The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-01-01

q time at least, MS lucrative tEdulHS Win
the camp, partly because he had lost his
burned to cinders, partly because the
Apaches made travelling through the sur
rounding country, and especially through
the Huachuca Pass, very unsafe. We re-
ceived all our forage corn, either ON cobs
or shelled) from Mr.. Warner, contractor,
living in Santa Cruz. He was an Ameri-
can, about 60 years of age, mason by
trade, and had erected all the buildings
constituting Fort Yuma in 1858. Thence
he had drifted to Arizona, settled near
Calabazas at first, and when the country
broke up" had moved across the boundary
to the small Mexican town of Santa Cruz,
where he began farming, erected small
Touring mill, raised cattle, and kept
small store. He became engaged in freight
ing between the port of Guaymas and
Herscmllo, now the capital of the Mex
lean State of Sonora, and thence to Tue
son. This latter place was supplied with
many goods by that route, the distance
being fully 100 miles shorter than from the
harbor of San Pedro, the shipping port of
Los Angeles, Cal.
Mr.. Warner had married q Mexican
widow in Santa Cruz, the mother of as
beautiful 16-year-old girl as one light
see in hundred days travel. Further
mention will be made of this family pres
emily.
The corn was freighted to our camp in
heavy prairie schooners, pulled each by
four yoke of oxen, driven by strong and
fearless Texans with enormous whips,
called "blacksnakes," which these sturdy
drivers handled with great dexterity and,
/ am sorry to say, accompanied by
great profusion of profanity, especially
where the route lay over steep grade
or heavy sand. For greater safety these
trains were escorted by several we'll
armed laborers and house servants of Mr..
Warner, and sometimes by himself.
All grain furnished to Camp Wallen
In that year, 1S66-'67, was contracted for
at the rate of 61a cents in gold coin
(greenbacks stood at 40 per pound.
The hay was also provided by a &C tract
then held by Messrs. Capron & Aguivre,
who received $4S in gold coin per ton of
1900 pounds; this was very fat con-
tract, the grass being abundant all over
the region, the only expense being the cut
ting and hauling over a distance not ex-
ceeding three miles. We must, however,
take into consideration that some risk
was involved in the business, on account
Of the insecurity of life and property.
THE CENTURY PLANT.
When Magentie had recovered from his
wounds he accompanied the wagons of
Mr.. Warner on their return to Santa
Cruz, and there formed a small company
Of Mexicans for the purpose of estab
fishing a distillery of mescal, an estab-
lishment called by them ''vinateria." The
mescal, fiery liquor, is distilled from an
agaye plant, called by the Mexicans ma
guey, as well as by the Indians. To us
It is known as the century plant, because
1t was formerly supposed to bloom only
once in hundred years; while the actual,
now well-known fact is that this agave
sends forth tall stem from its center, as
soon as it has reached its full growth,
which in its wild or uncultivated state it
attains in about FIVE or six years. This
stem reaches within few months a hight
Of about Ii feet, and extends then from
its top and upper end numerous branches
carrying yellowish blossoms, which within
q short time become seed capsules con-
tanning each several wellseparated COM
partments filed with fiat, black seeds,
tightly fitting against each other. The
plant having now fulfilled its duty de-
manded by nature, begins to decay, and
Is soon mass Of rotting leaves, under
which innumerabie small plants propa-
gated by nature appear on the surface.and
begin their existence in their turn. The
seed capsules having bursted open and
the seeds distributed by the wind in every
direction, the whole country of southern
Arizona and Sonora is very prolific in the
production Of this plant, which is found
on all the innumerable knobs and foothills
surrounding Camp Wallen.
Magentie established his mescal ranch
on the edge of a small mountain creek
running between the foothills about six
miles northwest of the post. Of course,
the distillery was an illicit undertaking,
and might have been objected to by our
post commander on several lawful
grounds; but inasmuch as the article was
good and cheap liquor, and the sale of it
was limited to the sutler of the camp by
fearful threats Of punishment, should Ma
gentle or his people even attempt to dis
pose of it to the soldiers without a writ
ten permit, it was tolerated. In those
days the United States Revenue officer
or Marshal, if these existed at all, were
located in the then capital of Prescott,
about 400 miles away, and never dreamt
Of visiting our part of the country.
MANUFACTURE OF MEscAL.
The liquor called mescal is manufac-
tured In the following manner, first OBJ
served by me at Magentie's establishment:
The agave plants, upon reaching their
full growth, but before the stem starts
are cut OF with axes or the long, heavy,
Mexican knives called 'machetes,' just
eoo'c tut iOuts, inc louS, sHOEUy leaves,
attaining hight Of about three to four
feet in the uncultiyated maguey, are then
chopped off, leaving more or less round
ball like a cabbage-head. These are left
upon the spot to be gathered either by
cart or by donkeys and transported to the
mescal ranch on the creek Here there
Is large underground oven, in which the
heads are well baked. While undergoing
this process they become soft and develop
q great deal of juice resembling and tast-
Ing not unlike molasses. In this state
the agaye plant forms good article of
diet IL eaten In moderation. 1t can be
pressed, dried and kept for future use,
and our men found q great supply of it
when they surprised an Apache rancheria
later on.
Near the oven there Is cellar-like room,
which must have an absolutely water
tight roof, as the smallest amount of
water mingled with mescal either in pro-
cess OF manufacture or In its finished
state will turn mescai sour in a very short
time. In this room there are rows of
rawhides fastened in the form of sacks
to cross poles resting upon forked upright
Sticks.
when the plant is thoroughly baked, In
which state 1t Is readily plucked to pieces,
II Is placed in these rawhide watts; fermen-
tation soon sets in, and after some DAYS it
Ii ready to undergo the process of dis
tilling applied in some form or other in
the manufacture of all spiritsus liquors
by means of a copper snake called BY the
Mexicans "alambique." which is the only
article of foreign manufacture needed in
the production of mescal, all other appli-
ances being handmade from the material