The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-09-22
Tucson, Arizona.


The town is laid out alter the NJ. d.
can style, with narrow irregular streets
that commence nowhere and terminate
suddenly, have no regular width and
used as a common thoroughfare for
pedestrians and teams. Since the adj
vent of the railroad, bringing an excess
of American enterprise and business,
the Mexican population appears to have
vanished. In the business portion Of
the town the buildings have been re.
modelled the adobe fronts covered with
plaster or brick fronts put in, second
stories built, the doors and windows en-
larged and put in good style. There
are three good hotels. In San Fran
cisco they would rate fourth class, but
here, considering that almost every.
thing set on the tables is brought from
Los Angeles, distance Of 500 miles,
they are really comfortable hostelries,
and the price of $3.50 per day for tran
Sient custom Is not exorbitant. The
houses Sre' constructed with view OF
obtaining the greatest amount Of shade
and cool air during the summer months
and the most warmth in the winter, as
the elevation above the sea level igoveT
1900 feet, with snOw-capped mountains
in the vicinity. At this season Of the
year one is only comfortable when
dressed very warmly, or indoors where
there is.a good FIRE.
During the daytime, with the sun
shining, the mercury will go up to six.
ty-five or seventy degrees, but, as soon
Gs the sun sets, it falls, and, before
morning, will register as low as twenty
degrees. Exposed water pipes freeze
solid every night, and, owing to these
sudden daily changes, the climate is
very trying to even the strongest con-
stitutions. Those who neglect to take
proper care of themselves can catch q
severe cold as easily here as in
any place in the world and
few towns or communities can
show as many people coughing
and complaining Of colds. The Mexican
houses are all built on the same princi.
Pile, and are large or small according to
the affluence of the owner. Their houses
seem to have been built piecemeal, as
the accommodations of the family or
their numerous relations required. The
women, when airing themselves or gos-
slipping with their neighbors across the
alleyway, sit on the doorstep, or on what
we would call doorsill, as steps they
have none. The door is cut through
the mud wall, the bottom being about
a foot above the ground, and protected
bya piece OF wood; this makes a kind
of step, over which you pass to reach
the floor, which is on the same level 40
the street. Inside the room picture
OF nakedness presents itself. Mud walls,
sometimes plastered and whitewashed;
mud floors, hard and generally clean
swept; mud showing through the inter-
stices of the roof, which is made by lay
ing closely over the rafters the ribs of
the column cactus, which are about the
size and much resemble bamboo canes;
a mud fireplace, over which is set a
piece of sheet-iron, and on the hearth an
earthen pot or two;.in one corner, per-
haps, a bedstead with wool mattress
more than likely the bed consists OF
dried hides, laid on the ground with
some miserable comforters and blank.
cts; a box or two, trunk and chair
constitute the furniture.
Outside the rear in the court is kind
of veranda or porch under which hangs
the ola, which keeps cool water in the
hottest weather. The ola is porous and
is wrapped in blankets or gunny-sacks,
which are kept constantly wet, and the
rapid evaporation from the outside
keeps the water inside fully twenty de-
grees cooler than the atmosphere. A
large fiat stone, with a smooth upper
surface, on which rests smaller one,
answers for a grist mill. The women
take wheat or corn, brown it ON the
sheetiron over the Fireplace, then Oh
their knees grind it to fine flour by
rubbing it between the two stones. This
flour, called piapOle, is sometimes eaten
by simply mixing with sugar and water,
but is generally made into stiff batter,
which is beaten out on the palms of the
hands into an immense fapjack or pam
cake, made very thin and baked on the
sheet-iron, After baking it is quite
tough, and can be torn into pieces,
which are used to scoop up the beans
or stew which is cooked in the earthen
pots-the fiapiack thus answers the pur-
pose of plate and spoon. They do not
appear to have any regular meal hours,
but cook and eat whenever all hands
get hungry. A dozen people may sit
down to meal. If there is only
dozen mouthfuls all are satisfied and
none complain; but if there is plenty
they eat till the last morsel disappears.
Of canned goods they are very fond,
and if there is money on hand they pur-
chase freely. A family will ordinarily
consist of two grown people and eight
or ten children, and it would not be in
harmony without at least two dogs,
frequently four or five, large and small,
and of the worst possible breed of mon
grel ours. The family occupy one
room, and can live at an expense Of
fifteen or twenty cents per day. The
dogs skirmish for themselves and are so
numerous that in order to live they be-
come expert thieves.
The women invariably wear light and
bright -colored calicoes, which they have
the faculty Of keeping clean and tasty,
as you will seldom, if ever, see one in a
soiled dress. They have fine figures,
and many of them have sweet and pre-
possessing cOuntenances. The men are
excessively indolent. They are a happy
and hospitable people. AS long as they
have anything themselves they share
freely with an entire stranger. Al
though they live in the most primitive
style, they enjoy life and have less
trouble and care than their energetic
and enterprising neighbOrs, the Ameri.
cans.
The municipal officers have com.