Arizona republican., 1900-08-21

great calam;-v was striking a few of the farmers on the Verde about miles from town. The harmless shower that fell in Jerome was the ragged end of one of the most destructiv., hail storms that ever fell in Arizons, It seemed to center over the fine farm Of F. l.. ,Ior- dan, which it proceeded to destroy ia a few short minutes. Hail stones larger than quails eggs fell in sheets with the force of bullets, almost, sweeping ev- erything before it. The peach and apple trees laden with their heavy crop of fruit. were stripped of every peach and apple in a few seconds. So thick did the ice fall Mrs. Jordan says she could not see fifteen feet from the house in the thicksst of the storm. Ice was piled ten inches deep on thc back porch of the house, while a ditch was filled to the depth of three feet The melon patch suffered the same as the orchard and garden. The ripe melons were broken open as they lay. while the oness that were over-ripe Were pierced by the hall stones as by t,lat
 
 shreds. Such plants as okry and pep per were stripped of every leaf and twig and left standing like so many sticks. All kinds of vegetables were beaten into the ground and utterly ie- stroyed. The wreck of the beautiful and productive farm was complete for this season. MT. Jordan says it Is i'm possible for him to estimate the loss he sustained in few short minutes. He had one of the best places on the Verde and was bringing a load of fruit. veg etables and melons to town every day, and generally brings two loads at this time of the season, when everything Is ready to market except the apples an1 peaches. He had an order for thirty two boxes Of peaches to be delivered al the train for shipment this morning. For the thirty-two boxes. containing 26 pounds to the box, at the rate of cents per pound loaded on the cars. he would have received $41.60. That would have formed only a part of his load. for he would have had lots of fruit and mel ous to sell to the Jerome merchants. and vegetables for the restaurants and hotels. This iS his loss for one day. Imagine what it will be for the next two months. His crop of fall apples was heavy Cne ed the fruit was growing fasI. He would have r1 ceived , cents a pound for every pound of the apples. Now he has not an apple hang ing on the trees to tell the story. He showed me an Indian cling peach he had picked off the ground from beneath the trees. was not over half grown and was very hard. A chunk had been knocked from one side of the peach by a hail stone. A blow from hammer could not have made larger hole in the peach if struck while the peach was on the tree. w. A. Jordan's place was in the track of the storm but did not suffer as much as Eds. although the work of destruction there was all most as cOmpiete. The storm seemed to be split at he latter place. That box nf fine peaches he was going to bring 10 town this morning to send to the Republican office will not materialize, | for they are now battered and on the ground. Mr. Morris suffered also. as did several other farmers in that vicin- ity. MT. COnnor who was coming to town with a load of tomatoes from his farm on the upper Verde above SYca- more canyon, had an experience with the hail that he will not soon forget.
 
 river and beaten unmercifully. The skin was knocked from his hands in many places from the force of the hail stones. He protected his head. bu. says his team was almost beaten to death. The river rose several feet in an hour after the storm began. It is a hard blow to the farmers, who had raised the largest crop of peaches in the history of the valley, to see the fruits nC their labor destroyed in q short half hour.
 The ice cream social given by the Catholic ladies last night was a sue 1 cess beyond their widest hopes. The people poured into the building until star ding room was at a premium. They did not go il to~loOk and be looked at, but went to eat ice cream and cake. The tables were crowded early and late. 1 The ice cream, with ceke, was sold for 25 cents d dish. and money poured into the cash box in a steady stream. Soon Miss Kate Riley had taken in $25, and then the $50 mark was passed. That sum was almost doubled before the crowd began to leave. There was plen- ty of cream and cake for everybody. The Catholic church choir was out from Prescott and rendered some choice music during the evening. The social was q grand affair and reflects creditably on the ladies who worked so hard to make it a success. A nicer crowd was never seen in any place in Jerome than that at the social
 Mrs. C. D. Manning arrived this morning from her trip to the coast.
 Mrs. E. F. Tarr got home Friday from her eastern trip.
 The dedication ceremonies of the MathClic church are being held this morning. There are priests here from several sections of Arizona. The church is so crowded there is not room for more to even stand. An account of the dedication will be given tomorrow.
 A boy named N5phew. son of Hugh Nephew, of Williams, was arrested yes terday afternoon at the works where he had been fooling around most of the