by F. M. Worden
“Sounds good to me, I’m ready for new places, When do I have to be there?”
“Come back to Austin with me, you can catch a train to Arizona, you’ll be on your way in a few days.”
Sam made arrangements with Tom to ship his horses by rail, filled a trunk with his belongings. Then he went with the Major to Austin, four days later he was on a Southern Pacific Train en route to a new job in Tucson, Arizona Territory.
Come December Sam would be 50 years old.
The Arizona Saga Begins
Chapter 12
Tucson, Arizona Territory
A long hot dirty ride from Austin, the train engine blew cinders thru the open windows. As the train slowed a dust devil made its way toward the adobe houses off in the distance, Sam was glad the trip was over. The train screeched to a stop. He stood, stretched, rubbed his butt. He was sore all over, the wood seats in the train became hard as a rock. “I’d rather be horse back,” he said to himself.
Hungry, thirsty and tired, He picked up his carpet bag and stepped off the train at the depot in Tucson, Arizona Territory. It was May First 1880, the railroad had just come to Tucson three months earlier. A man dressed as a railroader was standing in the depot door.
Sam called, “Can you keep my trunk in the baggage room til I can come for it?”
“That it, they’re taken off now?”
Sam turned to look. “Yes that’s it.”
“Sure we’ll take good care of it, it’ll be in the baggage room.”
Sam then asked, “Where’s a hotel? I need a room.”
The man pointed, “Just around the corner across the road.”
The sun was setting behind the pointed mountains in the west. Sam walked a few feet and looked at a two story building around the corner and across a dusty road from the depot.
“That’s the San Xavier Hotel.”
“Thanks.”
As he walked toward the hotel, he could see the two story building had a covered porch all the way around on both levels. The dust kicked up by his feet blew up the road to the east toward town. Sam climbed up a few steps and entered a lobby room. The man behind the desk asked, “What can we do for you, mister?”
“I need a room and some eats.”
“We have both.” He turned a ledger book around. “Can you write your name?”
“Sure can.” Sam took the pen and wrote, Sam Duncan.
“You can get eats thru that door,” pointing to his right.
Sam picked up his bag, walked to and opened the door. He saw a small room with four tables. A man and well-dressed woman were eating at one, the rest of the tables were empty. He sat down to the one at his right. He sat with his back against the wall.
A white aproned young Mexican boy came and asked in broken English, “What you want to eat?”
“How about a well done steak, potatoes, coffee and some water.”
Without a word the boy turned, went thru swinging doors into the kitchen. Sam heard him speaking to someone in Spanish. He returned with a glass of water and a pitcher. Sam drank several glass fulls. “Been on that damn train two days and nights.”
The boy said nothing, looked away and returned to the kitchen. Sam could smell and hear his steak cooking. Soon the boy brought the food.
After eating, Sam returned to the lobby. He asked the desk man how to find his room.
“Room 14, out the door, turn left, third door on the left,” he said as he handed Sam a key. Sam followed the directions, found the room, unlocked and entered.
Being dark he struck a match, found a lamp and lit it. Looking around he saw a bed, a dresser, with a wash pan and a pitcher of water, and a table the lamp was on. He hung his hat, coat, and vest on pegs on the door, hung his gun belt on the bed post, pulled his boots off, took off his shirt and pants .Washed as best he could and fell in the bed and went fast asleep.
He woke up hot and sweating .He reached for, found and looked at his watch, it read twelve midnight. He got up raised the only window, not much air. Then he opened the door, and lay down again. Couldn’t sleep, too hot, got up pulled on his pants and walked out on the porch that looked out over the town. Mexican music and a lot of noise in the distance was coming from town. He stretched and said out loud, “At least it’s cooler out here.”
He backed up and sat in a chair against the wall, he yawned and looked around and discovered he was not alone.
A woman’s voice said, “Too hot to sleep isn’t it?”
