Arizona Weekly Citizen

to the superior enterprise of the interesting details.

Special Correspondence of the Citizen.

New Albuquerque, Feb. 16, 1882.

Albuquerque is a double town, and the old one, said to be over 100 years old, is situated about two miles from the new, composed of Mexicans and adobe houses, a fine old church 92 years old, boys' and girls' school, conducted by the Sisters of Charity and the Brothers, only opened three months ago and well patronized. A fine plaza in the centre of the town, nicely fenced and has a flag staff one hundred feet high; fair grounds and race track fenced in and has seats and a grand stand. There are three hotels there, besides saloons, dance houses and many stores carrying heavy stocks of general merchandise, such as dry goods, clothing, groceries, furniture, hardware; one drug store and a post office.

Taking the 'street car,' fare ten cents you reach the new American town, hardly two years old, where you will see fine two story frame, brick and a few adobe houses and stores: sidewalks, water pumps on every block; gas pipe being put in every new building: and a second street railway connecting with the A. & P. R. R. offices and shops, fare five cents. There must be fully five thousand people here two thousand of whom are Mexicans divided between the old and the new towns; and there must be about three thousand houses and not enough to accommodate all coming. Furnished rooms are scarce; houses are rented from plans in the real estate offices and rents are high. A three room house, quite a distance from town, rents for $25.00 per month. Owners of stores on the two main streets, Railroad Avenue and 1st street, running east and west and north and south, will not lease longer than six months, as they expect a rise in rents by Spring. Property is held high, but finds purchasers at their prices. Dry goods stores abound in numbers: there are only three hardware stores, about five grocery stores, two furniture, about four gents clothing stores, three jewelers, many restaurants, but only one is first-class. There are numerous other stores, such as bakeries, second-hand stores, news and book dealers, barber shops, Adams, and Wells, Fargo & Co's express offices, three or four butcher shops, two banks, a few lawyers, real estate and insurance brokers, two livery stables, plenty of carpenter shops, but only four or five Chinese wash-houses and they charge $1.50 per doz. for large pieces and $1.00 for small. Colored help is employed in preference to any other; I have not seen a Chinese servant employed by any one. Waiters in dining rooms get seven dollars per week, cooks about $50 and $60 per month, and other help $25 to $30 per month.

There are two hotels here, the Armijo House being the only first-class one, It is very nicely furnished and has a fine parlor where the guests gather every evening to enjoy music, dancing, etc. If any one can make it pleasant for her guests it is Mrs. Scott Moore. She beats any one, outside of myself, and one is kept laughing continually. The fuel mostly used is soft coal but wood can be had. The post office here will be the only one after a while, for the present one has to go to old town to get a part of the mail not bearing the address of the new town. Indians are here, some Pueblo and Navajos dressed in real Indian fashion, but orderly and quiet. The place is orderly and free from disturbances, but boasts of a number of gamblers, top and bottom games and such men, and business is lively and every one is rushed. Money is plenty and strangers are arriving every day from all directions. The mountains quite near town are white with snow, the weather pleasant, mornings and nights quite chilly. When March will have come and gone the climate here must be very delightful, from the reports of old settlers. There are hundreds of fine ranches near town with fine fruit orchards and all kinds of fruit is raised; also many stocked with sheep and cattle.

Persons with money can do well here by investing in lots and buildings. There will be a fine new hotel built in about eight months, which is badly needed. There are two daily papers here-the Journal, edited by Thos. Hughes, from Kansas City and the Evening Review, by W. H. Bailhache & Co., who recently moved over from Old Town, as many others engaged in business there have and are doing every day.

I could write you more but do not wish to intrude on your valuable space. If you should hear or know of a party with sixteen thousand dollars to invest in a fine hotel, nicely furnished, with a five years lease and privilege of longer, and doing well, let me know. The owner is sick and wishes to retire. I am not at liberty to give the name unless I know of a party, when he will correspond with him. There is money to be made here. Another furniture dealer can do well here, by selling much cheaper than the two here. For the present there is no public school here but will be in due time. There are four churches and plenty of private schools.

H.