The weekly Arizona miner., 1884-10-17
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Years ago, when Prescott had only the future to look to, there came to our city a thing in the shape of man, whose sole capital anl chief characteristic was such selfshness as would have shamed Shylock To him the world was divided into but two portions-one was Levi Bashford, the other his prey, from whom should be wrung the dress that men call money, that Levi and his tribe might fl lurish. Men, warm with the enthusiasm of youth and enterprise sought new homes in our mountains, and their labors brought forth industries which promised a prosperous future, but which withered away to nothingness at the chill ing touch of the unsuitable greed of a Basbford. Men who, in his fair promises, placed their reliance, found too late that in men the finer feelings and sentiments that render life endurable was as nothing with certain ones when self-interest is at stake. Men who toiled for years, hoping against hope that the future might relieve them from the grasp of this local octopus, found with the coming of gray hairs and in frmlties Of age that the sweat of their brow had won nothing for them. Men who came with small capital aud tried by it, combined with mechanical skill, to build up life sustaining business, were forced to give way and succumb because, forsooth, if there were profits to be had, L. Bashford tS Co. must have them and capital readily crushed out the weak opposition. While the oppression was against men, tine world regarded it with but little concern. But, with the advance of age, greed grew more rapacious and exacting, and women felt its weight.
 The latest victim is Mss Christine John St n, young woman who, a little over a year ago, rented from L. Bashford the prem ises occupied by the Central Restaurant, which she established
 By dint of hard labor and unconquerable enterprise she won the respect and regard of all with whom she came in contact, and prosperity was her portion until, in an ill- fated hour, she sought to provide for the future by placing her meag-e savings in a new lodging house on Marina street. That instant the interests of the poor working glrl, and the s4nctimonious would-be pa triarch of Prescott, clashed.
 Another lodging house would divide the monopoly, at present enjoyed by the Will ia,as House, which is. the property of L. Bashford. The only means of preventing her completing the building was to ruin her business, and this, to-day, he has virtually done by giving Ter ten days notice to va cate the premises she occupies, using as g prctext his desire to build brick building ia the rear, and this, too, after having made her repeated promises to allow her to re. main as long as she desired, and at least until she could get other quarters. An of fer of an usurous advan in rent made bl her, was rejected, and as no suitable place can possibly be secured by her, Mr. Bash foln has met wilh his usual success il crushing ont opposition, and the probabili ties are fair for his possessing the only lodging house in town for sometime tc come. It IS this selfish greed that ha; brought Prescott to what it is, and so long as it is permitted to pursue it's course unop posed, so long will the progress of our town he staved