The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-12-27
Rev. Harry Thompson Writes Kenosha
Friends of Life in His New
Southern Home.
GREAT PROSPECTS OF ARIZONA.
Rev. Thompson and Family are now Firm
ly Settled in Their New Home
Compare Kenosha With Phoenix.

Phoenix, Arizona, Dec. 10th, 1900
Dear EDITOR Perhaps you will think
me little di1atory in redeeming my
promise to write you of our new home
and surroundings, but 1 know that the
first months after I left Kenosha were
stirring months with all Kenosha peo-
pie. The dedication of your beautiful
Soldiers monument, the completion
and opening of the Memorial Library
were more than sufficient to absorb all
local interest, and rightly SO, for few
cities possess such nob1eness of char
acter and unlimited generosity among
their citizens as has made these en-
during monuments realities for the city
of Kenosha. So even at this long dis
lance from you, say, all honor to the
generous heart and liberal hand which
have enriched your city for genera
tons to come.
Now to my promise. suppose your
readers and my friends would like to
have our experiences cab initio" up to
date, but that would tax both your pa
tience and my time.
We left Chicago in good time and
spirits, and the children proved excel
lent travellers. Even Edgar entered
into the spirit of the occasion and
seemed to put off his baby ways and
become quite a boy. He first set his
foot to the bare ground, and took his
first walk at Topeka, Kansas.
The trim was ali 101oa ut 10
lightfu1, full of wonders for the child
rem and interesting to the older
people. On the third day, evening, we
were met by an old friend and his wife
ten miles out of the city, and escorted
in his carriages to our ready prepared
quarters at the home of Miss Brunson,
and in twelve days from our arrival
had our own temporary house up and
the family comfortably ensconeed on
our own soil.
The summer passed quickly and
pleasantly, with nothing of the terrible
heat which we hear of in the north. I
should never have to leave here on. &C
count of heat. For the first six months
no one complained of ache or pain,
and not till the cool nights of October,
when 1ivers got out of order, did we
have occasion to resort to our medicine
chest.
AS to pests never knew place so
free from them as our locality is. I
have seen one mosquito, one rattle
snake, and killed him; one scorpion,
and killed him. Flies are very scarce
in the hot weather, but more trouble
some now during the day. We have
one long succession of those bright,
sunny days, warm enough for summer
clothing. I have ridden to town every
day the past week on my wheel, with
no vest and a light summer coat.
Yesterday I went to church in my
Kenosha summer coat and was very
comforta BILE.
On the I'd of this month we went to
church clad in our 1ightest clothes. 1
could not help comparing it with the
first Sunday morning in December
fourteen years ago, when / first assum-
ed the Rectorship of st. Matthew's
parish. Then it was zero weather, the
church very cold and my friend Fogget,
the sexton, at the opposite end of the
church, yawning audib1y, as if to as
sure us all that he had sat up all night
to do his best at the furnace.
AS sit today in the open air writing
this, it seems impossible that Christ
mas can be only week distant. Ole
anders and roses are in blossom and
our trees still have their foliage on,
with here. and there a tint of autumn
color. Our one great drawback has
been the drought, which lasted all
through the summer, and I shall, per-
haps, lose half dozen trees out of
about 1 900. We have fine well for
domestic use which furnishes us with
the finest soft water in the world.
am glad to say that I am some bet
ter. Two weeks ago read the Litany
here for the Rector and found myself
still very shaky. I hope to try again
on Christmas day, for long to be at
my work again. How long this may
he deferred l cannot tell.
1 must now close this long letter, and
having once broken the ice, will not be
so long in writing to you again.
Wishing you and all good friends in
Kenosha a happy Christmas, am
most sincerely yours,
H. THOMPSON.
P. 81 might say that we are eating
our own oranges and grape fruit from
the trees every day and they are very
fine. H. T.