Mexico weekly ledger., 1885-07-02
MY ADVENTURE IN ARIZONA.
BY A FRUIT TREE AGENT.

In the summer of 1877, like many |
another young man, I concluded to |,
take Horace Greeley's advice and ..go |
West;" and as I was not acquainted |
with any other kind of pioneer work,
In particular, that 1 might as well |
benefit not only myself but also 9TH
ers by engaging in my old business
of selling fruit trees. And it was
while thus engaged in the central
part of Arizona that l met with the
adventure 1 am about to relate.
was taking orders for the fall de-
livery in a section of country which
was but thinly settled at that time,
but which promised very finely as a
fruit growing section.
On the particular day to which I
am about to refer l had been travel
ing nearly all day with poor success,
and toward night, footsore and
weary. l came in sight of a fine look
ing farm house; and as had been
travelling all day without any dinner
at all l stopped at this place to try
aud get some supper and obtain lodg-
ing for the night.
A pleasant looking woman came to
the door in answer to my knock, and
when I had made my wants known
said that they had already been to
supper, but that if would come in
and wait a few minutes she would
get me some supper; to which l
gladly complied. While was eating
supper she said that her husband was
at work some distance from the house
and would be back soon, but that as
it was several miles to the next house
she would take the liberty to tell me
that I could stay over night.
After l had been there some little
time the husband returned, but from
the time that he first came to the
house saw that something had gone
wrong with him, as he hardly spoke
to me and answered the questions of
his wife as briefly as possible, and
that in a grabbed tone of voice. As
the old man seemed to be so cross I
thought it would not be wise to
broach the subject Of fruit trees to
him that night but wait until morn
ing and see if he would not be better
natured, and stand more of chance
of selling him a good bill Of trees.
During the evening, as it was bright
and moonlight, 1 thought 1 would
take a walk and look around the
premises to see whether he had any
trees already set out, and what pros.
pect there was of my selling him {
bill of trees in the morning.
l found that he had already got s
few trees set out, and had left quite
a space apparently for the purpose o.
setting out more. was well salts
fed with the prospect and thought
would be able to take good order il
the morning. But what was my sur
prise when l returned to the house t.
find the door locked and my valis'
set ut on the doorstep. also no
ticed that the lights had all been pu
out. I tried the other doors, bu
they were all locked, and I could oh
tain no answer 10 my call, and I wa
obliged to come to the conclusion
that this was a practical outcome o
the anger of the old man and tha
, they had intended to freeze me out
I hardly knew what to do for fe,
minutes, but noticing barn acros
the road, concluded that as it wa
late in the evening, as well as bein
several miles to the next house, tina
1 would go to the barn and sleep o
the hay NOW.
/ found the barn was not locked
and so I went in and climbed up th
stairs and laid down on the hay
the loft and was soon asleep. l d
q not know how long I had been sleel
ing when / was awakened by th
p sound of voices. lay perfectly sti
. and / soon found there were tw
men, apparently tramps, coming II
+ the stairs to tie baymow. notice
as they we're coming up that the
were quarreling and disputing abol
something; and after they had G.
up on the NOW they began trying
J settle their dispute by other meal
u than words, as 1 concluded by Il
" sounds, although it was so dark th
d l could not see them. l heard
u sound of one Of them falling upt
e the NOV, and Immediately 1 heal
/ the other one climb down stairs al
: run down the road. He had not be,
gone long when felt something n
l. down towards where / was lying !;
" put out my hands to see what it wa
'e and found that it was the body of
'e apparently lifeless man. BY the di
Is light of the moon which came
III through the cracks in the side Of [
d barn 1 could see that my hands We
i covered with blood and that I
clothes were also spattered with
I began to be frightened; here l v
, with a man who had been murder
w and myself covered with his blot
to which would very naturally thr'
of suspicion on me as the murder
ht And at that time people there {
he not wait to have a man tried fol
is crime, but lynched him, even on
n case of suspicion.