memoir of the proposed territory of arizona-第4章

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mines；　but　they　have　at　present　above　ground；　ready　for　smelting；
several　thousand　dollars　worth　of　their　ores。　Prof。　Booth；　U。　S。
Assayer；　as　well　as　other　distinguished　authorities；　have；　after
thorough　experiment；　given　to　the　company　certificates　of　the
great　richness　of　the　ores　already　shipped　to　the　east。　The
annual　report　of　the　Sonora　Mining　Co。　is　full　of　interest　to　the
general　reader。　The　Sopori　mine　is　another　very　valuable
property。　It　is　owned　by　Messrs。　Douglass；　Aldrich；　and　another。
Want　of　capital　has　prevented　the　extensive　development　of　this
mine。　It　affords　its　proprietors　a　handsome　profit；　worked　in　the
smallest　and　cheapest　manner。　The　vein　is　of　great　size；　has　been
traced　several　rods　in　length；　and　pays　about　one　dollar　to　the
pound　of　ore。　The　writer　has　examined　specimens　from　the
〃Sopori；〃　taken　at　random；　and　so　rich　is　the　ore　that　the　native
silver　can　be　cut　out　of　it　with　a　penknife；　as　out　of　a　Mexican
dollar。　Undoubtedly　the　Sopori　mine　is　destined　to　yield　hundreds
of　millions。　It　is　a　peculiarity　of　the　ores　in　this　district
that　they　run　near　the　surface；　making　mining　of　comparative
small　cost。　The　Sopori　mine　is　surrounded　by　a　fine　country；　well
watered　and　wooded。　The　〃Gadsonia　Copper　Mining　Co。；〃　after
taking　out　a　few　tons　of　exceedingly　rich　oreaveraging　over
eighty　per　cent。was　obliged　to　suspend　operations　on　account　of
the　cost　of　transportation。　When　the　Territory　shall　be　organized
and　capital　protected　by　law；　these　mines　will　be　worked　to
advantage。　〃The　Gila　River　Copper　Mines〃　are　more　favorably
situated　than　any　other　yet　opened；　being　directly　on　the　Gila
River；　only　twenty…five　miles　from　its　mouth。　The　ores　can　be
taken　from　the　mine；　immediately　shipped　upon　flat　boats　or　a
light　draft　steamer；　and　transported　down　the　Colorado　River　to
the　head　of　the　Gulf　of　California；　when　they　can　be　transhipped
to　England　at　small　cost。　Upwards　of　twenty　veins　of　copper　ore
have　been　opened；　and　the　assays　give　results　varying　from　30　to
70　per　cent。　These　mines　are　owned　by　Messrs。　Hooper；　Hinton；
Halstead；　and　another。　Several　thousand　dollars　have　been　already
expended　in　prospecting　and　opening　veins；　and　it　was　anticipated
by　the　proprietors　that　the　first　cargo　would　be　shipped　to
Swansea；　England；　this　year。

Smelting　works　will　eventually　be　built　at　the　mines；　or　at
Colorado　City；　opposite　Fort　Yuma；　and　the　profits　of　this
company　must　be　very　great。　The　vicinity　of　the　Colorado；　and　the
abundance　of　wood　and　water；　give　the　proprietors　facilities　for
conducting　their　operations　at　small　cost。

Silver　mining　is　also　carried　on　in　the　vicinity　of　Mesilla
Valley；　and　near　the　Rio　Grande。　Many　other　mining　operations　are
constantly　being　commenced；　but　the　depredations　of　the　Apache
Indians　have　almost　entirely　snatched　success　from　the
hard…working　miner；　who；　besides　losing　his　all；　is　often
massacred　in　some　ferocious　manner。
孨o　protection；　either　civil　or　military；　is　extended　over　the
greater　portion　of　Arizona。　This　checks　the　development　of　all
her　resourcesnot　only　to　her　own　injury；　but　that　of　California
and　the　Atlantic　Statesby　withholding　a　market　for　their
productions；　and　the　bullion　which　she　is　fully　able　to　supply　to
an　extent　corresponding　to　the　labor　employed　in　obtaining　it。

A。　B。　Gray；　Esq。；　late　U。　S。　Surveyor　under　the　treaty　of
Guadalupe　Hidalgo；　for　running　the　Mexican　Boundary；　and
subsequently　Exploring　Engineer　and　Surveyor　of　the　Southern
Pacific　Railroad；　has　probably　seen　more　of　the　proposed
Territory　of　Arizona　than　any　other　person；　his　statements　in
reference　to　that　region；　embodied　in　a　report　to　the　Hon。；　the
Secretary　of　the　Interior；　from　actual　field　reconnoissances　six
years　ago；　will　be　read　with　much　interest；　particularly　as　since
then；　repeated　developments　in　that　country　have　proved　the
correctness　of　his　judgment；　his　opinions　are；　therefore；　of　much
importance；　as　expressed　in　his　able　report。　It　will　be
recollected　that　this　was　then　Mexican　Territory。　Colonel　Gray
says：

