The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-04-20

Letter from an Old Sedalian i'm
Regard to a Beautiful
Country

have endeavored In the short time
have been here to gather some Of the
facts concerning it, and herewith send
them, hoping that they will be
published.
In company with Mr.. j. p. Alder,
of Sedalia, | left that city on the 29th
Of March for this point, and after a
pleasant journey over the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe road to Deming, n.
M. and from that to Maricopa station,
twenty-eight miles from Phoenix,
reached here on the 9th dav of April.
At Maricopa we found that owing to
a war between the stage lines running
to Phoenix, the usual fare of 81 had
suffered reduction, and so much in
earnest had the rivals become that
offers were made to take us to Phoenix
without cost and without price. Not
liking this plan, however, We COM
promised the matter by each paying
81, and as it cost the driver 81 for
ferriage over Salt river, the great
irrigating supply source Of this
country, he had for his entire drive of
twenty-eight miles exactly 81 as
profit. When We arrived in Phoenix
and had begun to look about We
found it to be the principal
town in the valley of the Salt
river, and is siturted in latitude
So degrees, 50 minutes north and
longitude 30 degrees west from Wash
ington. Its altitude is about 1,SC0I
above sea level, and has at present a
population of 1000 and steadily in
creasing. Fifteen years ago where
now are broad streets, elegant homes
and stately business houses, was a
bleak stretch of plain, covered by a
sparse growth of brush, with here
and there scrubby mesquite. The
city was
LAID OUT IN 1870
by Capt. w. A. Hancock, and with
in a short time thereafter the first
building was erected. There has
been no rush for the place at any
time, but year by year it has steadily
grown, and until to-day it is second
to no city in the entire territory, so
far as wealth and population is con-
cerned.
Residences all over the city are
looking each day more and more as
though they had come to stay, and
there are among them many that are
handsome buildings, situated elegant
ly in the midst of fine grounds and
shady trees. Laid out in squares 800
feet On a side, with streets 100 feet
wide, and almost every street border
ed by trees, the general aspect of the
city is elegant and peaceful in the ex-
treme.
But as beautiful as may be the nat
ural advantages of this
"GEM OF THE PLAINS"
as great and many as NAV be the
chances to accumulate wealth here.
the one great matter for consideration
is her unexampled health ness. Throat.
lung, catarrhal and malarial diseases
can find no home here and the subject
of their attacks will find here a speedy
relief if not already beyond relief. |
Probably there is no city of the
United States that can show the |
health record of the city Of Phoenix. |
For nine months of the year Phe-
nix has a climate that is unsurpassed
On the continent, and its
health giving influence is attracting
many a health seeker from the rigor-
Gus regions Of the north and east.
Our coolest weather ever experienced
has frozen but thin sheets of ice, not
thicker than a knife blade, on water
standing still in ponds and vessels,
and the air is at all times perfectly
pure and generally hracing and watts
no faint of malaria with it. Even in
our hottest months, from the middle
Of June to the middle Of September,
the winds that blow over our city are
always invigorating and perfectly
pure, coming as they do from a vast
surrounding stretch of dry mountains
and unoceupied mesas.
There are many Missourians here,
no less than six families being from
saline county. In company with Mr..
Alder We rode out to the house of Mr.
George Bellas, formerly of Sedalia, a
few days ago and had a truly enioya-
Die visit. He is living in a new brick
house and has two acres Of ground
Under high state of cultivation, has
plenty of new onions, potatoes, etc.,
Just ready for the market. The sur
country
rs VERY BEAUTIFUL
md the grazing ground, mostly COW
red with alfalfa grass. seems well
calculated to the wants of cattle as