Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-03-04
WORKED BY MULE powER.
The Primitive Water Works at quay.
mas, Mexico.

!
Half way up the Gulf of California. on
the southwestern coast of Mexico, is the
little seaport of Guaymas. Of late
years Guaymas has grown apace COM
mercially, and her Mexican and In
| dian citizens, spurred onward and as
sisted by the influx of Yankee and Eng
lish merchants, have great many mod
ern improvements, and as soon as YOU
land the people begin to talk to you
about the wonderful advantages of
Guaymas, either as residence or BUSH
ness location. With pride they show
you their street lights, their horse cars
| and several other more or less modern
improvements. But no one has ever a
word to say about the waterworks or
the water system Yet you notice with
satisfaction that the water they give
you to drink is clear as crystal, soft and
very pleasing to the eye and taste alike.
OF course, you do not expect to find
running water in each room in Next
can city of only 5000 inhabitants, and
you are not greatly surprised to have
the water poured out for you from big
lcathern bags or earthen jars, for that
is the way of things in Mexico, and
very good way with respect to drinking
water.
But after you have visited the new
plaza and seen all the sights that the
town affords you may have a curiosity
to know something about the water
system. If such curiosity should pos
sess you, it may seem strange how the
natives avoid conversation on the topic.
They do not even care to talk about
the good quality of the water, and this
seems passing strange to the new
conner, because even towns that lack
good drinking water never fail to blow
about the quality and quantity of
whatever drinking fluid they do happen
to have. But here in Guaymas the sub
ject of drinking water, at least in bust
ness and commercial circles, is strictly
tabooed.
Now, if you are thoughtful person,
all this will strike you as remarkably
singular, and some fine day, after en-
joying a glass OF this most excellent
water, you will start off on a tour OF
exploration for yourself, bent upon dis
covering the source of Guaymas' water
supply. About mile east of the city,
if you have good luck, you will strike
very ancient artesian well, surrounded
by curious arcade system of adobe
walls, fumes, prehistoric windlasses,
one mule and two Indians. These COM
prise the waterworks of Guaymas. It
is said by travellers that there is not
such another antique water pumping
station in North America. And it is
not difficult to believe this if we add
the qualifying words: "In a civilized
community of 5000 inhabitants" Sur
rounding this artesian well-which is
said to tap a subterranean mountain
stream that flows as freely to-day as
it did in the days of Montezuma-is
quadrangular stone wall of about four
feet in thickness In the center of the
south and north walls are two piers or
columns of stone which rise to height
of about ten feet above the walls. Rest
ing on the walls is a substantial roof
or flooring of thatch, and in this there
is a small opening Immediately between
the columns. Resting on the columns
over this opening to the well is most
primitively- windlass. This
is operated on the ground below by a
big crude-fashioned wooden wheel that
is best described by comparing it to
bird cage, and this cage-lil1e wheel in
turn is operated by the slow and weary
mule who requires the constant sur
veillance of an Indian driver in order to
keep him wide awake. Just what it Is
that keeps the Indian driver awake IL
another question.
A long Unframed leather strap winds
several times around the bird cage
wheel, and then takes a diagonal cut
up to the end of the windlass. Attached
to the windlass are two rude buckets,
made something in the shape of barrels,
which are lowered alternately and al
tcrnately appear laden with as pure,
sweet drinking water as ever quenched
the thirst that springs eternal under
the hot skies of the Mexican seacoast.
In the east wall of the quadrangle is an
opening through which big wooden
fiume leads from the water casks as
they emerge from the well down to a.
series of wooden reservoirs that stand
up on stills about ten feet from the
ground. Into these reservoirs or sluice |
boxes the water is stored. Early every |
morning these sluice boxes are filled. |
The inhabitants of Guaymas come out |
and take their days water supply there |
from, and by night the sluice boxes are |
emptied. Not every inhabit of Quay |
mas makes a diurnal pilgrimage to this |
primitive water works, but all of the |
poorer people, who cannot afford to pay |
the slight charges incident upon hav-
ing their leathern water cask filed by |
the regular carriers for the well-to-do,
may be seen in the early hours with
their crude and curious water vessels.
Ones first question upon discovering
this antique water supply of Guaymas
is an inquiry concerning the age of the
artesian well and the antique wall sur
it. No one seems to know, but
the American consul says that ii must
be fully 400 years old. 1t is evidently
rot of Toltec or Aztec origin, for its
distinguishing characteristic is its ex
treme crudeness Some day an enter
prising Yankee will import a few thou
sand feet of iron pipe into Guaymas,
and then these water carriers will be
out of a Job. It is doubtful, however,
it will ever pay to replace the
tired mule that works the windlass by
a stationary engine. The artesian well
lies back of the hills, and is at an eleva-
ton of fully !, ZOO feet above the town.
San Francisco Chronicle.
Russia and China.
The treaty between Russia and China,
about which there were various rumors
and denials six months ago, has been
published, and shows Russia to have
obtained very valuable concessions in