Sam agreed. “It sure is.”
She moved her chair closer to him said, “My name is Mamie Dunning. I’m from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.”
“Where is Pittsburgh?” asked Sam. “Is it near Gettysburg?”
“Oh no,” she said. “It’s far from there, were you at Gettysburg?”
“No, ma’am, everyone has heard of the town. A lot of good men died there on both sides.”
She changed the subject. “I’m here for my health, are you?”
“No, Ma’am, I have a job here, I understand a lot of people come here for their health.”
“Yes, I have T.B. My husband sent me here to be cured. There’s a village out of town where people go to get treated, I hope someone will come and give me a ride in the morning out to the village.”
Sam told her, “I’ll find a way to take you out there if your ride don’t come.”
“I’m sure they will come. I must try to get some sleep now. What is your name?”
“Sam Duncan. I’m gonna try to sleep too.”
They bid each other “good morning” and went back to their rooms.
Morning found Sam sleeping late. When he woke he was wet with sweat. He checked his watch, ten o’clock. “Good Lord, I overslept.”
He washed the best he could, dressed and went out on the porch in time to see the lady he was talking to early this morning getting in a carriage. She looked up, saw him, waved as they drove off. It was Thursday, May the second, 1880. Sam’s first day in the Old Pueblo had begun.
He hurried down to the lobby, where he asked the man behind the desk if the kitchen was open. “I need a cup of coffee.”
“I’m sure you can get one, it’s late for breakfast, see the cook, she’s a real nice lady.”
Sam hurried in to the eating room and on in to the kitchen. The cook was glad to give him a cup. He drank it down, asked, “Can you tell me where I can find the United States court house?”
“Go out on the road here, that’s Congress St, go up to Stone St, then turn right, the next street is Broadway the court house and post office are just to the left, you can’t miss, it’s the biggest building on Broadway.”
Sam thanked her and followed her instructions.
On the way he passed a manure pile, a dead dog and lots of trash laying in the streets. He said to himself, “Guess the folks here don’t give a damn what this town looks like or smells like.”
Sam found the court house, a sign over the door read, U.S. POST OFFICE - U.S. 10th DISTRICT COURT - JUDGE J. J. HENRICKS PRESIDING. Sam went in, a sign told him the court was up the stairs to his left. He climbed them to a door at the top, a sign in the glass in the door read, 10th District Court.
In the room he found a desk with some file cabinets and a comely woman with auburn hair. She looked up as he came in and asked if she could help him. He handed her his papers, he told her, “I’m the new Deputy U.S. Marshal assigned to this district.”
She acted upset. In a demanding voice she asked, “Where have you been? We’ve been looking for you for weeks.”
“What? I just got my commission last week.”
“I’m sorry, we asked for and thought you were coming weeks ago.” The lady gave him a warm smile.
Sam asked, “Where’s the judge, when can I see him?”
She said, “Now, if you want to go to San Diego.”
“What are you saying, why there?”
“Since the rail road came, some people who can afford it, go where it’s cooler, he won’t be back unti
l this fall.”
Sam asked, “What am I supposed to do in the meantime? Set on my rear til he decides to come back?”
“No, I have the authority to take care of your business.”
“That’s just great, a women boss.” Sam acted perturbed.
“I’m not so bad,” she said. She stood up, turned around and showed him her shapely figure. “You have lots of work to keep you going until he gets back, you get two dollars for a summons and fifty dollars for serving a warrant.”
“When do I start?” he asked. “I may get rich at these prices.” He began laughing.
“Do you have a place to stay?” she asked.
“No, I stayed at a hotel down by the train depot last night. I must find a better place, it was hotter than hades there.”
The woman said, “I live in a boarding house, I think there’s a vacancy there, would you like to go take a look?”
“Sure, when?”
“We can go now.”
Sam asked, “You can close this office anytime you want?”
