Arizona republican., 1921-04-13

nix, the present day automobile driv-
 CT would surely say that I had drunk
 of the waters of the Hassayampa. And if Harvey Herrick, the boy who
 drove the National Six to victory some years ago in the Phoenix-Los Angeles road race, were to hear re lated the drives that were made by his father, Newton Herrick, holding
 the lines over the biz sorrels, Maje and Fox, then owned by Herrick & Luhrs, he would probably say that no such feat could be performed by flesh and blood, and that the dis
 tances could only be negotiated in the time by a modern buzz-wagon-
 Gribble's plan was spectacular, but not safe. He had a driver for the little black mares, one John Johnson, and he sat beside Johnson with sawed off, double barreled shotgun loaded with the heaviest buckshot, so carried that 1t could be instantly trained upon any hold up besides be- ing otherwise heavily armed; the bullion, of course, being in the buggy. But to make assurance doubly sure, as Gribble thought, he employed an out-rider who was also heavily armed, to ride ahead of the buggy at a distance of about 100 yards, for the purpose of beating the brush for prospective hold-ups. For many months after Mir. Gribble assumed the superintendency of the mine 1t was a common sight to see him drive into Phoenix thus armed and guard ed. This continued until March 19, 1888, and on the early morning of that day Gribbie left the Vulture in the buggy with the bullion, Johnson driving and his out-rider, Charles l.> ,a1 ID,-ifN to that Doolittle had been engaged with some business associates in at tempting to work over the tailings at Smiths mill but without success, and he was compelled temporarily to take the job of out rider for Gribble. They proceeded in safety as far as the exact spot where Barney Martin and his family were turned out of the road in the summer of 1886: and as that spot is of somewhat horrific interest. it is well to particularly de- scribe it. Judging from the map, it is few miles westerly of the station
 Nada, on the Phoenix and Prescott railroad It is the first material de-
 pression in the desert going on the old freight road from the Agua F'ria to the Hassayampa, and 1t is some six or eight miles from the Desert we'll. and about 10 miles from Smiths mill. This depression was at one time apparently an old water course carrying water from the Castle creek mountains into the Hassayampa, but in those early days there was no fn-
 dication of it's having carried any large quantities of water in any re-
 cent times. T would say that this depression is about seven feet below the general level of the desert, and is perhaps 100 yards in width. Irnme- diately at the foot of the steep decliv- ity on the south and Phoenix side of this depression there was in those days very small water course. or gutter, about one foot deep. and an average of about IA inches in width, and, as is common where greasewood grows, the north banks of this little
 water course had on it slightly thicker growth of greasewood. On the morning of March 19. 1888, some one had cut some other greasewood, and had, on each side of the road, in- serted some of the cut greasewood among the branches of the grease wood there growing, and thereby making thicker screen for anyone
 who might choose to lie down in this little gutter and hide himself. At least two men did lie down and hide themselves behind this greasewood screen, and at least one other laid down in little rifle pit on the west l side of the road and about 200 yards ] southeasterly from the top of the l little declivity. The out-rider passed l in safety the ambuscade at the foo
 of the declivity. without noticins l anyone secreted there. and passed or I up anS out onto the desert, where h' I was shot by the man lying in the rift l pit. and Gribble and Johnson cam'
 along in the buggy, and were no o.Sa;lea ,1ntiJ they were DracticalF