Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-10-05
4 ROMANTIC REGION.
SOME PECULIAR SIGHTS IN THE CITY
OF GUAYMHs.
Water Works Like Those of Ancient
Palestine-A Child of the Sea
Intense Heat.
[Speelal Correspondence of the RECORD UNION


[speelai Correspondence of the RECORD UNION
GUAYMAs Mex, August =, 1889.
Although essentially child of the sea
occupying narrow ledge so close to the
water as to be perpetually in danger Of
tumbhng into it, Guaymas appears to be
owned and controlled, shaped and fash
Toned by the railroad. The latter owns
every approach to the town, controls all
the eligible harbor and coast sites, and has
even run branch of its track off to a dis
tant headland, where it has built wharf
in water deep enough to float the largest
steamers. And all this has been done by
enterprising capitalists from the United
States, in anticipation Of the mighty trade
that is expected to spring up when the
transatlantic line of steamers, running to
Australia and China, shall bring travel by
this course across our continent. There
seems 10 be no present prospect of this
ch-desired ultimatum, however-es-
pecially now that San Diego, on the north
ern side of the line, has been decided
upon as the halfway halting place.
To do this Sonora railway Justice, it is
indeed splendid piece of work, though
apparently wasted on an ungrateful re-
gion. Its FIVE thousand-foot long bridge
and causeway, built over the waters of a
broad and deep lagoon four miles out of
Guaymas, is marvel Of architecture, well
supplemented by the handsome station
which occupies the neck of an isthmus,
terminating in 4 rocky promontory, half a
mile from the town.
As to climate and environments, this
section is much like St. Thomas, one of
the Virgin Islands of the West Indies,
whose crater-like port Charles Kingsley
once called "a Dutch-oYen of a place. /"
Both are surrounded by blistering hills,
and filled up aukle-deep with burning,
fea-infested sand-but St. Thomas has the
advantage of a somewhat freer circulation
of air. Ninety five degrees in the shade
is considered remarkably cool here; and
though all the windows and doors of the
houses and hotels are kept wide open from
sunset till sunrise, there is no use trying
to sleep-unless one initiates the natives,
wko stretch their cots or spread their
blankets in the streets, on the sidewalks
or the house-tops, anywhere out of doors.
Even the women and girls nightly take up
their beds and walk outside, for the inner
temperature is as unbearable as that of
a sirocco blast.
THE MEXICAN FASHION
OF narrow streets prevails in Guaymas,
and for once they are adapted to the ext
gencies of the occasion, for here there is
no room to spare, the city, which il only
about mile long, having no where more
than a quarter of mile between the
mountains and the sea, and in most
cases scarcely half that distance The
sidewalks are execrable, and everybody
wades about in the sand, unless his way
leads along the line of the mule-car, which
runs through the principal street, from the
railroad station at one end of town to the
wells at the other.
The Guaymas "water works" by the
way, deserve more than passing mention,
being as quaint and primitive as that Of
ancient Palestine. Printers ink cannot
do justice to them-they must be seen to
be appreciated in their native pictur-
esqueness. Just outside the city limits
are several wells-one belonging to the
city, the others owned by private indi-
viduals-close together in field near the
road side, each well surrounded by high
adobe frame and furnished with a big
wheel and two little ones Imagine the
closely encircliug mountains, clad in
russet brown, and the arid surroundings,
enlivened only by cactus growths and an
occasional palm; the constant pro ;ession
of dOnkeYs, coming and going, each little
beast with big water-bag of ox-hide
slung on each side of him and reaching
nearly to the ground, while behind the
bags, almost on the animals tail, sits the
boy who peddles the water
Here there are no Rebeccas at the wells,
as in most parts of Mexico, and the sterner
sex completely monopolize the business.
Besides the boys. noticed a few Yaqui
Indians, with long, black locks fying un-
covered in the wind, and several full
grown "Greasers" hiding their heads
under big sombreros-but not a female
among them. The great pannier-like
water-skins, most of them with the hair of
the animal still clinging, to the outside,
look green and Shiny from long use; and
into the bottom of each bag a cows horn
is stuck, through which the fluid flows
when retailed to customers. Small boys,
mounted upon the adobe frames, make the
well-wheels spin round by hand right
merrily, from dawn till dark, while the
procession Of comer5 and goers never
ceases.
This aqua dulce ("sweet water') being
all that is drinkable in Guaymas, is car
ried around to the houses, and peddled in
quantities to suit purchasers, as we sell
mitk-and 1t brings almost as high price.
All day long and far into the night the
donkey-boys come and go, the bareheaded.
barefooted little rascals guiding their
patient beasts, without bride or stick.
The lifeglving fluid may not be very clean.
and is certainly not cool but then it is
wet, and your choice lies between it and
the briny ocean. And even this, like the
water from all the wells in western Mexi-
co: has 4 brackish, unpleasant taste, and
produces temporary diseases with those
unaceustomed to its use. In this climate
the wiser way is to drink as little as ros-
sible, restricting oneself mostly to coffee
and wine. The dust, the intense heat, and
the rapid evaporation causes a burning
and guawing thirst; but tiny pebble held
in the mouth, a grain of corn or a bit OF
alum, will relieve the wretched feeling bet
ter than drink of the warm, brackish
water, which instantly creates a craving
desire for more. In view of the pictur-
esqueness of the thing, and the fact that
THE PRESENT WATER SYSTEM
Is not only one of the sights of Guaymas,
but has furnished lifelong occupation for
generations of poor people who would
otherwise have nothing TO do by which
to ward off the wolf of hunger, l am sorry
to say that the city promises to have more
modern water-works in operation during
the Naar-fha sl1nr,lr hninr, hrn,,.-L4 4 e.