Rafael Ochoa
By Jose del Castillo, Room 103, Univ. Stadium, Tucson
February 1, 1939
I came from Babiaco, Sonora, Mexico, and have lived in Tucson for forty years. When I first came the principal streets of the town were Congress, Main and Meyer. The town was very quiet, no business activity. One had to go out and work in the mines, as that was all the work to be had. One worked nine to ten hours daily, at $1.00 per day. In 1901 the salary was raised to $1.25 and $1.50 per day at the mines.
I worked at the Old San Xavier, also in the New San Xavier called Hughes Mine, and then at Silver Bell, Tumacacori and Salero mines. They were worked for gold, silver and copper. Copper was very high then. Most of the miners were Mexicans, a few Italians were employed. In all the camps we had brush huts, or tents. Stores were kept in all the mining camps where we could buy our groceries at very low prices: coffee sold at 3 lbs. for 25 cents, 5 lbs. lard for 35 cents.
In Tucson there was no water as we have now. Women would go to Ojito, a spring across from the Elysian Grove, and would carry the water home in ollas on top of their heads. Also they went to the river, a little beyond Ojito and washed the clothes on a flat stone, as wash-board, placed on the edge of the running water.
At Silver Lake, South of Ely Cerro del Pueblito, now called the A Mountain, there was a reservoir for the irrigation of all the farms. There were many farms along the river. All vegetables were raised and sold to the homes in Tucson every day.
In the Silver Bell and Hughes mines they had ore mills. In these mines were deep tunnels, and at night they were noises coming from the deep holes and therefore thought mysterious. But all the noises were due to the numerous field mice. When the mice run out of the tunnels into the surface no miner would go down and those below would come up quick. There was gas.
In 1898 when I worked at Picacho, building the tracks, I used to live with the foreman at his house, and would often hear the dishes drop on the floor. He would strike a light, only to find all dishes in perfect order. Then the frying pans would sound, falling down on the floor. Again we would strike a match, but everything was in order. Funny – perhaps, ghosts. A priest on the way to Florence happened to stop at Picacho and I told him about the funny incidents.
The priest then went and prayed and blessed the place with holy water. After that the noises ceased. The spirits were mischievous he said. They were the duendes. So after he had prayed and sprinkled the place with holy water the duendes knew better than to cross the priest.
The Hughes mine – rich in copper – was abandoned when the price dropped. It had been paying 16 to 17 cents a pound. At the San Xavier mine the camp where the families lived was close-by and living quarters consisted mostly of tents of which there were about 40 to 50 on top of the hill when a big flow of water washed them all away.
At Silver Bell the old camp was moved to a new location and the Jerome Company brought about 2,000 men. They cut up ocotillo and built huts; some were built of sahuaro and greasewood for the mining laborers and their families. They were people of all races.
The government opened a school in the new camp. They had a saloon, and there were plenty of drinking and gambling. The early amusement for the camp was a traveling Mexican circus, titteres, like they had in the early days in Tucson. In the evening the place would be lighted by huge bonfires and in the show children would be seen performing on the trapeze and walking the line, etc. The music they would bring from Tucson.
I saw Tucson when it was nothing but desert east of the Safford school. I helped build many of the houses at the time. I remember the dances they had in those days in nicely cleaned and sprinkled patios to which we invited the girls and danced to music from the harp and an accordion.
Circumstances of Interview
The interview took place in the small living room, which comprises the front part of the house. There are a number of modest furniture of a few chairs, a couple of tables set against the walls. An array of family pictures hang along the walls without any plan or arrangement.
Description of Informant – Rafael Ochoa is a Mexican. Tall and lean, almost gangling, he moves quite slowly and thinks slowly. When he speaks, there’s not much enthusiasm in his tone. He is unemployed and spends his time sitting in the sun, trying to carry on an intermittent conversation with some cronies, who like him, have a lot of time to spend. A long time they would site without anyone saying a word, but that was all right.
February 1, 1939
I came from Babiaco, Sonora, Mexico, and have lived in Tucson for forty years. When I first came the principal streets of the town were Congress, Main and Meyer. The town was very quiet, no business activity. One had to go out and work in the mines, as that was all the work to be had. One worked nine to ten hours daily, at $1.00 per day. In 1901 the salary was raised to $1.25 and $1.50 per day at the mines.
