The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-01-08
III, the Regular
in ArizOna
in the Sixties.
By JOHN A. SPRING.

Mendoza Joined us at breakfast, and he
also laughed heartily at our misadventure,
which he, above all men. could have pre-
vented, had he been more thoughtful. The
breakfast was served by mlddle-aged
woman, assisted by 'moZo" (boy OF all
work., who was no other than the WOOD
carrier whom we had addressed through
the gate. Only now he was washed ana
corhbed and wore a clean shirt. MI
Warner said that the women folks would
nut in an appearance later, after they
had fixed up some," and he gave orders
to hitch up his travelling carriage, We
hicle resembling somewhat an army ambu-
lance on the exterior, SO that we might
take a ride along the river after we had
looked the town over. He had business
to attend to, which admitted of no delay,
but said he would join us later. de
put us under the guidance of one Mr.
Brown, who, besides Mr.. Warner and his
clerk, was the only American then living
in Santa Cruz, and was sub-contractor.
We found Mr.. Brown very clever, jolly
fellow of middle age, frontiersman
from top to toe, fond of good glass,
good story and very fond Of the royal
game Of poker. -......-
We first visited Mr.. Warmers small
store, which was situated in another block
or cluster of houses. His stock OF goods
was very limited, indeed, consisting MAIN
~ of such articles as poor people need for
their daily use in those countries in lso-
lated places. The store was for the most
part Kept up as an accommodation for
the comparatively many people employed
by Mr.. Warner, and their families. The
clerk was an old-fashioned, quiet Ger
man of advanced age, named Henry Diet
rich, Mt home, but known in those parts as
dutch Henry" by the Americans, and by
the Mexicans, of course, as Don En-
rique." We had TO take glass with him
as a welcome drink and several more as
q sign of good fellowship, and then one
more for the Fatherland. He was indeed
q very good-natured man, somewhat slow
and methodical in all he did. and as
salesman in an American store would
probably not have been considered q shin
Ing light, but in the sphere in which he
moved, he filled the bill completely, and
kept the accounts of Mr.. Warner as to
goods purchased from, amounts paid and
balances due to mercantile houses III clear
American booking, while he kept at the
same time q separate account book for
the Mexican people and employees in pc
culiar fashion. This latter, although then
in use at every small Mexican store and
by every one who employed the illiterate
class of Mexicans as teamsters, herders
or laborers, is now becoming obsolete, and
as l hold it to be of some interest l shall
here describe it. 1t combines great SIM
plicity with undeniable clearness, and was
therefore just the thing to be used in deal
ing with people who could neither write
nor read, but could readily figure out their
accounts with this system and have at all
times a clear understanding as to their
financial status with their employers.
Whenever man or woman Qhe latter
as cooks or washerwomen only entered
anyone's employ they received paper as
follows, called a vale" OF course, the
writing was in Spanish:
Vale of A. B.-Comm'd work Sept =,
1866, at = per diem.