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Wells had grown into a place of much importance, it being the largest stage station on the road between Yuma and Tucson. In 1870 the station came into the possession of Larkin W. Carr and James A. Moore, the latter one of the oldest residents of the Territory, coming here from California during the early mining settlements.

There was a good wagon road from Phoenix to the Wells from which, before crossing the Gila river, the traveler had a good view of the Maricopa Indian Village. This road also passed Henry Morgan's trading post. Morgan also operated a ferry on this road across the Gila, known as Morgan's Ferry. At the Wells, Carr and Moore had a large store, well filled with goods of every kind; a well of good water which never dried, and around the station was a grassy valley and a mesquite grove. From Maricopa Wells could be seen the stone face of the southern end of the Maricopa Mountains, which had the appearance of the face and head of an Indian, and which the Pimas believed was a profile of their god, Montezuma. It was the custom of these Indians when water became scarce in the Gila River, and short crops seemed imminent, to beseech this god to send rain and snow, that the Gila might again fill up and enable them to raise an abundant harvest of corn and vegetables.

As one neared the station, coming from the west, a still better view could be had of this interesting mountain profile. Mrs. Clifford, in her "Overland Tales," speaks of it in the following words:

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Among the most beautiful of all the legends told here, is that concerning this face. It is Montezuma's face, so the Indians believe (even those in Mexico who have never seen the image), and he will awaken from his long sleep some day, will gather all the brave and the faithful around him, raise and uplift his downtrodden people, and restore to his kingdom the old power and the old glory, as it was before the Hidalgos invaded it. So strong is this belief in some parts of Mexico that people who passed through that country years ago, tell me of some localities where fires are kept constantly burning, in anticipation of Montezuma's early coming. It looks as though the stern face up there was just a little softened in its expression by the deep slumber that holds the eyelids over the commanding eye; and all nature seems hushed into deathlike stillness. Day after day, year after year, century after century, slumbers the man up there on the height, and life and vegetation sleep on the arid plains below, a slumber never disturbed, a sleep never broken, for the battle cry of Yuma, Pima and Maricopa, that once rang at the foot of the mountain, did not reach Montezuma's ear; and the dying shrieks of the children of those who came far over the seas to rob him of his scepter and crown, fell unheeded on the rocks and deserts that guard his sleep.'

Here also the Indians were accustomed to exchange their grain and other products for ballettas, tickets payable in merchandise at the store, and with the prodigality of the untutored race, spent much of their earnings in useless apparel, as illustrated by the following:

The stores always kept a supply of goods unsalable in other localities, but which were greedily purchased by these Indians. Maricopa Charley, who died only a few years ago, at that time a young man, was rather fond of dress parade. According to John F. Crampton, he came into the store one day, then owned by Moore and Carr, and seeing some hoops hanging up, asked what they were. He was told that white ladies wore them beneath their skirts. Mr. Moore showed him how they were fastened around the waist. Charley wore an old cast-off plug hat, and a "G" string. He seemed delighted, with the hoops, said: "How much?" He was told the hoops would cost him $3.50. "I take it." He then pointed to a large green umbrella and asked the price of it, and was told it also was $3.50, and said, "I take it." Then, with the hoops fastened to his waist, and the umbrella hoisted over his head, he placed himself on dress parade for about four hours, much to the amusement of the whites and the delight of the other Indians.

Maricopa Wells was a place of much importance for many years. After the building of the Southern Pacific, it was a supply point for the Salt River Valley until the building of the Maricopa and Phoenix Railroad, when its glory departed. It is now only a mass of ruins, overgrown with mesquite and other desert plants.

CHAPTER IV.

SETTLEMENT OF THE SALT RIVER VALLEY. DESCRIPTION OF VALLEY-ANCIENT RUINS AND CANALS-ADVENT OF THE SWILLING PARTYORGANIZATION OF THE SWILLING IRRIGATING CANAL COMPANY-TAKING OUT OF CANALS AND PLACING LAND UNDER CULTIVATION-BIOGRAPHY OF "DARRELL DUPPA" WHO NAMED PHOENIX DESCRIPTION OF DUPPA'S AGUA FRIA STATION-KILLING OF JAMES NELSON BY "JIM" SMITH-JOHN LARSEN-THOMAS J. L. HOAGUE — FRANK METZLER-JACOB DENSLING-TOM MCGOLDRICK-OTHER EARLY SETTLERS EARLY WATER CLAIMS"THE PHOENIX DITCH COMPANY"-"SALT RIVER DITCH COMPANY"-"PRESCOTT DITCH COMPANY"-"HAYDEN MILLING AND FARMING DITCH COMPANY"-"VIRGINIA FARMING DITCH COMPANY"-"SALT RIVER FARMING DITCH COMPANY"-"MONTEREY DITCH COMPANY" - THOSE WHO FOLLOWED THE SWILLING PARTY-FIRST FLOURING MILLS IN THE SALT RIVER VALLEY.

After the location of the capital at Prescott, a journey was made from the capital to Wickenburg and thence across what is known as the Salt River Valley to the Pima and Maricopa Indian Villages. This valley is about fifty miles in length east and west, and fifteen miles wide from north to south, containing approximately seven hundred and fifty square miles, and over four hundred thousand acres of land, with the Salt River running through it, near

the center of the valley; a sparkling stream the year round, its banks fringed with cottonwood and willow; the land level and susceptible of irrigation. The evidences of a prehistoric race were everywhere in evidence, small mounds scattered over the valley, which when uncovered, revealed what were formerly houses, made of sun dried brick, adobes. The traces of old canals were also to be seen. The map attached hereto, prepared by Herbert R. Patrick at a later date, gives approximately the courses of these canals. There was nothing at that time to break the solitude. The valley was covered with galleta grass, which was a most excellent fodder for stock.

In the spring of 1867, John Y. T. Smith had a contract to deliver hay to Fort McDowell, which had been established in 1865. He built the first house in the valley as a hay ranch, laid out a road through the valley to Fort McDowell, and had a few cattle grazing near his camp.

In September, 1867, John W. Swilling, whose name appears many times in this history, was travelling from Camp McDowell to Wickenburg, and stopped at Mr. Smith's hay camp for a few days. He was impressed with the many possibilities attending the irrigation of this fertile valley, which appeared almost level, with the waters of the Salt River flowing through it. It seemed an easy task to throw these waters over the fertile desert, which was all that was necessary to make this desert valley blossom as a rose. A market for all its products was assured, for grain, at that time, was brought in from Cali

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