〃The　public；　I　think　have　been　misled　by　misrepresentations　made
in　regard　to　the　resources　of　the　region　of　country　lying　along
the　Gila　and　upon　the　line　proposed　for　a　railroad　at　or　near　the
parallel　of　32　degrees　north　latitude。　That　portion　of　country
east　of　the　Rio　Grande　I　can　say　but　little　of　from　personal
observation；　having　been　over　but　apart　of　the　ground　near　the
eastern　division　in　Texas；　and　that　in　the　vicinity　of　El　Paso。
At　both　these　points；　however；　a　fine　country　exists。　Upon　the
Gila　river　grows　cotton　of　the　most　superior　kind。　Its　nature　is
not　unlike　that　of　the　celebrated　Sea　Island　cotton；　possessing
an　equally　fine　texture；　and；　if　anything；　more　of　a　silky　fibre。
The　samples　I　procured　at　the　Indian　villages；　from　the　rudely
cultivated　fields　of　the　Pimas　and　Maricopas；　have　been　spoken　of
as　an　extraordinary　quality。　Wheat；　corn；　and　tobacco；　together
with　beans；　melons；　etc。；　grow　likewise　upon　the　banks　and　in　the
valleys　bordering　the　Gila　and　its　tributaries。　The　sugar　cane；
too；　I　believe；　will　be　found　to　thrive　in　this　section　of　the
country　west　of　the　Rio　San　Pedro。　A　sort　of　candied　preserve　and
molasses；　expressed　from　the　fruit　of　the　cereus　giganteus　and
agave　Americana　was　found　by　our　party　in　1851；　as　we　passed
through　the　Pinal　Llano　camps　and　among　the　Gila　tribes；　to　be
most　acceptable。　The　candied　preserve　was　a　most　excellent
substitute　for　sugar。　It　is　true　that　there　are　extensive　wastes
to　be　encountered　west　of　the　Rio　Grande；　yet　they　are　not
deserts　of　sand；　but　plains　covered　at　certain　seasons　of　the
year　with　luxuriant　grass；　exhibiting　green　spots　and　springs　not
very　remote　from　each　other　at　all　times。　There　is　sufficient
water　in　the　Gila　and　its　branches　for　all　the　purposes　of
irrigation　when　it　is　wanted；　the　streams　being　high　during　the
season　most　needed。　The　Rio　Salado；　a　tributary　of　the　Gila；　is　a
bold　and　far　more　beautiful　river　than　the　Gila　itself；　and；　from
the　old　ruins　now　seen　there；　must　have　had　formerly　a　large
settlement　upon　its　banks。　〃To　many　persons　merely　travelling　or
emigrating　across　the　country；　with　but　one　object　in　view；　and
that　the　reaching　their　destination　on　the　Pacific；　the　country
would　generally　present　a　barren　aspect。　But　it　will　be
recollected　that　the　most　productive　fields　in　California；　before
American　enterprise　introduced　the　plough；　and　a　different　mode
of　cultivation　from　that　of　the　natives　of　the　country；　presented
somewhat　similar　appearance。　Many　believed；　at　first；　from　the
cold　and　sterile　look　of　the　hills；　and　the　parched　appearance　of
the　fields　and　valleys；　over　which　the　starving　coyote　is　often
seen　prowling　in　search　of　something　to　subsist　on；　that
California　could　never　become　an　agricultural　district；　but　must
depend　upon　her　other　　resources　for　greatness；　and　trust　to
distant　regions　for　the　necessaries　of　life　required　for　her
increased　population。　It　was　natural　enough；　too；　that　this
impression　should　be　created　in　those　accustomed　to　a　different
State　of　things；　and　particularly　when　it　is　considered　that　the
very　season　of　blossom　and　bloom　of　our　Atlantic　States　was　the
winter　of　California；　but　these　same　fields　and　hills　have　a　very
different　appearance　in　January；　February；　and　March；　clothed　as
they　are　in　the　brightest　verdure　and　no　one　now　will　pretend　to
say　that　California　does　not　possess　within　herself　great
agricultural　as　well　as　mineral　wealth。　This；　I　believe；　will
some　day　be　the　case　with　the　country　from　the　Rio　Grande　to　the
Gulf　of　California；　adjacent　to　the　Gila。　Senate　Ex。　Doc。　No。　55；
33rd　Congress；　2nd　Session。〃

　*　*　*　*　*　*　*　*

In　speaking　of　the　resources　of　this　region　for　a　railroad；　in
the　same　report；　Gray　says：

〃The　valley　of　Mesilla；　extending　from　about　twelve　miles　above
the　true　boundary　of　the　treaty　to　the　parallel　of　32　degrees　22
minutes　north　latitude；　lies　wholly　within　the　disputed　district；
and　is；　for　its　extent；　one　of　the　most　beautiful　and　fertile
along　the　whole　course　of　the　Rio　Grande。　The　town　of　Mesilla；
only　a　few　years　ol