Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-10-23
A GLIMPSE OF ARIZONA.

| tablish a mission Of the church.
Thus II was that Tucson became TO
| he. From ont the sun-Cnressed sou
the town sprang up In simple form, aud
at It's door the light of religious life
| babe welcome to the Indian tribes
| with It's matchless situation, within a
| vale OF charming beauty framed
| around with mountains more than or
| dinarlly grand, 1t seems sublimely III
| to be the outcome OF an inspiration
| from the celestial sphere. But whether
true or false may be the story of It's
| founding, the mystery that long mas
| hidden In obscurity the date of It's IN
| Ception, and has evolved from studlous
| minds the suppsltion that even as far
| back as 1885 It's existence began, II Is
| reasonable to conclude that after all,
the truth Of its exact antiquity mas
been obtained Notwithstanding
then, the credit due the Spanish con-
| auer, Coronado, whose fertile mind re-
! duced the spiritual essence to the form
| of tangible things, what shall be said
, of the noble padres who set up the
altar and lit the fires of religious truth,
| that their civilizing influence might
| cultivate the heart and mind of the
| plastic PapaSof Men who willingly
| immune themselves from the pleasures
| of their peers and the society of tfeir
| class and brave the dangers of an I'M
| known land that 1t and Its people
, might be subdued to the peaceful
| dominion of n better civilization. are
| surely benefactors in the highest
| meaning Of the term. This the early
| Spanish fathers did, and through the
| Vicssitudes of nearly three hundred
and fifty years. save when the light OF
life and spirituality was eNtinguishcd
in deluge of blood. their successors
have continued the good work they UNI
ostentntiously began.
The edifying Influences OF religion
suffused the rude inhabitants of the
region round about, and Mexican and
Papago tremendously pursued their
pastoral pursuits. Renegade bands
and ruthless pilagers ultimately APP
peared and sclf-protection took the
form OF concentration within mud
built or adobe walls. Thus did the
town or village OF Tucson take form
and feature, neither partaklng of
beauty nor artistic design. Its per-
| manence lay In the strength of its wall
| and the vigilance OF its people. And, So,
donw the vista of the years 1t slowly
| advanced, until, in the vindication OF
| it's fortitude. and because of Its situa-
| ton, II became the commercial center
of an extensive region. With the ma
| tural Increase of internal and eXter-
| nal population, when business rivals
were unknown throughout II vast eX-
| panse of country, embracing the states
Of Sonora and Chihuahua, in Mexico.
| and what is known as southern Arl-
| IONA as well. Tucson's Importance
| grew, and long before the war 1t held
| undisputed commercial sway. For
| years before the advent OF the railroad,
| and cOncomitant with the growing
settlement of the West its annual
trade was computed in the millions.
| No other city Of equal size in the
i Union could compare with 1t. Mer-
| chandlse commanded prices eNor-
bItantly high. for the cost of freighting
| from great distances was necessarily
high. In these early days the products
of the mines made money plentiful, but
the coming of the iron horse. and the
continual settlement of other parts,
both creating diminished freight eN-
penses and Increased competition.
| changed completely the condition of
affairs. Notwithstanding this, how
ever, the status OF her prosperity re-
manned unchanged.
The Inspiration which led to Tucsons
location was prophetic of greater
things. Because of increased facilities
and long established relationships
she has grown and expanded in every
/, | way, and not only as the commercial
metropolis OF the great Southwest
. (Which she has always BEEN will she
ever remain, but the favorite resi-
: dence city in the territory as well.
In the early days, as far back as
records and personal recollections go
the general aspect of Tucson was ma
!, terialy dissimiar to many other rude
. settlements of subsequent founding. AZ
, | before stated, II was enclosed with q
! high adobe wall, upon the interior OF
which the ends of the houses abutted
the roofs of the dwellings, sloping to-
! ward the central plaza into which thelI
I doors opened. Some distance from the
outer walls. but close by, a fort
! afforded some protection against tn,
7 frequent onslaughts OF murderous foes
, | 1t was built Of adobe, and on eaCl
corner We're constructed towers, ol
torreons, which completely enfilateC
the four sides. Up to 1919 the yeul
when the international boundary lin,
between the United States and Mexico
, was settled, the town had but lttl,
, improved in appearance from what 4
! had always been, and not until aftel
the civil war did its general import
ance begin to demand n radical change
in prevailing conditions. The Amerl
can spirit of progress began to asser
; itself and Improvement began with in
= creasing commercial enterprise. IL
l 1871 the reconstruction Of the street,
J, was commenced and from that time OF
= the city enjoyed solid healthy
growth. New buildings sprane up il
striking contrast to the nelghbnrlnl
. tendaJons, or shops, of squalid appear
u ance, and some attention was paid I,
y architectural features In the erection
of residences as well. But even today
= the remnants Of the past condition,
0A4ll fNANls III htl NNlN quarters the mar
row, winding, irregular streets rcmint
3 one Of some old provincial town o
Spain. They are prolific of interest t.
the sightseeing tourist and are clio.
quent In their testimony to the an,
tiquity Of the ancient and honorabl,
, pueblo" as the old seal used to read
= A few of the ancient landmarks o
= more than ordinary interest also re,
main, chief among which are tn,
? meaGer ruins of the old wall and tn,
= church on the outskirts Of the city
$ The buildings and dwellings of tn,
Mexican population, generally, ar,
mostly the same low, oue-story, adob,
structures, with barred windows anC
, whitewashed walls. Side by side tn,
| American. Mexican and Papago pur,
sue the tenor Of their way smoothly
e peacefully and successfully, and Illus
. trate the progressive stages of moderr
: civilization, The old things are pass!n,
l away and all things are becominl
e new Gas and electricity have sup
i planted the CLEAN OF Ercasewood ant
the tallow dip freight wagons ant
. stage coaches have been considerable
l decreased by the coming OF the rail
= road ear but the meek-eyed hurro, "A,
(: n beast of burden, seems indispensa,
! BILE to Mexican existence, and goes OF
4 his way rejoicing as Of yore.
NORMAN w. MACLEOD.