Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-09-26
AN ARIZONA PRODUCT
prof ably Cultivated On an Island
of the Colorado.

Mr. H. NJ. Weirick returned yester-
day morning from a visit of month
on the coast. He spent a week of that
time trying to iEuIe himself to sea
sickness. He went out every day and
every day contributed his latest meal
to the bread Pacific. Notwithstanding
this woeful waste of tissue building
material he gained four pounds net.
But for those ocean voyages he thinks
he would have gained forty. Mr..
Weirick went away from Phoenix
with what he thought was "a pretty
accurate and comprehensive kncwI-
edge Of The resources CT the territory,
acquired in a residence of two years,
during which he had kept his eyes
open and his ears erect. He aired his
information on the coast with a great
deal CT pride, like "a territorial oracle.
On his way back he learned that his
knowledge of Arizona thorough as far
as it went, was only rudimentary. He
fell in with a gentleman at Ash Fork
who was waiting for the sOuthbcund
train. His name was Doc Delavan.
M. Delavan was a gentleman CT sol-
emn and guil5less mien. His dress
was net gorgeous and his whiskers ex-
tended constant invitation to the
Ct ntle breeze. His appearance did
nCt '5etolen great wealth, but appear
ances are not I, be relied upon, fcr the
old man was able 20 sit 81 a 73-cent
Harvey house diner It IVES this
dinner which Stirred up the fountains
CT the g sat deep of MIR. Delavan's 81
lence and made Mr.. Weirick feel wha5
an infant ne was in matters relating
10 Arizona.
Mr. Delavan sad he was q ranch
man, his ranch embracing Cottonwood
Island in the Colorado river. The ISL
and is sixty-seven miles lcng and has
an average breadth CT twelve miles. 1t
is operated mainly 20 meet the unusual
demands Of eastern and European cpl
cureans and little attention is paid by
Mr.. Delavan tC tie ordinary products
Of the farm. He raises grain, hay
and corn fer his stock and has a small
melon patch CT 1,200 acr5s. He sells
nc melons, but cultiv4sss them only fer
the use CT his family and friends who
dTcp in to see him. Mr.. Delavan re |
lies mainly fer livelihood upon the !
cultivation of the Walla olive, which |
is nct a. fruit as might be supposed. |
but is delicious reptile of the lizard /
family
~ shipped tcur car l3ads of EN- this /
season. said MIR. Delavan; they all |
went to DelmOle.c0 in Mo- York. He /
cCntracked fer my whole crop. The /
Walla olive S mostly skin an tail, an |
no bones; they Amt much eatin' in /
him not mcTe'l a tablespoonful. but
that spoonful o. God. A man
who eats it wunst w-n't eat nothin'
else, IF he's got the pirce to kesp L up.
They grow different sizes, s-me as big
as a saucer an some not much biggeIl
quarter. an all sizes in between. l
-ort 'em out lay the big ones On the
iCor Of q car, next size IN top Of en-.
an SO en- till the little fellows last. l
senirly put 3.637,o00 in car. I had
our car lead this year. DelmOnarcO
pays me "a dollar an quarter apiece
ier 'em as they run, SO if yJu've got
my head fer fggers you kin see I've
got purity coed thing. Wv course
set to pay the freight
Mr.. Delavant also shipped seventeen
.arloads CT a kind of edible land tur-
lie to Europe. Ha raises the turtles
as a by-product. There is no
lennnd fer them in this country yet,
md as they are less profitable than the
Nalla olive he has net tried to- create
me or to encourage the European de-
nand. Mr. Delavan is IN his way TO
Iexico on a matter of great impor-
ance. which at present he is keeping
profound secret, inspired by a kindly
egard for the transportation ccm-
,anies ''If 1 Should tell what I'm
Gin Their fer said Mr.. Delavan, AN
t should git TELEGRAPH out through the
cuntry there wouldn't be kyars
,uough in the United States to haul
he stampede for Mexico. I'm gCin' ID
ct it out by degrees.
Mr.. Delavan stepped at Prescott, in
ending to take the next train for the
outh. gentleman conforming to
Ir Weirick's description of him, ar
lived in the city last night
The only thing coTroboTatcTy
f the Information with which
e overwhelmed Mr. We:rick and !
he forging is only a small part {
# it, is the actual existence Of a CC5-
cnwood Island in the Colorado river. :