Arizona republican., 1914-04-25

Gila, there was only one settlement of any size in all the territory, and that was at Tucson and vicinity. Notwith- standing that fact, IS early as 1856 bill was introduced in congress by Senator Gwin of California known as Duke Gwin' to create the territory of Arizona. A little later Representative Green of Missouri. introduced a bill to create the territory of Arizona" Noth- ing, however, came of either of these attempts. It was not until 1862 that any real effort was made to create the territory of Arizona and the success of this effort was due largely to the ac- tivity of the late Colonel Charles D. POston, who. with a few others went on to Washington and lobbied a bill through congress which became a law by the signature of Abraham Lincoln on the 24th day of February, 1863 This was at the very darkest period of the Civil War and before any great victory for the Union army had been won. This. however. was doubtless favorable to the passage of the bill. for political considerations undoubtedly had much to do with it's success. Notwithstand
 ing this. it must have been a matter of great difficulty to arouse sufficient in terest in congress to secure it's pas sage. Judging from the experience of those of us who had anything to do with persuading congress to admit us to statehood. these old lobbyists must have been gifted in the art of persua- sion. They must also have been facie prevaricators, for one of the commit tees that reported the bill favorably stated that it had been represented to it that there were 10000 people within the boundaries of the proposed terri tory. exclusive of Indians. when the truth was that there were probably not 1 many more than 1000. inasmuch as the 1 first census taken in 1864 showed a 1 population of only a. little more than 1 1 900 people and more than one half of 1 these could not speak the English | language
 | The story is told that the men who 1 were most active in getting the bill <, through congress when they felt as sured of success. met in a room in a Washington hotel to parcel out the of fees. One of their number was se- i lected as governor. another as seCre- tarv another as surveyor general, an 1 other as United States attorney. but one (Colonel Poston). the most active of them all was left unprovided for and he very naturally inquired of the | others where he was to come in. The i happy thought occurred to one of them that the bill should be amended or an other act passed providing for another l office that of commissioner of Indian
 affairs, and this plan was at once ac- 1 cepted as solution of their difficulty
 and so everybody was made happy
 Although the organic act became a 1 law in February 1862. the appointments ! to fill the offices were made late in the year when John A. Gurley of Ohio. was appointed governor, R. C. Mccormick
 of New York, was appointed secretary; Levi Bashford of Wisconsin, surveyor | general; Almon Gage of New York
 United States attorney, and Milton B Duffield of California, United States l marshal: w. F. Turner of Iowa was named chief justice; and Joseph P. AL lyn of Connecticut and w T. Howell ot i Michigan, associate justices True tC | the original agreement, Poston was made commissioner of Indian affairs.
 John A. Gurley died shortly after
 his appointment as governor and Johr \. Goodwin of Maine, was appointed | to fill the vacancy. In September 1863 Governor Goodwin. Secretary McCor 1 mick, with most of the other officers
 of the new territory, left Leavenworth Kansas for Arizona. They reached
 Santa F'e in November and journeyed west from that place under the escort of two companies of volunteers, under l Chavez. On December 2S they reached | Navajo Springs, where they went into
 camp having determined that they
 were then well within the boundaries of the new territory. The next day
 December 29, they proceeded to organ
 ze the new government. After raising
 the flag and firing salute. Secretary | Mccormick, who was something of ar
 orator, made speech and Governor Goodwin issued a proclamation declar-
 ing the territorial government estab- lished. Soon after this interesting
 ceremony the party resumed it's jour ney westward. It was originally the idea of Governor Goodwin to fix the
 territorial capital at Tucson but it wa.
 finally decided best to establish a new
 one farther north. In advance of tho
 leaving of the Goodwin party iron
 Santa Fe, a military expedition had
 been sent out to locate a temporary
 capital. At the time the governors
 party arrived in the territory, this ad-
 vance expedition had established mil
 itary post at Del Rio, about P mile:
 north of Prescott, naming it For
 Whipple. The governor and his party
 reached Del Rio in January 1864. Al
 once Governor Goodwin issued proc
 lamation creating three judicial dis
 tricts and assigning the judges WhC
 were to preside therein. About the time of the arrival of the governor at De
 Rio, the first newspaper to be pub iished in the territory was started
 called the Miner" Early copies O 1 this newspaper are to be found in tht
 state library. The capital remained a
 Del Rio until May 1864. when it wa:
 removed to Prescott, where it remained
 until changed to Tucson in 1867. On'
 of the first things done after the or
 ganization of the territory was thu
 calling of the election of the legislatur'