Charlevoix county herald., 1912-03-30

the lOTly-elBulu iutuuci VI
the Union, and completed the
nation of states from ocean
to ocean, has had a history
probably as turbulent and trying as
any state in the Union. The struggles
of the Pilgrims of Massachusetts, the
Hollanders who coloniZed New York,
the Qua.cr. -,ho settled Pennsylvania
and the English who brought civiliza-
ton to the Virginia shores were no
harder than those Of the pioneers OF
Arizona. They were killed by lndi'
ans, robbed by lawless people of their
own nationality starved upon the des'
erts, frozen in the snow-capped noun
tains and bitten by poisonous reptiles.
They had no government for many
years and fought as hard to get terri
torial rights as they have been fight
ing for the past ten years to get
statehood rights. They were on the
point of rebelling at one time ana
even went so far as to establish ter
ritorial form OF government or their
own despite the expressed desire OF
congress, exemplified in its refusal to
grant territorial government, that
they should remain part of New
Mexico.
Their nearest peace and judicial Of
ficials were then four hundred miles
away, at Mesilla, N. NJ, and their law
was the law of the strongest against
the weakest. At one time all OF the
present state Of Arizona was the
county of Arizona, attached to New
Mexico for purposes Of administration
only.
Gen. Nelson A. Miles, General Law
ton, General Crook and many other
noted men OF the United States army
gained their first fame in campaigning
in Arizona. It was from Arizona that
the only raid of United States troops
was ever made into foreign country
not then at war with us; the soldiers
were after Indians who had been kill
ing and robbing in Arizona. The his
tory of Arizona is thrilling from Its
inception to the present day.
The origin of the name Arizona if
not definitely known. Bancroft, the
historian, and some others have In
sisted that the name is from sup
posed Pima Indian word, "Arizonac.
although Bancroft admits that thu
aboriginal meaning Of the term is no
known" The historian treats al
Extremely absurd" the suggestion
that the name is of Spanish derlva
ton, and he apparently bases tha
conclusion upon the fact that ther
is no similar word in Spanish.
But il is possible that Arizona
L., TN frny h
Spanish words arida zona (arid zone)
The well-known tendency of unedu
Gated speakers Of Spanish to leav
off the last syllables Of words endin
In vowels and their tendency to ru
words together would easily tran:
form arida zona into Arizona"
First True Exploration.
II was about 1927 that Cabeza
Vaca turned his wandering footster
to the Hopi and Zuni villages In tn
northeast, gaining Mexico at last b
way of the friendly Pima settlement
along the Gila.
II was In 1910 that Vasco de Cor
nado. governor OF Mexico, lured
the golden tales Of a monkish trave
er. started northward on the first trr
exploration OF that mysterious Ian
He sought the tabled Seven Cities
Cibola. where gold and precious gen
payed the streets. Though he did n
find the object of his search his e
pedition led to Spanish settlemen
and agriculture, and mining b;
some development
Back again into barbarism was A
zona plunged by the Mexican war 4
independence, and not until the Gao
den purchase, in 1S4S, did the fir
hand of governmental authority aga
take hold Even then, however,
that was known of Arizona was a u;
row strip within which the Southe
Pacific railroad now runs and alo
which flowed the tide OF travel frc
the eastern states to the gold fel
of California.
Treachernous Indians OF Long Agt
When the white man first came
Arizona there were approximately
900 Indians within the borders OF {
territority. The principal tribes we
the Nayajos, Hopis. Wallapais, Chen
huevis, Havasupias. Mohaves. PIN
Maricopas, Yumas, Papagoes a
Apaches. of which there were seve
groups or divisions. The Nava.
perpetrated several massacres in
early days, but H. was not long beft
all the Indians except the Apacf
had been subdued.