10027, 10028. California Farmer And Journal Of Useful Sciences, San Francisco, California, Friday Morning, December 8th, 1865. Items About Arizona, La Paz District

California Farmer And Journal Of Useful Sciences San Francisco, California Friday Morning, December 8th, 1865 Items About Arizona, La Paz District- From some- returned and suffering soldiers , we have gathered some items, such as could not be obtained from those who are now praising up this country, because they have several axes to grind. Over a district of fifty square miles around La Paz , there is only one small mining district, where miners , only Greasers, could live, and this spot is only about twenty miles from La Paz - From La Paz to "Date Creek" is 130 miles. The last 100 miles a desert, with only water in two places, and that not good, the entire 100 miles a barren. On Date Creek, the only chance for agriculture is about 400 or 500 acres that could be cultivated. Small cottonwood trees , and willows, are seen in small patches. Where there has been any ground cultivated, the Indians have run the Creasers off The Creasers are the Farmers there From Date Creek to "Willow Valley, " a distance of twenty five miles, is found a spot of some 600 to 800 acres of good soil, and Mr. Bell, who had a farm on this land, (Willow Valley, ) was killed. At Skull Valley, five miles farther on, is about 400 acres only of good soil. Why the name of "Skull Valley" is not known- We suppose, the place of skulls of s laugh— tered white men . Of the troops stationed in Arizona, a detachment of Co. I was quartered at Skull Valley. They did duty escorting the mail. Two of the soldiers, while hunting in the mountains were attacked by Indians They fled to the valley, where, they were pursued, and killed, and their bodies mutilated. There are now Cal. Inf. , Co. 160 men some troops at Prescott; Co- I, 7th Reg . in all , about E, 4th; Co. A, 1st Cave , It is to the opinion of some returned soldiers, that the La Paz District— Continued. Items About Arizona , Arizona is not worth the cash ex— whole Territory of the troops there one month. One penses of keeping "If the place was under water, it correspondent , says : — were better. A wild, parched desert; Coyotes, Indians , rattlesnakes, wolves, scorpions, and tarantulas, are the Every portion seems at war with general products . civilization . Not a blade of grass without a thorn, not a well of water without snakes and wolves; the very anathema pronounced against Adam seems to be verified in Arizona; the curse is fixed there. " We desire to speak of all such places, and to give such information, as shall either aid the settler in finding a place to redeem and cultivate, or to warn him against a loss of time, money, and life. Our information is derived from a returned soldier, who has had a good opportunity to learn by a residence of scouting all the time He belonged to f i ve months , Company E, of the Fourth Regiment, and has been dis— charged. We solicited this information, that we might furnish it for the Farmer' s interest.