Arizona republican., 1922-04-12
NATIVE DAUGHTER
TELLS Of THE EARLY
DAYS IN TOMBSTONE

The following interesting account
of early days in Arizona, written by
Bertha Bauer Strinker. of 1926 West
Monroe street, Phoenix, from Ienli-
niscences related to her by her par
ents, Mr.. and Mrs. A. Bauer, both OF
whom have passed TO the Great Be-
yond to join other honored pioneers
of Arizona, was received by Tile Re-
publican last year too late for publi-
cation in the Pioneer Edition issued
on the opening day OF the first re-
union.
However. It has been carefully pre-
served and The Republican is now
From a Native Daughter" and is
as follows:
Since reading The Republican con-
cerning the "reminiscences OF early
pioneers, it is with pride that ] may
be allowed to write this article. in
memory OF my dear mother and
father. who are now dead.
How 1 have wished that they could
participate in this Reunion of Pio-i
neers and relate their experiences of
early days in Arizona, but they have
passed on and as read of the early
lives of others, felt it my duty to
tell of their hardships. their depriva-
tfons. as l have often heard them tell,
and in later years of the 'luxuries and
pleasures they denied themselves so
they may leave for their children a
valuable estate. and a name of which
A. Bauer"
They left California in the early
seventies, travelling overland. At
that time they had three children,
aged 4 years, 2 years and three
months, respectively. They were
we'll equipped, their outfit consisting
OF three fine covered wagons and sl1e
very best of horses
have often heard them tell OF
their encounters with the Indians and
of how the Indians would lay their
papooses in the ROAD to see what
would happen to them: of ROW moth
er would try to hush their crying,
when all of a sudden an Indian IN
war paint would emerge from hiding
in the brush and take the papoose,
and finally the congregation OF SO
or more Indians: of their tying to
converse with them, by sign lam
guage mostly. They would give
them freely of their provisions and
always plenty of sugar, Tor which
they were very thankful. After they
were supplied they would order Them
to drive on, one Indian riding in ad-
vance to warn tribes ahead not to
bother them.
They often Travelled az night and
one night just before they ger into
Mohave one of the horses began to
shy. Father got out 10 sec. what
was the matter and discovered seven
newly made graves. with signs OF
blood on the ground. They drove on
and when they arrived in Mohave
that night everyone there was sur
prised to think that they got in there
alive. as some of the men had lust
returned that morning from burying
this entire family of seven. The In
dians had murdered them the night
before.
Nowhere along the entire trip were
they molested. They always seemed
to have the friendship Of the Indians,
but / have often heard mother say
how glad she was that she had plen-
ty of everything to give them.
They stayed at Signal for awhile
and engaged in the butcher business
there. There was no hank there at
that time and the miners there en-
trusted their money in my parents
care. Later, bank opened there.
u
Many of the miners did not do busi-
ness with this bank, but still let my
parents take care of their money.
Later. this bank failed. MY people
lost considerable there. The only
ones saved were the miners whose
savings they had in trust.
They arrived in Phoenix in March
and camped, where the Santa Fe de-
pot now stands.
have heard them say how Mr..
Goldman asked them to remain here,
but the weather was 10 warm for
them, and they decided to move on.
They then went to Tucson.
Mother had $4,000 tnat she had
concealed. They were not going TO
stay there either. and she didn't feel
that she wanted to carry this amount
OF money with her, so there was a
bank there which was nothing more
than safe in grocery store, but
she felt it was safer there: so she
deposited her $4,000. In a few
weeks the bank failed and sne lost