The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-10-19
For The Cecil Wi
LETTER FROM ARIZONA.
ELLIoTT's CANT. Aug. LIST. 49,.

ELLIoTT's CANT, Aug. LIST, 1878.
DEAR WuIG:-It does us a vast amount
Of good to see your old, familiar face now
and then. On reading in your pages about
month ago description Of the decora-
tive services near our old home, we wished
we too had been present; but as the old
English song has it:
MANY mount and many plain,
Aud waters rolling to the main,
Lie twixt my home and me-
l have already given you sketches of life
in the mines, and will now try to describe
to you a mining town as it appeared to me
last night, for spent yesterday afternoon
and last night in Ell Pueblo Prescott. Fol.
lowing the winding trail, we at last came
out on the mountain ridge and looked down
on Prescott, half a mile below on a bar of
Granite creek. Shut in on three sides with
rough, pine clad mountains, we see a clus.
ter of log cabins, board shanties, wooden
houses, and two or three brick stores, the
wonder of Arizona innoceuts. Looking at
the town from distance, it has the appear
ance of having been shaken from a dice box
and let lie.
quarter of mile beyond the town, on
ridge OF rising ground, stands the gov
eminent post, Fort Nhipple. The stars
and stripes float lazi!y on the mountain
breeze before the quarters of the command
ant. Here the boys in blue stroll around
with all the sanqfroid of striped bugs in
Kansas potato patch, or stand guard over
some poor scrub who is doomed TO buila a
stone wall, because he looked for an eclipse
tho off,
smoked. Here the young captain struts
about, banging his sword against his heels,
and curling his tender mustache with the
air Of one who would like nothing better
than to see ten hostile Indians on the other
side of the guard house bars. But they
are not all Sunday soldiers There are
among them war-w veterans who can
tell of many bloody struggle on the bat
tie fields Of the late rebellion. The post is
quite town in itself, almost equaling the
metropolis.
To return 10 Prescott. The Eastern tray-
eler is apt to wonder first at the great num-
Der of saloons and stores. We will take
the principal street aud see what there is
IN It's course: North west corner liuuor
saloon; north east corner, miners outfit
ing house; down the street we find two
saloons, restaurant, another saloon, two
stores, more Saloons more stores and more
saloons; so 1t continues, and one street de
scribes all.
There is one popularity about all West.
eIn towns, from the lowest and smallest
collection Of Mexican ddoJier, which they
dignity with the name of '.El Rancho de
Las Floras, no matter if there is not a
Hover within ten miles Of it, to the high
toned " Pueblos de los Americans" thai
popularity is the Plaza, and its use have
never yet been able to discover. unless il is
a promenading ground for dogs. On the
Plaza you cas- see these useful members of
society at all hours Of the day; when the
first golden spears of the rising sun are
tossed over the ridges of old Sierra Prieta.
there are dogs on the Plaza; when the stars
come out one by one they are greeted with
a canine cheer from that paradise of dogs
There we find little dogs and big dogs: dogs
with long hair and dogs with no hair: fat
terriers, huge New Foundlands. and trim
grey hounds with long slender noses, and
eyes as soft and brown az any girls. To
the Plaza they go to the settle n quarrel or
gnaw bone. To many a dog tight they
treat the town folks. ard are loudly cheered
In various tongues: The "sail in and
"hang TO him " Of the Americans: "viya
no nah mack his " of John Chinamap.
while few Indians look on with their gu,
teral I" chuck ah."
Evening draws her dusky mantle over
and around Prescott very much as she does
IN larger cities. Saloons and stores are
6ta-'hd with light. The gas lighter does
not make his rounds, creating long lines of
stars with touch Of his wand, and gas
meters are dreams of the sweet bye and
bye, existing only in the powerful imagi.
nation OF newspaper editors. The Eastern
man will wonder where so many men come
from at evening in Western town. The
streets are full, so are the saloons. We
will take look into one of these: A bar
On one side and a restaurant on the other,
where the hungry grub hunter may sit and
watch his steak broiling while he sips his
coffee. At the end of the room are a con
pie of doors; being night, these are opened.
showing Western gambling room. On
every side are the green covered tables. and
around them is a strange mixture OF bu.
mainly. Old men and young; white. con
per-colored and black stand side by side.
watching with hungry eyes the turn of the
cards. The gambler embryo can be told
by the drawn lip and nervous look, as he
watches the dealer; the older hand, by the
careless way IN winch he bets, winning or
losing, tts, careless smile never deserts
him. All Might long, the faro table monte
and ''odd and even" draw their crowds. All
night long the violin, banjo and harp may
be heard, and we have many good players
and singers with us. Does il not seem
strange that one of the sweetest cheerers
of life should go hand in hand with one of
its worst vices?-music and gambling.
J. J. r.