The copper era., 1901-10-03
CLIFTON TWENTY
 EIGHT YEARS AGO.
Arrival of First Woman.-EXtract from Letter Written by Found
 CT of Camp, Henry Lesinsky.

Following is an extract from a pri-
 Henry Lesinsky, the founder Of Clifton,
 who is now a resident of New York. The ex tract will be Of interest to the old timers as well as new corners here.
 During Mir. Lesinsky's residence in Clifton he was better known as Don Henriques:"
 "I desire to say that 1 am much in- terested in your paper. l suppose if l were to return to Clifton today, would feel good deal like Rip Van Wrinkle I would be lost in your city. I read in your paper Of Copper Avenue and Rail- road avenue, and of merchants and lawyers and physicians and many other things which were not dreamed of in my time. It would indeed have taken a prophet or Il person Of clalrvoyant possibilities to foresee the events that have happened in your place. What interested me d good deal in your paper was to read that the ladies of Clifton were about to give a pink tea. Now 1t may seem strange for me to refer to such matter, seeing that you have quite 4 society in Clifton, but 1 cannot help looking backward to the time when it was my desire and necessity to get the first woman to visit Clifton. This must be about twenty-eight years ago. remember going to Silver City and after q long search l found Dona JuanIta. DOna Juanita was no longer young, and yet she was afraid to go to Clifton as a lone female to live among twenty-five or thirty men. When l asked DOna Juanita her age, she said she did not exactly know but that she was born two years after the NavOJo raid into Clifton. This was very in- definite; nevertheless, Dona Juanita had seen the best of fifty years. The we entered into would fill q whole volume. The inducement 1 had to hold out was for her to take charge of the laundry business. Dona Juanita was afraid to be alone in Cliff ton without any female companion, but I told her I would put up a sign over her door No admittance here except on laundry business l assured her that under the laws of the United her or enter her house against her wishes. Finally | had to provide a ''caretta" for her special use to convey her and her goods from Silver City to Clifton. I also had to provide arms and provisions for her and her nephew, better known as PedritO, who was to be her guide and cook and general pro- tector for the time being. After a journey of six days we arrived in Cliff ton, and it was d happy day for the boys to see q woman and to know that they would no longer have to sit by the Frisco river on Sunday morning and try to rub the dirt and stains from their clothing. Dona Juanita did four Ishing business. However, all this has lO bO Nlth o pun OSe', DNe cannot refrain from commenting on the difference between the social conditions in Clifton when I started the town and | those that exist to-day. Some fire day will make pilgrimage to the old place. Before l go l will send you a telegram and you will be good enough l Q engage passage for me from Clifton 1 70 the Coronado mines inasmuch as the | ,ars may all be occupied and l may )erchance have to wait awhile before I ,an take passage.
 Finally I desire to say that l am most happy to see that the old Long, ellow mine and the rest of the copper rines are producing largely, and much nore so that l could have ever dreamed 'f and that the company to whom we old the property is now realizing large profits, all of which is very gratifying lews to me, and 1 hope that the ,lace will continue to flourish for many ears to come. Sincerely Yours,
 HENRY LESINsKY."