The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-09-29

some of its merchants carry heavy stock!
If goods. One would not suspect it. how
aver, for in Mexico the goods are never ar
| ranged for show, as in the United States
On the contrary
/ EVERYTHING IS KEPT BOXED UP
and tucked away in dark corners, almos
| IS though their possession were a crime
amples onlv being exposed. Doubles!
the reason for this is because the intense
heat and binding light of the southern
sun, and the alpervadiug dust would in
Iure delicate fabrics; besides, it is not the
cOstumbre, that N )st powerful of all rea-
sons in Mexico, where generations of mer
chants st OK to the old, slow ways of their
| sleepry ancestors, without the slightest
| change or modification.
| Yet the average Mexican is not bad
| trader, in his own way. AS the older
houses of Guaymas are all rich and firmly
established, they do business on credit to
! a great extent, being well acquainted with
| the people throughout the country, and
moving whom to trust. Native merchants
ften carry the large ranch men for year
at time, furnish ng all the supplies for
| themselves and a large retenue of laborers.
| If the crops turn out well the merchant
gets his money back with interest, at the
end of the season: if not, he must carry his
customers over second season.
AMONG THE HEAVIER MERCHANTS,
who keep in stock a quantity of goods
ranging in value from quarter of million
to million dollars Mexican monev), are
the Aguajo Brothers of Guaymas, VIII } also
enjoy an income of S25, 900 and upwards
every month from Sonora mines. Among
the fortunate ones is MIR. Graft, from
New Jersey, who has only lived here about
ten years, yet more than half that time has
aniOv ON h
lations equal to three times what the Pres
inent of the United States receives. This
willing exile from Jersey has fine place
at Guaymas, situated about mile and a
half from the water front up gulch in the
mountains, which gives access to the pack
country. 1t lies high enough to overlook
the bay, of which it commands beautiful
view, and is really most desirable estate
Notwithstanding the narrowness of the
valley and the rocky ard forbidding aspect
of this immediate section. The house is a
lne
SPECIMEN OF THE TYPICAL ARCHITECTURE
of tie country, though built OF red brick in
stead of the all-prevailing, much plastered
and succeed adobe. 1t is one story in
height with barred windows and big,
carved doors, rambling over a great deal
of ground and enclosing a fiower-filled
puttO, VI COuL III IIC CSuUIt.
Mr.. Graft is the happy poSsesSor of another
thing which all his neighbors envy, and
that is well of 'sweet water"-the only
one in Guaymas except those above men
toned. There is splendid orchard of
full-bearing cocoanut palms on the Graft
place-this being about the extreme north
ern limit at which that tree fiouriShes.
The branches resemble those of date palms
long limbs, diverging, for the most part,
curves, g wing to the head of the tree
the effect of a spread umbrella. The trunk
is not rough, like that of a date palm, and
on the whole, the cocoanut variety is about
the most beautiful of all the extensive
palm family. The fruit grows in clusters
at the base of the branches, and is just
now fully grown, though not quite ripe.
THERE ARE THREE ToLERABLE HOTELS
in Guaymas, all of which are perpetually so
crowded that it is often difficult, if not i'm
possible, to secure any sort of accommodation
within them. | know a gentleman from the
north who came here on business, intending
to remain some months and later to bring
his family; but being unable to find any
place for them at the inns land boarding
houses there are nOne), was compelled to
telegraph them to remain at home. The
Sonora Railway company have long been
talking of erecting new and commodious
hotel near their depot. Consul Willard, of
the United States, donated the ground for
it, and grading was done year or more
ago. But that is all-and the ''boom" hav-
ing subsidized, it is doubtful if the proposed
American hostelery will go up in your day
or mine, dear readers.
BY ali odds the finest building in Quay
mas is the custom house, which occupies a
prom ilent position along the water trent,
with an omen Snacp all around if RpiOu
Two stories high, it is surrounded on the
ground floor with wide verandas, with
ample awnings. 1t is kept profusely decor
ated with the national colors; and close by
is the newly improved and really beautiful
plaza, the dirt in which it's trees and flow
ers are growing having all been brought
here from a far distant valley. In this
plaza music is nightly rendered, and here
every soul in town, rich or poor, male and
female, invariably comes to spend the even
in.
FANNIE B. WARD.