1The road runs along the bed of the stream for a part of the way; when the river is high quicksands are troublesome, and the road is sometimes impassable; whenever this is the case, the route is via the Vulture Mine, by which the distance is increased 18 miles.From Wickenburg to Prescott, via Walnut Grove, the distance, by a very rough trail, is estimated at 55 miles. Ranch at Walnut Grove, half way.From Wickenburg to Camp McDowell direct, by trail, the distance is estimated at 65 miles.2There is a road from this point down the Hassyampa to Burke’s Station on the road between Fort Yuma and Maricopa Wells, with the following Camps:—Gila Bend, 40 miles; Cottonwoods, 25 miles; Camp opposite Oatman’s Flat, 10 miles; Agua Caliente, 16 miles; Burke’s Station (fording Gila River), 5 miles—total, 96 miles. The road is quite good, (though seldom traveled) and water, grass and wood are to be found at all the above Camps.From Date Creek to Maricopa Wells, the road is taken to Salinas Lower Crossing (78 miles), thence by the Gila Lower Crossing (17 miles) to Maricopa Wells (6 miles)—total, 102 miles. In winter, when the Salinas and Gila are too high to ford, by going about 3 miles further up the Gila to Morgan’s, advantage can be taken of a Ferry without increasing the distance to Maricopa Wells.From Camp McDowell to Prescott, by a proposed wagon road that is opened from Prescott to Agua Frio, the distances are estimated as follows:—Camp McDowell to Agua Frio, 47½ miles; Dickson’s Ranch, bynewly opened road, 23 miles; Agua Frio Ranch, by old road, 18 miles; Prescott, 21 miles—total distance, 110 miles.The road from Camp McDowell to Camp Reno has the following camping grounds:—Camp Miller, 16 miles; Camp Carroll, 4½ miles; Camp O’Connell, 4 miles; Camp Reno, 8½ miles—distance, 33 miles.From Camp Reno to Camp Verde, by a newly opened road, it is to Camp in Green Valley, 30 miles; thence to Camp Verde, by trail, 60 miles—total distance, 90 miles.3In rainy seasons, when the route by Agua Frio is impassable, it is necessary to take the right fork to Salinas Lower Crossing, (22 miles) thence up the north bank of the Salinas to Phœnix (about 23 miles)—total, 45 miles,—increasing the distance from Camp Date Creek to Camp McDowell about 16 miles.
During the winter the Gila is usually and the Salinas occasionally, unfordable.
At Prescott, clerks receive from $50 to $125 per month, with board often thrown in; carpenters and painters, from $4 to $6 per day; masons, from $6 to $8, and in some cases, when a man is possessed of superior skill, as high as $10 per day; ranch hands, herders, cow-boys, from $25 to $50 per month, and board; common laborers, from $2 to $3 per day; domestic servants, men and women, from $25 to $40 per month; but as yet there is no great demand.
The road from Maricopa Wells to Pima Villages is cut up with small gullies, from 1 to 4 feet deep, with steep sides, which, in rainy seasons, are muddy and troublesome.
The left fork leads up the Gila to Adamsville, 2½ miles distant, where are two stores, a mill, etc., and thence to Ruggles and Ewing’s Ranch, (4 miles) where is a store; here the road intersects the road between Camps McDowell and Grant.
Camp Grant to Camp Goodwin.—In very rainy seasons it is necessary to go via Tucson, distance 202 miles. The shorter and better route, except in winter, is up the San Pedro River, 57 miles, to within 8 miles of Tres Alamos, where the left fork leads to Croton Springs, distance 25 miles, and thence to Camp Goodwin, 71 miles—total distance, 153 miles. On this road there are plenty of water, grass and wood, all along the San Pedro River.
Camp Grant to Camp Bowie.—To Croton Spring, distance 82 miles; thence to intersection with road between Tucson and Camp Bowie, distance 16 miles, and thence to Camp Bowie, 37 miles—total distance, 135 miles.
This is a stage station, with stores, etc., of importance. It is the point of divergence for branch stages to Phœnix, Camp McDowell, and Camp Verde.
Fuller, in his Treatise on Silver Mines, says: “Wherever, in any part of the world, silver mines have been worked they are worked now, unless closed for war, invasion of Indians, etc. We know of no silver mines in the world that have given out.” In support of this position, he instances the mines of Mexico, the old Spanish mines, (opened before Humboldt’s time) the South American mines, still as productive as they were three centuries ago, mines in Hungary worked before the Christian era, the silver mines of Freiburg, opened in the 11th century, etc., nearly all now worked with unabated productiveness.
(Going south direct.)
The Rio San Pedro is sometimes impassable in winter on account of high water. The first nine miles of the road is in a cañon, level, and very sandy; the rest of the road to Cañon del Oro is hilly, ascending till near the cañon, when there is a long, steep descent. Three miles beyond Cañon del Oro the road enters the bed of a stream, usually dry; and continues in it to within a half mile of Dry Camp. At the foot of the mountains, opposite Dry Camp, say one and a half miles distant, are the ruins of an old Pueblo, where there is water all the year. The Roieta in winter is a running stream.
1The road from Tucson is over a level mesa till it descends into a cañon, where the Cienega begins. There are several steep hills in the next few miles.The banks of the San Pedro are high and steep, and about ten yards apart.2In winter it is necessary to take the right fork to avoid Eureka Springs and the Cienega, just beyond it, which are then impassable. This road joins the one by Eureka Springs about a mile beyond the spring.3In summer the creek is dry at this point, but water can always be found by descending the creek half a mile.
1Half a mile further the road forks to the left, to Camp Goodwin.
The grasses in Arizona nearly all come up from the root, unlike those of California, which grow from the seed. Therefore, in Arizona, if there should be a year without rain, stock would not die of starvation. The nutritious gramma grass does not appear to run to seed at all.
1The left fork crosses the Santa Cruz at Canoé, recrossing the river near Tubac; (the measurement was made on this road). The right fork does not cross the river, and is longer.2Just beyond Smith’s Ranch, take the left fork to Camp Crittenden. The main road goes into Sonora.Between Tubac and Smith’s Ranch, there are ranches every few miles, with water, grass, and wood.Between Sonoita and Camp Crittenden, there are several ranches with water and grass, but little wood.Road to Tubac very hard and smooth; but very rough from there to Crittenden, through Sonoita Cañon.
1Left fork leads down the right bank to the middle crossing of the San Pedro River, distance 13.32 miles, thence to Camp Bowie or Tucson.2From this point to Camp Goodwin.
1The Tank always contains water. The road from the Tank to the Gila is over a grassy plain with no water in dry season, excepting at Water Holes, near the Junction with the old road along the Rio de Sauz. There water is usually found on the right-hand side of the road.There is another road to Camp Goodwin, via San Simon, (seventeen and a half miles) and thence down the Rio de Sauz, joining the above road at Water Holes, (thirty-one miles) making the distance about eleven miles longer.
[ESTIMATED.]
The road from Tucson to Guaymas, except 15 miles south of Calabasas, where it is heavy in wet weather, is one of the finest on the Pacific coast.
Heavy blankets are a necessity in Arizona; the nights are always cool, even in the height of the “heated term.” Woolen undergarments are desirable at all times.
No. 1. From Colorado Crossing, via Truxton Springs.