Los Angeles herald., 1890-06-09
LIVELY LETTER
From Young Lady Trying to Get Gov
ernment Land in Arizona-Her Trials
and Experiences-What She Saw by
the Way, and What She Thinks of
Things Generally.

MY DEAR Such a trip as |
had, after my delightful time at your
home in Los Angeles thought it was
too good to keep. Well, 1 feel that l
will just die laughing now; but, alas
it was not so then. l spent nearly all
my bits when l got to Yuma, not
in riotous living, but in wiring those
awful land officials, and they would
neither allow me to prove up-or down.
after all. The receiver now thinks |
will have to make new proof! That
means that l must go down there again
and scramble over the land once more
You know the land I claim is miles from
nowhere, and one arrives at the flag
station where you have to leave the
train to go to it in the middle of the
night. Now what nice prospect for a
young and unprotected female to drop at
such place, and the Apaches on the
war path, at that. That's what had to
do, and now | have to do it over again,
because the land Office at Tucson is short
of some sort of red tape on my account.
You must know, my dear, that the
law requires you when you want to take
up this kind of land to go ON it in per-
son, to walk all around it and over it,
and make yourself familiar with all its
undulations and Typographical features,
and then to swear a great oath that you
know it better than you know your
father and mother or the fellow you love.
l thought / had done that when l was
there; but it seems l didn't go over it
enough, and now l must wear out an
other pair of shoes on it. OF course,
when l visited my claim, couldn't re-
main there until heard from Tucson, so
just went to Yuma, and made that my
official headquarters. l stopped in an
adobe with nice Mexican lady who had
a nice family. Here learned OF pecu-
liar custom of the country. A couple of
married ladies called, and the hostess
asked them to spend the evening; and
they staid all night!
All the white ladies at Yuma called
upon me and tried to make it pleasant
for me. This is rather hard to do with
the thermometer at 100 in the shade.
Washing is made easy here because your
clothes dry so quick. Just think how
soon you can get through your wash,
when it only takes ten minutes to dry
your frock. Mosquitoes Ii you want
the real article, just try Yuma's. No
buzzing about them, but strictly busi-
ness. They present their bills and take
their payment in double quick, and next
day when you look in the glass, you have
confused idea that you have gone
through seige of smallpox, or run
face foremost against buzz-saw.
l thought our beloved Sacramento
river could beat the world for muddi-
ness, but it is pellucid stream to the
Colorado. l hear they make their
adobes here by dipping it out in square
boxes, and letting it dry, when it turns
out in the shape of great bricks. 1t is
full of consistency, though meandering
fearfully, as it oozes along in it's sluggish
course.
visited the Indian school at the res
ervation, and was amazed at their ex-
cellent school work. They are taught
by the sisters. They draw and write
very well, and l wanted to hug the girls
when they sang ''Red, White and Blue"
it made me feel so like at home. The
girls are taught to make dresses, are
actually doing fine Spanish lace work,
crocheting shawls and know not
what. 1t was quite revelation to me.
liz ulOIueI HupcIIOI Sdlu Iucy lldu SUCH
loving natures, so good to their sick, SO
kind to their classmates, and perfect
mimics. l don't see why these Indian
girls should not become women who
would pass muster anywhere for good
manners and fine culture.
Well, l must draw. this rambling
letter to close. l suppose will soon
see you again, as shall probably have
4 L.
once more, and see il there is not some
popularity in the $40 acres overlooked
when last there. Perhaps next time l
shall find a Gila monster or horned
toad l missed on my first trip and ne
elected to specify in my application. I
shall be sure to take down with me a
good supply and a great variety of red
tape, for that seems to be the one thing
Uncle Sam wants when making a land
trade with one of his single nieces. So
goodbye for the present. L. M. G.