The herald., 1894-02-08
THE GOOD OLD TIMES.
FEATURES OF ARIZONA LIFE IN
THE EARLY DAYS.
The Adventures of Party OF Immi.
grants-Captain Ways Trading
Style with the Apache
Indians.

Tucson Star: "Well. boss, these are
pretty hard times, Ell ?" The foregoing
is almost invariably Judge Meyers
greeting, generally ending with, "And
don't see what's going to make it better
soon." From any one else the forego.
ing would be set down as croaking. but
the judge has right to complain OF
hard times. He was here when Arizona
was truly a golden land. When $40
pieces were more plentiful than silver
dollars are here now or halves and quar-
ters elsewhere.
Judge Meyer was one of the first
Americans to get to Tucson who has
survived to the present time. He got
here in 1868. The two or three who
preceded him are Solomon Warne,
Samuel Hughes and A. Lazard, they
coming here in 1856. "Frenchy," the
name Mr.. Lazard is best known by, is
suffering what may be his last illness.
81 came with a party OF % men, and
started from San Antonio, Tex.," said
the old judge. "Out of the whole party
but IA got to Tuceon, and all OF them
are now dead but me-"
"Our first loss were four men killed
by the Comanches, on the other side of
the Pecos river in Texas. They were
smart Alexis who rode ahead OF the
rest OF ne. They said there was no
danger, and rode on. The Indians, 120
of them, surrounded the boys and they
never had chance to fire gun. Their
bones may be on the mesa yet. The
Indians came alter US next. We had
made barricade, though, and they
didn't get US. We put the wagons end
to end in a circle, with the mules in
side. Then we piled up the -four and
grain and got behind it. We had plenty
OF arms and ammunition, and then we
were ready for them. They would have
got us, though, for we did not have
much water, only q party of forty
dragons came along after the Indians
and released US.
A FRONTIER DUEL.
"Our next killing was duel. We
always hung our pistols on the hind
wheels of our wagon when we were in
camp. Two of the men quarreled over
tin plate of beans. They both jumped
for their pistols and shot at the same
time, Each killed the other.
Then we lost two men--picked off
by the Apsches."
The old Judge tells of some Indian
trading done by one of his party, Cap
tain Way. Way saw there WAS money
in it and made trading post at Apache
pass. He bought all the guns, old and
new, he could get in Tucson, and laid
in big supply OF tobacco, whisky and
mescal. He WAS then ready for business.
Way, the Judge says, soon supplied most
of old Chief Cochise's Apaches with
arms, end came near being hung for it.
He had finally to go out of business ON
that account.
He would give little piece of navy
plug tobacco for Mexican dollar, the
usual coin. One day the overland stage
with eight men aboard was held up, all
the men killed. and $500 in gold &C.
cured.
HIGH-PRIcED TOBACCO.
In o day or two an Indian came to
Way and wanted large piece of tobacco,
presenting 500 gold piece.
"Huh /" said Way. mo good" He
took the piece very gingerly, DIT it,
looked at it and pushed it back. This
performance fooled the Apache. He
wanted what tobacco it would buy.
Way gave him half az much as he gave
for Mexican dollar. Soon he had lofty
$40 gold pieces. The Indians would
bring in gresnbacks and Way would
spurn them. Finally he took to mailing
them on the wall. This gave the In
dians the impression he wanted, and he
got their plumber for tribes in tobacco
and powder.
WAYS CATTLE BUSINESS.
When the mob compelled Wsy to quit
the trading business, Judge Meyer asked
him what he would do.
80, I'll get me frying pan and a
rope, and go into the cattle business"
he replied. I'm year." said the Judge,
''he bad herd of 300 head of stock. He
would catch steer on the range, down
it, heat his frying pan and just burn it
over the brand. That would obliterate
the brand and he would slap on his
own mark"
One old-time butcher made money in
the meat business. He had a man on
the range whose work was to secure
other mems stock, for $3.50 head. The
beef the butcher would sell for rs cents
pound. Beef, at one time in Tucson,
was three bits pound.
Those were good old times when Bu-
chanan'6 Democracy w3re In power, and
when there was no duty on Sonora
cattle-a measure the Wilson bill will
probably revive. Some of the old-timers
had beef contracts at Calabasas on which
they made big money. They would buy
cattle in Sonora for $40 head, bring it
to Calabasas and sell it to the military
for about 1000 per cent profit.
Hay had big money in it in those
good old times. A contractor would
have Mexicans cut block grama, growing
luxuriantly two or three feet high
between here and the Rillito, for SIS a
load. This he would hand over to the
quartermaster, who would give him an
order for two tons. The contract price
with the government was 500 per ton.
"Ah, boss" said the Judge, these
are pretty hard times, Ell? Nothing
like the times we used to have here,