The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-09-05
KETCHUM IDAHO, SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER s, 1896.
A SIZZLING SPOT.

A SIZZLING SPOT.
Yuma % tho Most TorTid Town 1n
tho United statea
1sopsssturs Exossdlng One Hundred D.
gFoss fer Days ot . Timo-DeeoFts That
Heks Ie Unnecessary - 9uArd
,.Dsspsssts Coavieas.
Eastern people who prate abeut heat
ed terms and fee to the mountains or
seaahore upon the approach Of brief
period when the temperature il among
the COS should consider the case Of .
town where the temperature from
about the middle Of June to early Oc-
tober ranges al the way from 80 to
11O degrees In the shade, and occa-
aionally goes 10 123 degrees for few
hours, suggests Yuma (Ariz.) oorre-,
spondent What would they think Of
a temperature for . full month Of not
less than 81, or two weeks 1t q time
when the temperature has varied from
1OS to lis, and Of q week when the ther-
mometer has stood at over liz in the
shaded as
This u what the residents OF this
quaint old town Of Yuma experience
regularly each summer. So far this
season Yuma has had two spells of
weather when the mercury climbed up
to lit in the shade every morning for
few successive days, and descended to
o6 to 100 at night. From June 10 to june
II the daily temperature here ranged
from 107 to ia. From June 16 To-
June 21 inclusive, the Temperature ON
each afternoon would 60 as high as lit
in the shade.
All conditions seem to unite to make
Yuma the hot summer spot It il. It is
located in kind Of basin on the edge of
the lazy, muddy Colorado river. which
meanders through desert sands and
adobe soil down to the gulf Of Cali
fornia. Away TO the west, across the
river and to the south stretches the Col
orado desert, several thousand square
miles in ares. It il 60 merciless, ghost
" and fierce = desert waste that few
dare cross it by wagon or on foot in
the summer months, and in winter or
carly spring travellers are careful to be
accompanied by q companion or two
and supplied with an abundance OF
drinking water and food. q. fte
Every summer venturesome miners
lose their lives in trying to cross the
desert by being overtAken by sand
storm or weakened unto death by the
dreadful heat. To the north there are
vast plains and uplands of barren, sum
baken adobe soil, and q peculiar forma-
ton of lava and soft granite, the re-
mains Of numerous extinct volcanoes.
This area abeorbs the suns heat by day
and distributes it by night. To the
east are millions of acres dhat are the
next thing to absolute desert, where
nothing grows except BY irrigation,
and then only scantily; where no one
lives who can exist elsewhere. For over,
100 miles about Yum not q tree grows
naturally, and, pooe oAtAs forest trees
that the people Of New. England or the
middle states know can be grown even
CRITICALLY.
There Is not thing IN nature any
where in the region to add a degree Of
coolness to the atmosphere. There
are no balmy breezes from anywhere,
no sea or lake air to come once in awhile
as relief after hours of . steady down
pouring of solar heat not q mountain
or brook, q canyon or dell, grove or
beach throughout the whole country to
which one may resort for 30 much a.
= moment of coolneaa. One may gaze
in any direction from the highest place
in Yuma. and the only color in nature TO
be seen Is q dull. reddish brown under .
blazing sky. Even the sluggish river
takes ON the hue of the surrounding
territory.
When q wind comes up from Oh the
desert the air Is almost shriveling, and
even the natives of Yuma go into their
adobe houses and shut the doors to
avoid the. .air that comes like that from
q furnace from foundry. The glare of
the sunshine has serious effect on the
eyes of the people. Green goggles and
smoked glasses ARE commonly worn
here by eastern people. There are
many cases Of blindness among United
States soldiers who have been stationed
ct forts in this region. The fierce sum
shine canses Inflammation of the eyes.
& G~t /
Every one does as much work as pos
sible In the evening or early morning b.
fore the sun has got in it's best ef-
forts, and there IL little or no unneces-
cary movement about town at midday.
Railroad braleemep weer leather nit
tens 80 that they may handle coupling
pins and links. The china and glass
ware in the homes and at the little ho-
tel are as warm on any day in summer
as If they had just come out Of very
warm water, and window pasaes are un-
bearably hot. When one puts his hands
on . wall In . house on hot day it feels
like the walls that surround bakers
oven. All horHes and cows here are
kept under roofs or sheds at midday
when the nercary u ranging high.-N.
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN Offers
ot>se nantang . spere vsey Much -
3syca ~ English1sa.
Otter hunting II . sport very much en-
ioyed by Englishmen. The otter is
great ilsh eater and that il why the
6rhermen feel themselves compelled to
XIII it. Some angling clubs and societies
offer rewards Tor otter kills, and that
makes thu hunters angry. ~
nh&%Ar hunting II done with dogs and