The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-07-24
was not a fair test, as the sun had Shown
on 1t a little. It Is probably about ll2' to
ll5a. as all agree that Il Is one OF their hot.

- Ntt NsaSS hAAet - ~ SAAS
test days. You must, however, discount
tho teat here somewhat, as the dryness o.
the atmosphere peculiar to this locality
renders the heat less oppressive than the
same degrees would BIO In Wheeling md
Il New York. II you had It on your street.
to-day, about 1862 10 l0S', you would feel
about us hot as your correspondent here N
Russ hotel In Tucson. q \ +. yis
This Is ono Of tho oldest cities In this
great mineral belt, stretching from tho
Rio Grande Valley to the sunset sen II
Is at least 800 years old, and was first
settled by the Azlecs who were In search
olsllver and gold. The San XayiGr church
which stands OH tho plain, about seven
miles from tho city, WINS built In the year
OF 1860. II Ia still In use, and Is In Il good
state OF preservation. Ii Is built princi
pally Of sun dried bricks, called
"doby's," but the tower Ia constructed oul
Of fire bricks. The ceiling und walls are
frcscoed, and some very fine pictures and
sculpturing are to DO seen upon the wills,
1t is Catholic, Of course. S7g
The population Of Tucson Is about 10,
600. The houses nre principally "dobies, ,
but you occasionally sec n two story brick.
a new court house Is building which will
cost $4,000. 1t Is built Of brick aud
trimmed withstone.
This - ono Of tho best business points In
the Union. Tho merchants are al getting
rich. They hive the trade Of MI immense
section OF country, and OF co,lrse get their
own prices. .,.7t -Ss5. ITl,,.
hud reference 10 Mr.. w. G. Davis,
ono OF the lealling merchants OF the city,
md who is also President Of tho Board OF
Supervisors Of Pima county, OF which
Tucson Is the capital; and had very sat.
istactory talk Of two hours or moro with
him today. lie is former citizen Of
Pennsylvania, und has been here for four.
teen years. will give your readers few
facts which l gathered from my converse.
ton with him. but before proceeding !
want to remark TINT l saw II number OF
stores here today far superior in extent
and style 10 any that We hive in Wheeling.
| put 1t mildly when say that many Of
them carry immense stocks Of goods.
MIR. Davis says that q house containing
live rooms will rent here for $50 per
month. a man and wife and five children
can live here in good style for $1,000 per
year. Bank rates for money on short loans
is per cent per month. Banks here net
ut least per cent. per month. Taxes are
about 81 cents on the dollar per year, The
legal rate OF interest OF the Territory Is 10
per cent, aud no one hus ever yet been
sued for usury. Mr.. Davis says he will
ngree TO place 5000 900 in Tucson so that it
will net IL per cent. per annunl.
The best bookkeepers here receive $3.50
per month, and the average bookkeeper
gels about Sl00 per month. Skilled labor
ers, such rs timers and plumbers, get
from s. to s. so per day. Common labor
ers get 81 per day. Average clerks in stores
receive about 500 per month; best grades
get Sl50. Merchants here pay $ so per
hundred on freishts from New York. 1t is
expected that the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe Railroad will come by here in n
year or so, which will reduce these rates.
Board and washing averages $50 per
month. Hotel rites run from s. 10 81 per
day. Butter 10 quoted Mt so cents today,
and eggs ut S. and 80 cents.
There are two daily newspapers in the
city-one morning and one evening. Till
recently there were three, but one has gone
TO that bourne whence no newspaper ever
returns. The city boasts two regular
banks, md several curbstone shaving
shops, with the usual three ball signs. by
the way, sharp New Yorker once told Lac
that tho three balls meant "two to one that
you would never get back that which, was
left in pawn" He was, perhaps, not far
wrong. Tucson has gus and water works !;
has two brewerics, lots OF churches, and
scores OF sharks. 1t is situated in the
midst OF great valley, about fifty miles
wide, and walled on either side with tow
ering mountains covered with stone, with
not bush or n tree to be seen. There is
comparatively no running water in the val
ley from one end to the other. Here Mt
Tucson little stream, not half SO large rs
Wheeling creek, called Santa Cruz river,
winds its way along through the valley,
and for few hundred yards on either side,
by irrigation, the ground is productive.
But the bulk Of the lands are barren-a
desert, 5,,t ..s.,-7-zTe
The great want OF this country is water.
II the Ohio river ran through this valley, it
would be the garden spot OF America. But
1t doesn't run here, and the result is about
everything that is rnised arc cactus and
scalps. The like OF the cactus never was
seen in any other portion OF the Union.
\ have seen hundreds OF the stalks twenty
ieet high and as thick as my body. Mr..
Cowden declares that they have been
known TO grow somewhere in the Territory
iorty fcet tall. / would add, however, for
the benefit Of Bro. C's Sunday school that
he has not seen these mammoths himself,
and therefore only gives it out rs second
h0nTnI T hovn 1,an,, s,fo 1.
"Greaser" that Brother Cowten is right,
and that his school may bank on it.
Inc Santa Cruz river is like Demo.
cratic platform-now you see it, and now
you don't 1t runs along for while, then
1t dives and cores up again several miles
ahead. It finally sinks, and never rises
again. No one knows where or into what
1t emptics. 1t is n peculiar stream; is $50
miles long, and is not much wider than a
good.sized street sewer. We would call il
branch in West Virginia.
This is the time for the rainy season,
but it has not rained in Tucson but once
or twice this summer. am told that there
Inns been considerable rainfall over in the
Santa Rita mountains, about fifty miles
south from here. s-1 49, !
Gen. John S. Witcher, OF Cabcll county,
West Virginia, who is paymaster in Tie
army, is stationed here. His family are
with him, and MI Of them IRE tired enough
Of frontier life. They long for the shadows
Of their former home. 1870 :
The Apache Indians are on the war path
ind Gen. Crook has been ordered here 10
disarm and subjugate them. The people
are greatly rejoiced over Crooks coming,
Tor they say it means death to Mr.. Lo.
am of for hundred. and fifty miles
horseback ride into the Santa Rita Noun.
talns. II can hold on to my scalp will
write you again. "a. G. W,
Puff for our Senior Senntor.