Weekly journal-miner., 1919-10-15

discussion as to the most appropriate name for the newborn city; he was one of that city's venerable land marks, white-haired but still fluent and full of fine memories, when I heard him tell the story.
 Already little corner of the beau tiful willow-grown basin in the hills were now our streets go had been named Goodwin in honor of the first governor, but the name was not off, cially fixed and most of that brilliant group of men who were our first off, cials, felt that a name of much great CT significance should be chosen.
 The younger men of the party had been in some degree led into Arizona by the greatest books of the greatest romantic historian of our time, then himself daring genius who had poured red blood into history and made the lost civilizations of Peru and Mexico to live for his own gen eration. Prescott's Conquest of Mexico" was on every lip in those days and the relation of Arizona to the older Mexico, with even remnants of allied native civilization, made it seem that no other name could be so appropriate for the capital city of the new-come race, the dominant white men who were there to stay.
 It was young Richard Mccormick, secretary to the new governor, and destined soon to be governor him self man of fine learning and real gifts in literature, already a news paper man and writer of some note, who argued down all opponents to the name of the historian whose books had cast a spell of romance over the region for him
 I wish some artist would paint the scene for the walls of our new court house-as 1 was told the party, dozen or more, were gathered around table in the evening, all in lively discussion and each upholding his own choice of name Then the hand some young secretary caught up his beloved books, flung them on the table, and in the fire light spoke with such charm and conviction for his favorite that he carried them all with him and Prescott was named.
 1 have been interested to know that in the first October which saw the establishment of the City of Prescott the first legislature of the new terri tory was in session. 1 wonder if! some of us who are gathered to enjoy the Fair will not like to know what happened on these same October days ill 1864?
 The 10th of October fell upon a Sunday and the legislature had ad- journed Friday afternoon to meet again on Monday the 17th.
 There were too many Indians in the hills around town for the legis- lators to take many joy rides or pleasure excursions and although there was a little Sunday school I don't imagine many of them attended. Judge Fleury was the official chaplain of the legislature but he has told it on himself that the members used the time allotted to his prayers to chew tobacco, take a sly drink, see if their guns were in good order, dis cuss the last Indian raid, or a chunk of ore somebody had just brought in out of the hills.
 However, there was a solemn end ing to this day of rest for one of the members died that evening, and the legislature met on the 17th to pass resolutions of respect and regret and then adjourned to attend the funeral in a body that afternoon The serv- ices were held in the capitol building, the same building which still stands in Prescott as a monument of the past.
 On the 18th the legislature met to discuss Indian raids and to offer vote of thanks to Col. King $. Wool ! sey for his success in leading voluu- teer expeditions against the Apache Indians Means of keeping on hand 1 arms and ammunition for such cNpc- ] ditions against the Indians were dis i cussed and plans for protecting the ! town and settlers. A far cry from ] the anxiety, uncertainty, hopes and l fears of that first October to the | peace and prosperity and develop ment of the present one.
 Lest we forget" I am offering a notable bit of that local history which { we should all be eager to preserve; 1 the story of the most famous Indian | fight which took place near Prescott, ! written by one of our first and most ! respected pioneers. 1 must ask him