Year: 1876

ask the sinful reader to turn to our first

 page and calmly read the article under

 the above heading. Alter reading that,

 we ask the same sinful reader to hear us.

 In some late numbers of the Wash.

 ington Chronicle we found interesting

 accounts of the great scientific curios-

 ity called the Tucson Meteorite, and the

 account which we give on our first page

 is substantially as it appeared in the articles mentioned. We were very glad to hear, of this wonderful serolite and in reveries of imagination we had pictured that sometime in the lapse of ages past this strange visitant had fallen like Lucifer from the scenes of it's birth, childhood, first boots and maturer life, and, choosing Tucson among all the favored cities of the earth, had taken this for its resting place. We felt that such conduct was very fitting and proper. We had not been the favorites of fortune to any eI- tent. Other cities had monuments, glue factories, independent newspapers, and men who lived solely for others, but who, throuh scae inserltaible prov idence, had never been translated. We had none of thee, and though we sometimes felt an aching void, we had learned to kiss he rod. We believe though, if one cpuld have pierced the smooth surface d this apparent sub mission, that away down in the hearts of our best citizns would have been found an unsatisied, though perhaps morbid, longing for meteorite.

 Recognizing this state of feeling and condition of the popular mind, upon reading the account which we have compiled on our first page, of the great Tucson aerolite, the aching void in our bosom was filled as it never could have been filled merely by the scientific i'm portsnce of the discovery, and we hast ened to share our pleasure with the public. 'a

 But there is thorn in our rose. Ac- cording to the accounts of some of our oldest citizens, the history of the stone as given in the Washington Chronicle is erroneous in detail, and while the main facts are correct, it seems proper to correct minor circumstances, wrong ly stated. From conversation with some of the people of Tucson, who lived here when the fragment of iron was found and when it was sent away,-a period extending from 1857 to 1862 or 3,-the following facts appear. The aerolite was discovered by Sefor Ramon Pache- co, on the northwest side of the lower range of the Santa Rita mountains southeast of town. Mir. Pacheco was a worthy blacksmith and had 8 shop in town. When he found the meteoricI mass of iron, It weighed some four or five hundred pounds, was about four feet long, foot thick, and, having d smooth or flat surface on one end, it occurred to the finder to bring it into town and, by setting it upright in the ground, it would answer very we'll the purpose of an anvil in his blacksmith shop. Which he did. It was in this blacksmith shop, and in daily use, when first discovered and taken notice of by military officers. It was clearly MT. Pacheco's private property, and he was proud of it. Which was very nat ural, for where was the smith for miles around who could boast an anvil probably discarded by Vulcan himself. Many a pleasant hour had its earthly owner whiled away, thinking of possl- ble orders for thunderbolts for Jupiter that had been filled from Its clear ring ing face. To get possession of this desirable relic, Mir. Pacheco says the military promised to supply him new anvil from the quartermsster's depart ment Upon this hint and after urgent request, he let them have the Vuloanic anvil, and he closes his statement by declaring that since that time he has never seen his aerial anvil, or the quar- termaster anvil, nor any consideration or return for either of them or any part thereof. .a-

 Let us drop lightness of speech and get down to business. We are unprej- udiced in this matter, unless it might be a strong prejudice in favor of any one who undertakes the frequently thankless task of bringing to light a natural curiosity. But there is some thing in this which has an unpleasant ring. Nr. Pacheco is good and truth ful citizen, and it should be understood that at the time of this writing and therefore at the time he made his state ment about the circumstances of the metcorItic anvil being taken from him, he had heard nothing of the Washing ton version. We should regret the necessity of calling the attention of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institu- tion to the possible injustice done by his label on the meteorite, and we de- precate Congressional investigation, but is there any difference between a statement that valuable curiosity is found and recognized in a nile of ruh-