Arizona weekly citizen., 1882-02-12
HERMOsILLo, MEX, Jan. 31.

HERMOs1LLo, MEX, Jan. 31. . We put up at the Palace hotel, Altar,
 which Is considered the best, kept by Ah
 Sam. Altar Is an ancient Mexican town,
 said to be the senior of Tucson by seve- ral years. It was formerly prosperous inning center, both placer and quartz mining proved very profitable La Ci- enega and Llanos" placer mines which
 are distant about thirty miles from AL
 tar, were among the most profitable pla-
 cer mines ever discovered; 1t Is said that Sl00,0OQ,O0O, have been mined from these
 famous mines which comprise an area of
 from nine to twelve miles in width, by
 iorty-eight in length. These mines are
 ly no means exhausted nor has the bei-
 rock ever been reached. We'll informed
 mining men are of the impression that
 with water these placer mines would
 prove among the most profitable in the
 state of Sonora. It Is said that water .can be had from the Serno Rancho,
 which lies about thirty miles distant.
 l.. ALTAR OF THE PRESENT.
 Altar of the present is not what 1t for
 merly was. The decline of the mines, petty local rebellions, etc. have done
 much to retard Altar district, as we'll as
 the entire State of Sonora. It Is said
 that the population of Sonora which was formerly 15O,OO0 has been reduced to
 about one-half that number. But the
 worst seems to have been passed. The
 investment of American capital in rail- 1 roads and mines has given Sonora new | life; emmigration has begun to come in. | Mines are being opened up, SO that the
 future looks much brighter than 1t has for years. The present population of 1 Altar IS said to be about 2j00. The dis trict IS undoubtedly a valuable mining l district. 4 number of valuable mining properties have already been opened up. !
 The agricultural lands of the district | embrace about sixty square miles of l land, along the Altar river, which is sup | oiled with water from that river. Two ! crops, crop of wheat or barley, and |
 .rop of corn may be raised on this land .
 annually. It is a rich black loam and | will produce all kinds of vegetables, lex cept pOtatoesl and figs, dates, oranges
 md pomegrauates grow in great profu- sion, though the oranges are not so good IS the Hermosillo oranges. Tobacco, sugar cane, and cotton also do well.
 There are a number of American miners
 md prospectors who make Altar their headquarters, here they buy their sup plies and come for their mail
 ON TO HERMAsILLO.
 A rest of three hours, and an hour to business and We are ready to start to Hermosillo. distant from Altar lSO miles. The stage having an hours start, We were compelled to hire a private conveyance to overhaul the stage, or lay up at Altar from two to four days. WeOvertOOk the ,tage twenty miles out, to which We transferred ourselves and baggage. As | stated in former letter, man who las never staged it in Mexico, cannot be considered graduate. The first team
 n and out of the larger towns are gen rally broken, and somewhat tractable put look out for tine wild mustangs"
 vhen faIrly on the Presidents highway" Thirty miles out We came to a station where dinner was served Mexican style. trom one to three hours are consu .led tt each station, and there are mishaps jn the road that consume from few minutes to hours.
 RAwHIDE TEAM.
 This stage team is owned and operated 1y Don Juan Moreno, and be has for the Ise of his line,-so | was informed by a -eliable Mexican gentleman of intelli- yence, no less than 2OO0 mules and horses, which would give about 20O head Df animals to each station, which aver ige from twenty to twenty-five miles apart. A portion of the four animals that work in the lead are half broken while the remainder and the two wheel ( CTS are liable to be wild oroncos. that ( were never in harness before, and may never be again; you may imagine such a team can not be put in place on short 2 notice, nor can their course of travel be C confined to any road, they are liable to ! run astried tree, or jump a neighbor- d ing ditch, or he entire team may shie off the road and take to the woods. It often , requires four men in addition to our lriver and whipper m, Co hitch up, and two vaquirOes, on horseback to head of, to start us out. Once started and there IS no let up, until something breaks or we reach the next station. These exhi- Jitions of skill on the part of the dusky men who have our lives in their hands, are repeated at each station. Some of !. Inc unruly animals are never driven but ? once. All of them are caught with the arriatte. and 1t is not an uncommon ? hing to turn two or three out on the % vayside, if vaquiro is in reach to catch i tome more of the wild brutes from herd. u
 GOOD RUNNERs BUT POOR RULERS. n
 On the third change out We had a live e y half dozen bronco mules that could t, make beautiful race on level ground, h 'r on down grade, but if little hill h 'ck was encountered, then came the tug rI ,f war. We reached such a hill; the re- - ult was a dead halt. The leader would ,uI1 n li+tIa Ir,+ tbo ,r,,l-,,t-o,, --r,,I-- lot pound; but on the contrary. would :, how their repugnance by setting their =, ore feet well in front, and throwing .' heir enormous little ears" forward: by his means they succeeded in "holding P he fort every time. All hands got -' ut-the five passengers, the driver and H -hip-and for two mortal hours ln
 WE PLAYED sE-sAw " n that hill. Every passenger was a P' oss, and no two would agree as to the '' est means of extricating ourselves |" -om what seemed serious dilema. Ve backed down, and pulled mp half th -ay; backed down and pulled up again: " acked down and pulled up some seven ~. cen times with the same result, except i, lat every time our station was made D e were nearer the bottom Finally. CT fter many import1nities, your core ,i, pondent prevailed upon the driver to r1 Ike his wheelers out; We then put br UR OWN SHOULDERS TO THE WHEEL" dl nd inch by inch we rolled tbe oraa- '