The Arizona sentinel., 1901-09-04
A LIBEL ON ARIZONA.

Notwithstanding the fact that there has been a remarkable de- velopment in Arizona during the past few years in mining, agri- culture and other industries, not
 withstanding the fact that the territory is traversed by two great transcOntinental railroads, and that the capital of the terri tory has become a favorite win ter resort for wealthy eastern people who seek mild climate, there are many thousands of in telligent and educated people in the east to whom Arizona is still a terra incognita, inhabited by blood thirsty Apaches, wild cow
 boys, tarantulas, rattleSnakes and Gila monsters. These pecu- liar and incorrect ideas have been greatly fostered by publi- cations of the Arizona Kicker" variety. One might, however, naturally suppose that such a paper as the Chicago Tribune, whose former editor was g. regu- lar visitor in Arizona, would have avoided such a gross mis- representation of facts as that which appeared in a recent Sun day issue, where a half page of letter-press and illustrations was devoted to a description of a sec ton where they cook their din ner without a fire"
 Among other facts" which are here set down by the inrag
 inative writer of the article i'll question is statement to the effect that it is a common accur- renee for the hotel-keepers in the "little dusty road-houses along the alkaline trails" not to have fire m their kitchens from July to September. Even bread, is baked lon a rock in the sand, while beans and coffee can be boiled easily with the aid of a glass. which is spread so as to throw the rays of light into the cooking vessel" " The thermom- eter, we are informed, often reaches 120 deg. in the shade, which would be about correct, with occasionally substituted for "often." That temperature is occasionally reached in the San Joaquin Valley and quite ire quently on the Mojave and Colo rado deserts of Southern CalifOr- eia. There is worse than this, however. According to the writer, "along the eighteen mile trail which runs from Phoenix across the sandy desert there are four road houses, and in the shelter of these the heat has hany times in the month of July and August registered as high as 40 deg" On account Of this tremendous heat, the Munchau- sen of the Chicago paper tells us that neither man nor beast ventures out of the adobe house after 8 o'clock in the morning, until the great molten ball of fire is extinguished in the western horizon. A stranger reading this might be puzzled to under stand how the ArizOnanS carry on their business during the summer months. As fact you see men working all day long in the alfalfa fiSlds and orchards around Phoenix throughout the summer, and svnstrokes are com parativeIy unknown, when they do occur being almost invariably caused by Over-indulgence in stimulants. However, this wise and experienced writer sagefy informs us that "the days are spent in absolute inaction in the adobe houses, and while little sleep can be obtained, nature does not demand it."
 Here is another interesting extract from this curious piece of fiction: "A few miles from Phoenix the great dreary desert lies, devoid Of either shade or water or, or even a live mosquito not Q vestige Of life, except