herself and
hard at work in a store.
Best wishes to The Courier and it's
many readers. Very truly,
| G.. Wardlaw.