Arizona republican., 1898-04-26
BUCKBOARD OBSERVATIONS.
In the Alfalfa Fields, Orchards and
 Cattle Ranges

At Large, April 25.-(Special cor respcndence of The Republican, J. After mixing up with tunnels, cross cuts and drifts, stamp mills, smeltars and cyanide plants, I concluded a change would be beneficial in a turn through the Salt River valley farms, from the lowly five-acre ranch to that of a section controlled by men of capi- tai with host of subordinates to blow, sow and reap.
 Imagine an investigator of mining districts wading waist deep through an alfalfa field of eighty acres or more 1 in search of delinquent or a new subscriber. That was my experience
 within an hour after saying adios to The Republican office There is no crosscutting about this business
 Had occasion to ''see a man." and in answer to query propounded to the | better half Of the aforesaid, she di- rected me ito go down the road half
 mile, then cross the Maricopa canal
 and follow it west one mile, cross bridge and go south a mile to -, where you will find him moving fer MT. -" l found the place and the lady of the house advised me to go out half mile through the alfalfa and I did. He was moving sure enough. Had a brief interview and was told to come around in few days.
 In the past three days 1 have had these interviews with slight variations l The last one was that the man of the { house was down in the barley field with the boys trying to roundup a stray blind yearling. When I reached the scene of excitement 1 found the pro prietor of a half section fiOunderiug with his saddle horse in a ditch, and a half dozen men with forty foot rope trying to pull that poor forlorn calf over another ditch. Two men were coaxing and kicking, a dog was barking and there was general disor- der. At last I lent a hand at that rope, and the frightened calf then and there got move on himself, dumped into the ditch and with a pull alto gether was landed high and dry to lie half an hour to gain strength. Then it strayed off, likewise the men and land owner.
 But I am not telling of what I have seen in the past seventy-two hours. l have inadvertently overlooked many but they can find relief and The Re publican at 36 East Adams street.
 1 don't know how many acres there are in cultivation in this big valley on the Salt River, but it must run into the millions, if 1 am to judge by the oceans of alfalfa, acres of fruit, etc, | have seen west of Phoenix I will not pretend to tell half have noted in this letter, promising more thereafter.
 O'Connor & Ccttrell of Phoenix burned 160,O00 brick last month for use in the opera house and 160,000 brick are being stacked to burn for the same building. A dozen men are on the scene, a mile east of Alhambra.
 Levi Burger was over on Billy Rice's big field helping the boys to get out hay, for you know that "hay is hay" just now at $7 f. o. b. and destined to California. All along the line they are rushing hay to the tracks at the nearest stations.
 Alhambra is quiet, Messrs. Gray and Goodlander looking after the postoffice and the wants of travellers. Agent Holder is on deck a good many hours at the pretty station and Mrs. May Is kept busy in providing the best in the house. I came too late today to en- joy her cooking and had to content myself with what Holder and Good lander failed to devour. That's what Mrs. May said and I believed her.
 The funny papers allude to Dusty Rhodes, and I am inclined to believe the office force would have recognized in me on my arrival at Glendale, a pretty good imitation of that much ad- vertised individual who travels with Weary Willie About the dustiest stretch of road to be found in the val ley lies between Alhambra and Glen dale. If this is doubted I can rerer 10 those who have covered the distance. How I envied Billy Stormant of Glen dale who daily sailed up the track on his wheel, remarking as he passed, Where did you get that horse?' and 'I'll see you in the sweet bye-and-bye in Glendale" This was cruel, but 1 1 had to take it I will see my friend l