The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-10-14
AN ARIzONrWASIIOUT,

AN ARlL0NfWASllOUT.
Experience Of II West Virginia. Girl In the
Laud OF Sunshine.
Special Correspondence 10 he IH..lligtactr.
VEEoL, ARIZONA TERRITORY, Oct. q
When we girls left our Eastern homes
two weeks ago, We thought 1t barely pos.
sibls that We should encounter Il wash.
out on the Southern Pacific; the news.
papers have been containing accounts
oil them recently. We have since each
confessed to the other that We did not
anticipate such MI event with any de-
gree OF anxiety-it would be a novel OK.
perience, something Of IN adventure.
Well, VIC have had MI adventure, and
the novelty Of 1t Is entirely worn of.
Friday. evening ut Demipg, New Mex.
leo, ut the junction OF tho comfortable
Sata Fe road with this unfortunate
Southern Pacific, we were told that we
might be delayed by washouts, although
so far the trains had all come in. We
engaged betths on buffet sleeper fthe
whippoorwill must needs carry u khan.
sack in Arizona, II anywhere), and were
soon on our way-both to Casa Grande
and the Land OF Nod.
Some hours later We were awakened by
the stopping OF our train at little sta.
ton in the desert.
Porter! why are VIC stopping here so
long?"
"a wash.out ahead OF u.s." softly
answered that majestic official. So We
were to have our wash.out, but being
quite prepared to make the best OF 1t,
VIC resumed our slumbcss, and by the
dawn's early light were able to make
out the maine Of our station, Pantano.
After cheerful breakfast, and the
assurance that We should be delayed for
some time "waiting for orders" we set
out to do the town OF Pantano. We
found it to consist OF depot and one
small dwelling occupied by Mexican
workmen. We were interested in
watching the proceedings OF one Of these
"greasers," who seemed to fill the Office
Of caterer to the company. He had
built fire in the open air aud propred
upon the logs large ola lo'yah), which
one OF the passengers wanted 10 wager
contained fryOtss Qree-ho'. Iace.)
For those less favored mortals who
have not been in an Arizona wash.out,
the explanation may be offered that I'm
ola is round.bottomed earthenwsre
vessel made by the Indians, and used
throughout the Southwest chiefly for
cooling.water.' Tho ware is porous and
cools the water by evaporation. Every
house has its family Ola which either
hangs suspended by ropes from the
ceiling or sits in the top OF store-box
that has had a round hole cut in it to |
receive the ola.
The fryoles are brown beans, which |
are to the Mexicans what potatoes are
70 the Irish, or rice to the Chinese. 10
many American miners and prospecters,
also, they supply the place Of both bread |
and meat, being even more nutritious
than their Boston namesake. While |
the fryoles were cooking our cocinero was
busy tossing and patting hardfuls of |
dough into scmblance OF the popery
i0rtiilds (tor-tee.yahs) which the Alexi.
can women fashion so skillfully. He
baked them in kind Of Dutch oven,
though the senoras consider the top of |
stove too slick" .tlocal slang) for the
purpose. Alter dinner We saw him J
the dishes in pool OF water
that had collected about the root OF tel.
egraph pole.
AS the day wore on and our train still |
waited for orders, we started out, in des.
peraiion, to look about and, perhaps,
botanize a little; though Captain Jack |
not over elegant couplet was
turning through our minds
.''FOr tarnntulas, scorpions snakes and heat,
lie swote Arizona couldn't be beat"
A vide plain stretched away on every
side, bounded along the southern hori-
zon by range OF barren, volcanic noun
ta;ns. These Arizona mountains are
unique, they stand like giant ash-heaps,
petrified and weather.beaten. The rain
falling upon them is not absorbed by
any soil, but rushes down their stony
sides in torrents, and sweeping through
the valleys below results in the wash.
out that 80 retards railroad travel through
this territory.
On our botanizing tour We found wild
flowers in profusion-among old &C.
Quaintances, the blue morning. glory, be-
sides number Of strange flowers, some
beautiful grasses and quantity OF Gao.
tus fruit. Emulating the example OF our
first grandmother, and eating OF the
fruit, which we found rather insipid, we
repeuted at our leisure, and at intervals
throughout the day and evening picked
cactus spines out Of our fingers.
About dark the order came to move
on TO Tucson, slowly, because the track
was dangerous in places. Twelve hours
delay reconciled us TO Drawing the dan.
ger. 1t had been raining during the
afternoon, and as the train came near
the course OF the foaming arroyo the roar
OF the water was fearful. At times the
train crept slowly along in the darkness
over creaking timbers, and once, when
its speed had been increased somewhat,
the car suddenly rocked from side to
side until the passengers started to their
feet, and looked as il they would not
long stand upon the order OF their going.
Sometime in the night we reached
Tucson, and felt relieved to hear that We
were to wait there till morning. We
did wait until morning. then until even.
ing, then decided TO spend the night
there, and afterwards to wait until even.
ing again. Nobody seemed to DO in au.
thority; the conductor deserted the
train, and when come upon unawares
and questioned about the time OF our
departure looked like loco, and referred
us TO some official to be found In back
~ -kotr tt,n la-Nk
the porter confessed his ignorance OF the
programme, and We found that the rail-
road man, travelling in our car, was not
to be depended upon.
Tucson (too.son) the rival Of the CAPT.
tai city, Phenix, is largely Mexican
town. The greater part Of the buildings
are low, one.story adobes. Our train
stopped in front Of the San Xavier lhah.
vier), large and commodious American
hotel, where we obtained change OF fare,