Early Prospecting in Gila County-Discovery of Copper at Clif- ton-Captain Hardy's Prospecting Expedition-Mining at the "Vulture"-R. C. McCormick's Opinion as to Possibilities of the Territory-Restoration of Mail and Freight Lines.. 279 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ARIZONA. No Protestant Churches in Territory in 1866-Resumption of Labors by Catholics-Arrival in Arizona of Bishop Lamy- Visits Prescott and Tucson-Commencement of Churches in Tucson and Yuma-Establishment of School at San Xavier- Arizona Made Part of Surveying District of New Mexico- Deputy Surveyor Pierce Makes Contract for Survey of Cer- tain Lands-Selected "Initial Point"-Military Protection Withdrawn-Work Abandoned-Pierce Recommends Subdi- vision of Salt River Valley-Arizona Attached to Surveying District of California-Contracts for Surveys Made With THE COLORADO RIVER INDIAN RESERVATION. Methods of Indian Agents-C. B. Genung's Account of Journey to Arizona-Presents Gifts to Indians-Placed in Charge of Reservation-Takes Out Ditch and Encourages Indians in Agricultural Pursuits-Resigns-Goes to California to Pur- HISTORY OF ARIZONA. CHAPTER I. CONDITIONS IN 1865. LETTER OF R. C. MCCORMICK-AREA AND BOUNDARIES OF ARIZONA - METALLIC WEALTHCLIMATE APACHES-MEANS AND EXPENSES OF GETTING TO ARIZONA-FIRST COUNTIES MAIL ROUTES. No account of conditions in a country, state or territory can be so well stated in after years as related by someone living in the country at the time. On June 1st, 1865, Richard C. McCormick, then Secretary of the Territory, wrote a letter to the "New York Tribune," which was printed in that paper, and afterwards reproduced in pamphlet form under the title of ARIZONA: ITS RESOURCES AND PROSPECTS. It gives a concise, succinct account of conditions in the territory at that time, and is here reproduced: "New York, June 1, 1865. "To the Editor of the 'New York Tribune.' "Sir, I have pleasure in responding to your request for a brief and comprehensive account for The Tribune, of the resources and prospects of the Territory of Arizona, as now estimated by those familiar with the same. I think with you that such an account will be acceptable to the people of the Atlantic coast, the mass of whom have only a vague and unsatisfactory notion of the boundaries, the climate, the means of access, and the general characteristics of the Territory, which is at once one of the largest and richest of our Pacific possessions. "To be rightly appreciated, Arizona must be taken as a whole. Those who know it only as "The Gadsden Purchase,' those who have no knowledge of more than the Colorado River district, and those who are only familiar with the newly-opened central and northern regions, are incompetent to furnish that complete view of the Territory which is necessary to a correct understanding of its varied and extensive resources, and to a proper estimate of its progress and prospects. "In the beginning, I wish to correct the common impression that Arizona, as erected into a territory, contains only the tract of land acquired under the treaty with Mexico in 1854, and familiarly known as "The Gadsden Purchase.' While but half of that tract is included in the Territory (that portion west of the 109° longitude, the remainder being in New Mexico), a region of country north of the Gila River, and vastly greater in extent, is comprised within the same. The general lines of the Territory are thus defined in the organic act, approved February 24, 1863:-'All that portion of the present Territory of New Mexico situate west of a line running due south from the point where the southwest corner of the Territory of Colorado joins the northern boundary of the Territory of New Mexico to the southern boundary line of said Territory of New Mexico.' In other words, all of New Mexico, as formerly existing, between the 109° longitude and the California line, embracing 120,912 square miles, or 77,383,680 |