“I told you I’m the boss when the judge is gone.” She reached in a drawer, took out and handed him a U.S. Marshals Badge, then she took it back and said, “Let me pin it on your vest.” She moved close, her perfume smelled so good it made him shiver.
He said, “You’re the best smell-n boss I ever had and I might add the prettiest.”
She pinned the badge on his vest and said, “You’re the best looking Marshal we’ve ever had and the most cocky.”
She gave him a wistful smile. They closed and locked the office and went down the stairs. At the bottom she stopped and leaned against the rail out of breath. She said, “I’ve got to stop a minute.”
“Are you okay?”
She looked wobbly on her feet. “I- I’m just fine, I must catch my breath.” She breathed deep and said, “Let’s go.”
They walked out into the bright May Arizona sun, then turned west on Broadway and crossed Stone St, crossed over to the south side of Broadway. As they passed the Shu-Fly café she said,“ This is the best eating place in town, if you’re good to me, I’ll let you take me there some time, they have wonderful food, fresh vegetables and fruit since the railroad came and I believe we’re going to have ice from El Paso anytime now.”
They walked on down to Meyer St and turned south. Sam saw a long high adobe wall with windows and a door every so often.
She told him, “These houses have been here for years and years, they’re all made of adobe, cool in the summer and warm in winter, I just love living here, I love this town of Tucson.”
Sam told her, “The smell could be better, don’t they ever clean the streets?” as they passed a pile of horse manure. She let his words pass.
He asked, “How long have you been here?”
“Almost a year. I came from New York.”
“New York City?”
“No, I’m from upstate, Albany, the state capital, you ever been to New York?”
“Yes, a long time ago on government business, I was with a group of Sioux Indian Chiefs, we came from the Wyoming Territory to show them the white man’s cities. We took them to see some of the eastern cities, even Washington, D.C. Saw the President, it was just after the Civil War.”
“Doesn’t sound like much fun to me.” She stopped short, “Here we are. This is the Martinez house.”
She opened the door, he followed her in. He could see a long hall with doors on both sides, there was a double glass door way in the back. At the first open door on the right she stopped and called.“Dolores, I have a new boarder for you.”
An older pretty Mexican lady answered, “Wonderful I need another one.”
The lady with Sam said, “You’re gonna like this one, he’s our new U.S. Marshal and he isn’t too bad to look at, only trouble he has a big mouth.”
Sam corrected her, “Deputy Marshal.”
She said, “Whatever.” She introduced Mrs. Martinez. “Our very good house mother, the best cook in all of the Arizona, Territory.”
Mrs. Martinez blushed. “Go on Louise,” she said. “You’re so good and kind, makes me sad you have no man.” She smiled at Sam.
“Louise,” he said, “the name fits, I’m Sam.”
“I know your name, it’s Sam Duncan.”
A young, very attractive Mexican girl looked up from the tortillas she was making and said, “I’m Rosa, the best looking, the most beautiful and the best Mexican girl in all of Tucson.” They all laughed.
“Can I see the room now?” Sam asked.
All three women led the way down the hall to the last door on the right. Entering the room Sam could see a four poster bed, a table with a lamp, a dresser, a rocking chair, a wall closet and a picture of a Mexican bull fighter hung above the bed, various paintings of beautiful Mexican women hung around the room. Two double glass french doors opened into a patio. Sam opened the doors, walked out to take a look. He saw a porch covered the full length of the house, a high wall enclosed the patio. Flowers bloomed in pots on the porch and by the wall. The floor was of some kind of red brick. Strings of red peppers and several hollas hung from the porch beams.
Mrs. Martinez spoke, “Thru that door in the back wall leads to our outhouse.”
Louise told him, “Dolores has cots we can sleep on out here when it gets too hot in the rooms, how do you like this?”
“Looks good to me.” He turned to Dolores and asked, “How much do you want?”
“Seven American dollars a month, two meals a day, breakfast and supper.”
