Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-10-05
NATIVE MERCHANTS

Often carry the large ranchmen for a year at
time, furnishing all the supplies for them
selves and a large retinue of laborers. If
the crops turn out we'll the merchant gets
his money back, with interest, at the end
Of the season; if not, he must carry his Gus
toners over a second season.
Among the heavier merchants, who keep
in stock a quantity OF goods ranging in
value from quarter Of million to a mill
ion dollars (Mexican money!, are the
Aguayo Brothers, of Guaymas, who also
enjoy an income of S25, 1000 and upwards
every month from Sonora mines Among
the fortunate ones is Mr.. Graf, from
New Jersey, who has only lived here about
ten years, yet during more than half that
time, has enjoyed an income from his min
ing speculations equal to three times what
the President of the United States receives.
This willing exile from Jersey has fine
place at Guaym&s, situated a mile and a
half from the water front, up gulch in
the mountains, which gives access to the
back country. Ii lies high enough to over
look the bay, Of which it commands
beautiful view, and is really most desir-
able estate, notwithstanding the narrow
ness of the valley and the rocky and for
bidding aspect Of this immediate section.
The house is fine specimen of the typical
architecture of the country, though built
of red brick instead of the all-prevailing,
much-plastered and succeed adobe. 1t is
one story in hight, with barred windows
and big, carved doors, rambling over a
great deal of ground, and inclosing a
1ower-filled patio, or inner courtyard in
the center. Mr.. Graf is the happy pos
SCISSOR of another thing which all his
neighbors envy, and that is a well of "sweet
water'-the only one in Guaymas except
those above mentioned. There is a splen-
did orchard of full-bearing cocoanut palms
on the Graf place-this being about the
extreme northern limit at which that tree
tfourishes. The branches resemble those
of the date palm-long boards, diverging,
for the most part, from common center
in a series of curves, giving to the head
of the tree the effect of a spread umbrella.
The trunk is not rough, like that of the
date palm, and on the whole, the cocoanut
variety is about the most beautiful of all
the extensive palm family. The fruit
grows at the base of the branches, and are
just now fully grown, though not quite
ripe.
There are three tolerable hotels in Guy
amas, all of which are perpetually so
crowded that is is often difficult, if not
impossible, to secure any sort of accommo-
nation 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 in the inns land
boarding houses there are none), was COM
| PEELED to telegraph them to remain at
! home. The Sonora Railway Company
have long been talking of erecting a new
and commodious hotel near their depot.
/ Consul Willard of the United States dona-
ted the ground for it, and grading was done
| year or more ago, but that is all; and
the "boom" having subsided, it is doubtful
if the American hostelry goes up in your
! day or mine, dear reader.
By all odds, the finest building in Guya-
mas is the Custom-house, which occupies
prominent position along the water
| front, with an open space all around it.
| Being two stories high, it is surrounded
on the ground floor with wide verandas
with ample awnings. 1t is kept profusely
| decorated with the national colors, and
| close by is the newly improved and really
| beautiful plaza, the dirt in which its trees
and flowers 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 and poor,
male and female, invariably comes to spend
the evening. FANNIE B. WARD.