Year: 1879

ARTvAcA, May 16, 1879.

 EDITOR CITIZEN: Coming from Tucson to Arivaca at this season of the year the travellers impressions of the country are not fiattering. The level tracts surrounding him on either side, bronZed in the summer sun: the lack of running water and the appar- ent thinness of vegetation are not apt to favorably incline him to the coun- try, either from the practical or pie turesque point of view. The noun tains on every side, with their strongly marked shadows and bold projections standing out in clear relief, look so near that we can hardly realize that twenty, thirty and forty miles of space intervene between him and their base, the marvelOusly clear air of Southern Arizona bringing them apparently near to us and enabling us to trace with our naked eyes all the outlines and even the smaller cafions that seam their rocky sides, and yet that level valley, parched though it looks, scanty of vegetation and destitute of water as it may seem, is neither one nor the other. Nutritious grasses everywhere  abound, vegetation is prolific in hardy shrubbery and water is to be had any where by sinking. Large herds of cattle, many of selected breed, are ire quently to Ee seen, and their rounded forms and sleek skins indicate how well the country is adapted for their Sustenance.

 We reach Arivaca just at sunset, and the eyes gladly rest upon that valley, clothed in its bright green raiment Arivaca is not very busy just now. The cOuntenance of Don Pedro, in its placid content, as he looks upon his passing droves of believing cattle, his llOcks of sheep and his musically voiced burrOs, is not reflected in the faces of all the boys; but today new life has been infused into the district, for wagOn-loads of machinery for the Ari- vaca mill have just arrived and more are on the way.

 The mill is at present ready for the reception of gold ore, with the excep- tiOn of new cylinder-head to replace the one lately blown out, and the new one is now on the way and will soon be here, and the chatter of its stamps and the hum of its machinery will shortly be heard. No sweeter music can assail out ears. Thsy intend to put on men hamediately and push the works necessary to reduce silver to al speedy completion, and the five or six months that in my last I thought would elapse before they could receive silver ore will now in all probability be reduced to six weeks, or two months at the utmost. The mill is certainly credit to those building it and un- doubtedly will be a financial success. It is complete in every particular and they manifested their wisdom in hav- ing extra boiler capacity and a power full engine.

 Capt. $. $. Arnold is pushing work in his LOngarena mine, through the contractors, Messrs. Clark and Hard wick, as rapidly as he can. The pay streak is widening as they sink and isl now about twenty-four inches wide the walls are pretty, with nice gorges, and the mine altogether has very favorable outlook. The ore assays re- markably well, NIT. Thatcher, theI gentlemanly and urbane assayer att the Arivaca mill showing me the re- suits to be Sl62 90 for the lowest grade.and $995 "A for the first grade, the assays being made indiscriminate- ly from ore taken out in the last thirty feet of sinking. Capt. ArnOld's en- ergy and shrewdness are earning theirl just reward. ARTS.