Arizona republican., 1908-06-26

| act promptly or he would get the
 worst of it himself
 Probably the most pretentious fiesta
 ever held here, except a later carnival in which the name fiesta was utilized for advertising purposes, was in the later sos. At that time the old Balsz
 race track, half mile oval, was main tained in what is now the Bennett ad-
 dition, one of the most pretentious-
 residence sections of the city. It was
 reached by what was then known as
 Lovers Lane, but is now north Gen.
 ter street. Between the track and the
 big ditch, about where First avenue
 now runs. was the fiesta ground prop
 CT. Here was erected a big covered
 dancing pavilion and all around it
 were booths made of lumber frames
 and enclosed with brush brought from
 the river and cut from the immense
 cottonwood trees that then lined most
 of the streets of the town
 The booths were devoted to all man.
 ner of catch penny enterprises such as
 one finds at the county fairs and ice
 cream, lemonade and confectionery
 stands, lunch counters, etc. These
 booths alternated with those devoted to gambling The gambling booths contained faro banks, roulette wheels, chuckaluck dice. poker tables, monte tables, keno game and in short, every form of gambling known on the from tier. Then, as now, the business man in responsible position, handling nf YNanH1a'p pected to be given to gambling. but it was not considered other than leSt- ! mate recognition of the occasion, to 1 put few dollars against fortune dur | ing the fiesta. providing of course that ! tine man gambled with his own money |
 Many men gambled during that | week who never gambled before and | who probably never gambled after ! ward. It was merely their way of | spending the money and they had | just so much to spend. When they | were broke they quit Not only the !, men. but the women gambled, and ! good women they were, too, women | who never in their lives had seen the | inside of saloon or a gambling house. | That was one of the reasons the games | were taken to the fiesta grounds, so | the women could have their curiosity | and see the games they had | heard so much about, the best of order being maintained on the grounds, both Il lay and night even though there was II an ample amount of liquor dispensed Il and drunk on the grounds by those who were so inclined.
 There were horse races and danc- Il ng every afternoon, chicken pulling )n San Juan's day and various other attractions to draw the crowd, among hem little one-ring circus that was owned and operated by Taylor Frush, II himself and wife both being notable horseback riders. In the evening after he stores were closed, everybody went o the fiesta, some to participate in
 he pleasures and others, especially he few eastern people who began to rift in, merely out of curiosity It II vas in the evening that the gambling 'eoths were the most spectacular and 'ften one would see big parties of | adies and gentlemen of high social | 'ank taking flying shots at the tiger | ust as they do now when they go | rom this country to Monte Carlo, 'nly It did not require so much money O buy ammunition in Phoenix as it loes at Monte Carlo. All this lasted n quite regular routine up to the ourth of July. On that day every 'ody who pretended to be an Ameri- an either by birth or adoption. turn d out to celebrate and usually about
 a. m, on the morning of the fifth. he big show was over and the de- nolition of the booths began.
 Two or three fiestas were held here and one or two more were held n the east of town just south of and east of Seventh treets. The custom waned rapidly. Iowever. as soon as immigration set n from the east and in the early nine ies 1t was given up altogether. It is kely though that only a small num- CT of the residents of the Bennett ddition are aware that their fine rick houses and green lawns occupy a lace that was once utilized as a race rack and a general sporting center. pr this part Of Arizona