Arizona republican., 1921-04-13

An interesting account of the var ious spo. ls enjoyed in the Salt River valley in the early days is given by II. R. Patrick in the following:
 When l arrived in Phoenix in the summer of 1878 I found rather hap py-go-lucky and sport-loving class of people who enjoyed life in spite of the hardships they were supposed to have passed through, and as l look back upon the conditions of those tiraes: the greatest hardship we had was to raise money to pay our board and taxes.
 "One of the principal sports of those days was horse racing, the most interesting and exciting events of which took place on Washington street every Sunday morning, when the town would be full of people. The track from the court house square up to the east side of the plaza (city hall square) would be packed with men, women and children of many nationalities, not emitting Indians, who often took part in the races and frequently pulled off foot races which added much to the excitement.
 .Of course it will be accepted with out an affidavit that gambling was an open sport in all the carrier years The principal games were faro, rou- leIte, MOuuldtii, hcho, PonOi and other card games and chusas. a sort of Mexican roulette, and morite, a card game played principally by the Mexicans in Sonora town, which name applied to the Mexican quarter, main- ly on East Monroe street. The China men enjoyed their native game of fan tan or hit the pipe in their un- derground opium joints.'
 A special round of pleasure was enjoyed each season when the an- nual Fiesta took place in one of the alfalfa fields adjoining the city. At these fiestas it was customary to erect 'ramadas' (brush sheds), canvas tents and booths for all kinds of gambling games, amusements and restaurants and a smooth piece of ground cleared off for dancing. Here these sports were carried on day and night, generally from San Juan day, June "A. until July A.
 Al one of these fiestas in the lat ter '70's a Spanish bull fight was planned and a plaza de toros' (bull ring1 with extensive bleachers erected at considerable expense. It drew a large crowd. filling the bleachers and even the nearby cottonwoods. The bulls to enter the ring were wild steers. but ferocious enough to spoil the fun. for just when the excitement was highest and the charges Of the bulls were fierce and swift, one of them came at a Mexican bull fighter who took refuge behind the fender that stood in front and near one cor ner of the bleachers. So violent was the charge that the fender was smashed. and beyond it the board fence went down and the bull ran off in the field, pursued by Vaqueros,' but fighters and roustabouts. The ca tastrophe caused such a panic that one section of the grandStand gave way and all that part Of the audience went to the ground with greik crash, immediately followed by the collapse of the second section. max ing terrible sight of struggling hu- uan:ty from which many bruised ano bleeding men were carried. Others clamored for reprisals and theil money back from the management but nobody was seriously injured ant in those days there was no money back game though there was neal riot that was quelled by officers.
 "There was another form of fiests that occurred in October of eacf year. and that was the Harvest Fes' tivaF of the Pima and Maricopa In dians, held on the reservation. Thi' was a thanksgiving day or weel - kinds of field sports, and many triba ceremonials and offerings to thu Great Spirit to show their gratitude for the results of the seasons labors all of which was conducted in mos | earnest manner. Many of our citizens were invited to attend these meets which were greatly enjoyed by tn whites. but gradually the more i'm pecunious whites took advantage O | the redmen's love for liuor, whicl l caused the government authorities t | stop the custom.
 'One little item of early days whicl was greatly enjoyed by the fun-lov
 CTS of early Phoenix was the annua Christmas tree It should be remem
 bered first u at a certain locust tre
 had grown to maturity on the north | west corner of Center and Washing ion streets later known as the Gold 1 man Corner, and until recently tn 1 principal loafing corner of the towr From sun to sun there was generall
 some one, or several, leaning agains
 the hospitable locust, or else they GU | and hacked il with their knives, fo
 prior to 1880 it was common to see
 pioneer wearing a full brace of sid
 arms.