I worked at the Old San Xavier, also in the New San Xavier called Hughes Mine, and then at Silver Bell, Tumacacori and Salero mines. They were worked for gold, silver and copper. Copper was very high then. Most of the miners were Mexicans, a few Italians were employed. In all the camps we had brush huts, or tents. Stores were kept in all the mining camps where we could buy our groceries at very low prices: coffee sold at 3 lbs. for 25 cents, 5 lbs. lard for 35 cents.
In Tucson there was no water as we have now. Women would go to Ojito, a spring across from the Elysian Grove, and would carry the water home in ollas on top of their heads. Also they went to the river, a little beyond Ojito and washed the clothes on a flat stone, as wash-board, placed on the edge of the running water.
At Silver Lake, South of Ely Cerro del Pueblito, now called the A Mountain, there was a reservoir for the irrigation of all the farms. There were many farms along the river. All vegetables were raised and sold to the homes in Tucson every day.
In the Silver Bell and Hughes mines they had ore mills. In these mines were deep tunnels, and at night they were noises coming from the deep holes and therefore thought mysterious. But all the noises were due to the numerous field mice. When the mice run out of the tunnels into the surface no miner would go down and those below would come up quick. There was gas.
In 1898 when I worked at Picacho, building the tracks, I used to live with the foreman at his house, and would often hear the dishes drop on the floor. He would strike a light, only to find all dishes in perfect order. Then the frying pans would sound, falling down on the floor. Again we would strike a match, but everything was in order. Funny – perhaps, ghosts. A priest on the way to Florence happened to stop at Picacho and I told him about the funny incidents.
The priest then went and prayed and blessed the place with holy water. After that the noises ceased. The spirits were mischievous he said. They were the duendes. So after he had prayed and sprinkled the place with holy water the duendes knew better than to cross the priest.
The Hughes mine – rich in copper – was abandoned when the price dropped. It had been paying 16 to 17 cents a pound. At the San Xavier mine the camp where the families lived was close-by and living quarters consisted mostly of tents of which there were about 40 to 50 on top of the hill when a big flow of water washed them all away.
At Silver Bell the old camp was moved to a new location and the Jerome Company brought about 2,000 men. They cut up ocotillo and built huts; some were built of sahuaro and greasewood for the mining laborers and their families. They were people of all races.
The government opened a school in the new camp. They had a saloon, and there were plenty of drinking and gambling. The early amusement for the camp was a traveling Mexican circus, titteres, like they had in the early days in Tucson. In the evening the place would be lighted by huge bonfires and in the show children would be seen performing on the trapeze and walking the line, etc. The music they would bring from Tucson.
I saw Tucson when it was nothing but desert east of the Safford school. I helped build many of the houses at the time. I remember the dances they had in those days in nicely cleaned and sprinkled patios to which we invited the girls and danced to music from the harp and an accordion.
Circumstances of Interview
- Rafael Ochoa, 223 West 23rd Street
- Jan. 20, 24, 1939
- 223 West 23rd Street
- The writer met informant, while trying to locate an old-timer, in a corner store at West 23rd and Ninth Avenue.
- The house is a three room adobe stucco, washed in pink color, in the Mexican section of the small home-owning class. Unlike Meyer Street district, they have toilet plumbing facilities here. West of this section, or rather a block west of Ninth Avenue is the Indian village and the Presbyterian mission for the Indians. Better-off Indians lived in good stuccoed houses in this Mexican section. The house is a flat topped Mexican style.
The interview took place in the small living room, which comprises the front part of the house. There are a number of modest furniture of a few chairs, a couple of tables set against the walls. An array of family pictures hang along the walls without any plan or arrangement.
Description of Informant – Rafael Ochoa is a Mexican. Tall and lean, almost gangling, he moves quite slowly and thinks slowly. When he speaks, there’s not much enthusiasm in his tone. He is unemployed and spends his time sitting in the sun, trying to carry on an intermittent conversation with some cronies, who like him, have a lot of time to spend. A long time they would site without anyone saying a word, but that was all right.