Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1901-05-15
A SPICY LETTER FROM TEMPE.
The JournaI-Miner Correspondent Goes to See the President and Swal- iows Untold Quantities of the
 Salt River Valley.

JOuIHdl-MlucI my COnSClcuCc HUI 1e me because of my hitherto unfulflled promise to write you letter once in a while.
 Since wrote you last I have been going round about Tempe, trying tC form just opinion of the town. OI course the schools are of first import ance here, as they should be every where. Tempe pats herself upon the back and says to the other folks: "Lo, I have the Normal school;" and. in- deed, To, she has it, and has every req son to be proud of it. Every one to whom I have spoken (and there are many) seems to be heartily apprecia- tive of Prof. Matthews and his work while many good words are spoken of the entire list of teachers. There were 133 students enrolled last September, and 103 for the month of May, show ing quite falling of; but there are always some to enter who cannot con, tinue. I think Prof. Mathews told me that of the present number seventy are young women. This shows that the crop of ''shool marms" is in a growing condition. Some of this crop will be garnered in by the matrimo- nial young men (bless the brave boys) and the rest will be harvested for the good of the country.
 Prof. Frizzeli is head man at the pub lie school. His popularity IS phe- nomenal, as he has held his position for five years, and he will likely keep on holding it. The man who can be principal of an Arizona school for that length of time without becoming gray, or being carted of to the lunatic asy- lum, is worth knowing. Be careful and don't tell the professor that I've been saying this about him. 1 join the numerous friends of Prof. Frizzel in the wish that he may long head the procession of Tempe public school teachers.
 Tempe is quite busy little place, and yet It doesn't seem to be in much of hurry about anything. It has a struggling, incomplete appearance, and one longs to lasso the scattered houses and draw them closer together; one also longs to pull up some of the wells and plant them farther away from the out houses. People have such an easy, absent-minded way of sinking wells just exactly in the wrong spot, when to sink them in the right spot would be just as easy. Strange, isn't it. But upon the whole, Tempe is pleasant, orderly town, and will doubtless see much better days by way of improvement. With the pres ent number of excellent people it can not be otherwise.
 We have here four practicing attor- neys, nine ministers of the gospel, five churches leach with its retinue of sO- cieties), one jail (nearly always empty and one oil excitemenent. You have to have an oil excitement these days to keep in the swim. They are boring right down, over the river, near town and think they have good prospect Everybody's dreams are painted in oil colors now, and when we grow to be center of commerce for unctuous sub, stances I will let you know.
 May, the 7th, I got up early, ate 8 frugal breakfast, drove down town | bought some stars and stripes and started for Pbenix. Early as it was there was a regular procession all tht way from Tempe down. As far as could see, behind and before me there were rigs of all kinds and capacity-livery and private | horsemen, carriages, carts, farm wagons and bicycles. Last fall g man leaned on the rail at the Cliff house and said quietly to me: Well I never saw any water before" thought of him as we drove along the pillows of Arizona dirt, and 1 said tC myself:- We'll, I never saw any dus before. It was simply awful-dust dust, rising like a wretched sanC storm all the blessed way. It got il my eyes. in my mouth, crept up my nostrils, crawled down my throat and settled in Jumps all through my in sides. I thought in my soul that mI best bonnet was getting ruined be yond redemption, but I was bound to see Mckinley or burst a buckle Did I see him? Most assuredly I did Would you expect an ArizOnan of mI age and determination to get left or such an occasion! We had heard that the president would speak befor' noon, but we waited until about o'clock before he came. Of cours, there was a great crowd on the bal comics, and on the sidewalks, anC when the president saw us waving and cheering, he lifted his silk plug and began to bow right and left anC the Arizona sun shone on the balC head and kind face of a noble look ing man. As soon as he passed, W, backed out of a throng of carriage. and drove around on another stree and got ahead of him, and waiting a the capitol when he came. His speecl was very much applauded because ht said so many nice things to us Arizo mans, that We had to respond. Every thing he said of us was true and nC flattery, for we all know we are some body, and actively engaged in doing great things for our territory all tn, time. Of course I do not agree witt Mr. Mckinley at all times, and in al things, but I liked him when I saw him. and was glad 1 took the trouble to to go and see him. I felt reall! patriotic part of the time, and waved , my stars and stripes when the other cheered. There must have been sil or eight dozen cameras leveled on the president as he passed. It made m uneasy; for 1 was afraid one of tn, things might go of by accident, anC take my picture while my mouth Wa open.
 When it was all over, and we hadn' shaken hands with the president, W, turned our faces homeward, swallow , ed several more quarts of Salt rive valley and -well-that's all. W.
 If the tone of the press represent public sentiment, and it usually does the second administration of Presi dent Mckinley will be known in his tory as our most marked era of politi I o.,oI faalinor E'van tha raOk kaS