Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-01-23
Famous San Bernardino Ranch
 Ranch Leased to California People

Hon. John H. Slaughter has leased the San Bernardino ranch to George D. Stephens and brothers, of Woodlaw, California, for period of ten years. This lease was secured by the Cali. fornia parties at rental of $l20,000 | for the ten years.
 | MT. Slaughter will remain on the ranch for year, during which time he will dispose of extensive cattle and other stockholdings.
 The San Bernardino ranch is one of the historic spots in the west and its owner, MT. Slaughter, is one of the pioneers of Arizona. On the old over land trail which connected San Anto- nio, Texas, with San Diego, California, and over which the first Americans trav- eled through the country now known as Arizona, San Bernardino was station. When the Mormon battalion passed through this country in ls46, returning from the service of their country, a stop of several days was made at San Bernardino and from there came across the Sulphur Springs valley and went down the San Pedro, cutting across to Tucson via the Pantano country. Lieutenants Averil and Rice made the last military camp, other than at a regular post, recorded in the final ex- termination of the last band of hostile Apaches. This was only about eleven years ago and was long after Geronimo and his band had been shipped from the territory to Florida by General Miles, then in command of the mill tary department including Arizona. MT. Slaughter and Arthur Fisher, who has been at the San Bernardino ranch for years, accompanied Averil and Rice on their last scout, when the last rene gade Indian was overtaken and extermi- mated, three Indians being killed Since then there has not been white man killed by an Indian in Arizona.
 Mir. Slaughter arrived in Arizona from the state of Texas, where he had enlisted in the Confederate army when mere bcy, bringing to the territory herds of cattle which he located on the San Pedro river, but about the time Tombstone was first coming into ex istence as a mining camp and sometime before any mineral discovery had been made in the Warren district. It was some time afterwards that he secured the San Bernardino ranch which was included in the old Spanish land grant. Since then continual improvement has been made until it is now rated as the best ranch property in the territory of Arizona. 1t consists of many thous ands of acres on this side of the inter national line and many thousands of acres on the Mexican side. The San Bernardino ranch has always been not ed for its unstinted hospitality since the days MT. and Mrs. Slaughter went on it, and many distinguished men have been entertained there, in Miles, Lawton, and other high military ofiic- ials.
 On the San Bernardino ranch today are nine artesian wells which supply abundance of water for the irrigation OI I,obO oi do AtiNht ishh "S N1H be found in America. Hundreds of acres are planted every year to alfalfa, wheat and oats, while large acreage is devoted 10 garden farming, from which profits of from $4,000 to s5,OOO have been annually realized.
 MT. Slaughter stated to party of friends that he did not know just what he would do when the time comes for him to leave San Bernardino, but his friends and those of Mrs. Slaughter in Douglas hope that he will decide to make his future home in Douglas where he is already heavily interested in many local enterprises, including the Doug las Improvement company and the Bank of Douglas.
 During his long residence in Cochise county Mir. Slaughter has several times been called into official service. He served two terms as sheriff and was a member of the council of the legisla- ture which met two years ago.