The daily gazette., 1881-08-18
LErrEa rnen ARIZONA.
a Declining TOwn-How the Mexf-
cans Lfve-The stTOrtin" - A
Mime Of Pure silver, &c.


FLORENCE, Arizons Ter,
August y, 1881.
Florence, A. Ty., tnot Italy, Is ssituated
In the valley of the San Pedro river, and
was once one of the most Aourishing
towns in the territory, bat like Q great
many other places has passed through
its 8 age: Of prosperity, and is slowly and
surely going down. A one time the in
babitants numbered about 1000 now 1t
has about 700 or 800, asd most of those
are Mexicans, living In adobe houses,
and some of them In Hackills.
The latter seems to be preferred to the
adobe, as it Is more suited to the cliin-
ate. 1t consists of four poles set In the
earth, to support the roof which is
composed Of willow or cottonwood
branches. One side Is generally closed
up with the sane material as the roof
In this the entire family live, feas dogs,
children and oil folks, all pile in to-
gether, ami get along first rate. Ali
the average M xican seems to want in
this little world, is AZ much as he can
eat, and borse to ride, for food, If hs
has sufficient quantity OF pijoles
(beans) ami tOrt'as he is supremacy nap
py. Considerable skill IS required in
making tortias. the mixture Is composed
of -four, salt and water, and small
lump OF the dough is taken between the
palms of tho hands and pressed fiat, then
1t is passed rapidly from one hand 10 the
other, and all the time getting thinner
and larger in circumference. They Keep
up this process till 1t gets large enough
to reach from the hand up to the elbow.
Then you look at II and wonder what 1t
is made OF? 1t is spotted and notified,
with here aud there blaik speck look
ing like raisins, but they are not un-
less the ralsins of this country have
wings on them. Anyhow what IL few
"A sas to a Mexican? / always noticed
that the higher up the arm they worked
the great rarety of colors the tortia took.
1t may be dirt that caused the thing to
look like ciicus poster. 1 never cared
to Investigate the matter, but l don't
think some OF the women nave washed
their hands since they we've married.
Well aft r they get 1t up to the standard
color and thin enough to suit,it is laid on
the live Goals for abUnt ten minutes, then
it is Topped over on the other side and
itlis cooked. Quick work, but you see
they eat them as fast as they are cooked,
for once they get cold a Mexican dog
WDub buuCu buotDy hHu Wuht NO WO0b thJ
IL hard to find. 1 once had desire to
eat one, or try to, and begged one of one
OF my neighbOrs for the purpose. 1t
looked pretty nice and slick, only hav-
ing aeout half dozen colors to the side.
l took it into the office and sailed H.
After the first mouthful decided that
II there was any old canvas or split lea
ther around L would finish my lunch on
that and laid 1t on top of the desk, and
aaf afslxa IN maj rat hot fhar
best to take castor oil or trust to nature.
Pretty soon Assistant came In and want
ed to know IL was going to have my
| shoes repaired; observing at the same
| time that as long rs the dry spell lasted
the tortia would answer every purpose.
tried to induce him to tackle it., but
he said he had always hated castor oil,
and salts would not begin TO answer the
purpose. 1t was next offered to a very
bungy looking Mexican boy; he looked
at it, put his finger on 1t, and went off
saying something about GrinRo Ameri-
cans and other things not very compli-
tnen'ary to the generous donor. Next
day it was laid carefully down before the
door, In hopes that poor lean flea Bit
ten dog, coming down the street would
eat It. He came up,smelled of it, turned
1t over and walk around to the window
to see II he could find the man and hite
him for foolng him In that way. But he
did not see any OF us. SO he tended to
the case OF few fleas and passed on In a
| very detected manner. The assistant
| suggested that we sho uld bury II, which
was accordingly done after shaking
hands on it; that it was the first and last
| time we would have anything do 1t with
| toitia with more than four colors to
the square inch. I should like to tell
you about the fees of this territory. We
have all kinds and sizes, also the warm
| or bot weather, and the wonderful Sill
yer King Mine, where the silver is found
In the pure state, and thousands OF dol
lars In sight In beautiful fine thread
running through the ore. It is SO pure
that the bullion arrankes $50 and 995
per cent. pure metal. Il is q fine sight
to go into the mine and see the immense
amount of wealth that has lain hidden
IN the earth for ages perhaps and tram
pied over years and years by old miners
till accident revealed the hidden trea-
sure. Yours truly,
M. l.. 81.