“You got yourself a new boarder Mrs. Martinez.”
“We’re glad to have you, Senor Duncan.”
“No, no Mrs. Martinez call me Sam, please.”
“You call me Dolores, okay?” Sam said he would.
The three women left the room. Sam slumped down in the rocker and said to himself, “This is the best place I’ve had in sometime.”
For most of an hour he sat and contentedly rocked back and forth almost asleep. He took his pocket watch from his vest, it read one fifteen. He got up, hung his coat, hat and gun belt on pegs on the door and started to set back down.
A knock on the door. “Come on in,” Sam called.
The girl Rosa pushed the door open, she carried a pan, a pitcher of water and a towel. “Momma said you should come and eat with us now, here’s water to wash up with, there’s soap in the dresser drawer.” She smiled, turned and went out.
Sam washed and went to the kitchen. At a small table the three women sat talking, Dolores motioned for him to sit down. Green peppers, frijoles, sliced cheese and a hot flour buttered tortilla, reminded him of Lupe in San Antonio. Rosa gave him a cup of coffee. She wanted to know, “Where you from tall man?”
“I just came from Texas, and a lotta other places.”
Louise asked, “Were you with the law there too?”
“On and off, I been with the law a long time”
After eating he stood and took seven dollars from his billfold and handed it to Dolores and asked to be excused.
The women all shook their heads yes, as they looked at each other. “What a polite man,” he heard one say as he left.
He returned to his room, lay down and fell asleep.
When he woke up, the evening light was streaming into the room, it helped him to wake up. As he rubbed his face, I need a shave he thought. A knock on the door, the young Mexican girl called in a loud voice, “We’re waiting supper on you Texas.”
He heard her walk away. He washed again and hurried down the hall to an open door across from the kitchen. He went into a room with a long table and lots of good smelling food sat on it. Colorful pictures hanging on the walls of Mexican people and places. A wagon wheel hung from the ceiling with lighted candles. There were candles on the table. The smell of the food hung in the air, Mexican cooking has an aroma all of its own. It smelled wonderful. In all, a very pleasant place to be.
Dolores said, “Come sit by me.”
He slid int
o a chair next to her, Louise sat across from him. She stood, “I want you to meet the other boarders Sam. This is Mrs. Ruiz.”
He saw a rather heavyset older Mexican lady. “She’s a seamstress, she has a sewing shop up town. The man with the beard is Jake Holbrook an old timer here. Next to him is Ramon Leon, he’s always smoking a cigar, he works at the wagon factory. The lady with the beautiful smile is Hilda Swanson.” She smiled and nodded her head.
“And this handsome man is Mr. Stein, he works in the only bank in town.”
Stein rose and came to shake his hand saying, “I’m glad! We need a good lawman in this town.”
No more was said and everyone started eating. All the people seemed to enjoy the meal of baked quail, brown gravy, fresh tomatoes, corn, frijoles and fresh made tortillas .It was finished off with sopas, honey and goats milk.
After everyone finished eating, Dolores brought a jug of red vino from the kitchen and insisted all have a glass in celebration of the new boarder. After the drink, Sam returned to his room. He opened the double doors and went out in the patio and sat in a leather tub chair. From a pouch, he filled his pipe, tamped the tobacco with a forefinger and lit it with a match, sat back and watched the smoke he blew go up in the air and fade away.
Rosa the young girl came from the hall. Seeing Sam, she sat in a chair next to him. She told him, “It’s nice out here, it’ll be dark soon, it stays light longer this time of year. When the darkness comes it’ll cool off. When it gets too hot to sleep in the rooms, momma has cots for everyone to sleep out here. Only bad thing, the sun makes us get up too early.”
Sam said to her, “I’m going to bed.” He stood and went into his room, she followed.
“Time for me too, Texas.”
“I’m not a Texan, it was just a stop in a long line of places. Don’t call me Texas.” He had some anger in his voice.