The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-03-04
CHIHUAHUA.
Something About this Mexican
Locality.
How the Towns Appear-IDdians
on the War Path.
Farming, Shsepraising. etc.
CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO,
February 10th. ISS

Editors Herald:
1 do not know whether l have
scOld you or the post for not receiy
ing any papers. Since leaving tn
railroad camp L have only receive,
one HERALD.
All Mexican settlements are s.
much alike that 1 can describe then
all in one. In every one the house
are of adobes Sixty pounds each
most of them in an unfinished o.
ruinouS condition. The fences art
of mud, the streets crooked anC
narrow. Straight lines are out Of
the question; even the shade trees
where there are any, are put out il
irregular and curved lines, and the
same in the vineyards. In orchards
you only see scattered trees that
have been put out by great-grand,
fathers, half destroyed by d0nkeys
aud goats. The urchins run about
in the middle of December in their
'cutty sarks;" the women, with
calico dresses and a little tattered
rebOzd; the men, with knees out of
their breeches and wrapped up in
SerdpeS, hunting the sunny sides
of houses and fences to make
their cigarettes in comfort; and
amongst all run pigs of every size,
lean as scarecrows, and of all colors ;
black, yellow, spotted and a few
white ones. The cocks are priVil-
eyed animals, great care being taken
OF them to prepare them for fighting.
Here, the capitol, is little better.
Most OF the streets are straight, but
rather narrow. Some even have
sidewalks, which are very uneven
and of great benefit to shoemakers.
Trades, like shoemaking, tailoring.
ETC., are carried on on the sunny side
of the shops-on the sidewalk, if
there is any; if not, on the STREET.-THE
save firewOOd, which is rather dear
here.
The principal church is a hand
some building, but a little plaster
and whitewash would greatly i'm
prove it. In front of this is the
plaza, rather small, with fountain
whence about half the town fetch
their water. This plaza is laid out
in tlOwer-beds, a few boweries of
eYergreenS and creeperS, so low that
have to StOOp to pass under them.
Some few of the houses have their
fronts nicely ornamented, but many
are IN a ruinous condition. Just out
side the town are the Despedida and |
the Alameda, incomplete alleys |
Of cottonwood trees, where, in
summer time, the beau monde
If the city take their excursions
l-foOt, on horse back or in carriages.
At the south end of the Alameda is
he Church of Guadalupe. Being on
higher ground, and surrounded by
rees, IL looks quite pretty. At the
lorth end of the town IS another
,hurch; the name L did not learn.
There is market place and theatre.
The town has about 1900 or 400
mostly Mexican; if
here were some 10000 Anglo
,aXOnS, they would soon make the
lace look a little different
The Indians are ON the war-path
gain, to avenge Victories death,
nd have killed some twenty persons
ince the battle of Tres CaStillOs.
On our arrival at Cantarecios we
we're informed that the Indians had
Tiled two men and taken two
risOners on the days previous, and
n the road we were to follow. We Il
waited three day S until four wagons
nd some twenty men came up to
make the same journey. We joined
his company, making five wagons
nd twenty-five men-a party
trOng enough to attempt the trip.
'ver the dangerous places we
raveled by night and laid {
yer during the day at the
as the Indians were
ever known to attack the ,
ouses. After our arrival here, we
earned from woOdchoppers that the
indians had followed us on our
light march from Ojo Calienta to
ne Gallego, but finding that we
-ere prepared and kept our COM
any close together, they dared not
tack us.
aCOluG SClOlCulcn III ILLS COlupd
ad hired at Ell Passo a guide and
jacquard. These were the most :
aliant % of our company. In one
f the most dangerous places they
1T Mr.. Brockbdnk alone as adj
ance, and they took a position be-
Yeen the Wagons-not in the rear
.ther.
The weather has been rather cold
uring this month, colder than they
ave had it here for the last ten
ears. We have had two snow
.Orms, but with all this, the wheat :
up, and, where the people farm,
ley are busy blowing.
The country from Guadalupe, {
here the road leaves the river, is
My occupied by haciendas, the gov
nor, Don Luis TerraZaS, owning
)me 100 leagues of land, which pas
Tres about 100000 sheep and $4,000 D
cad of other stock.
In the mountains, 1 am told, is ,
lenty of timber, but there is no =
lwmill here. Farming is carried 8
4 at the haciendaS on a very limited P
ale. AS my letter is rather long, y
viii defer the description of the
lciendaS and their management
ntil I write again.