Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-09-25
ARIZONA AS A HEALTH RESORT.
FOUR MONTHS OF SUMMER AND
THE REST or THE YEAR RSPRxHG.

~
THE REST or THE YEAR SPRxHG.
a. 'Ns5 tt ----ep- II. E..,S y st.Hel
Tho Best Results arc to bo Attained for
Consumptivos by Tenting on Tho Desert
Itsolf-Thoso who Bravo tho hIidsurri-
NOR Hoat arc Said to Derive tho Great.
est Benefit.
The extreme aridity OF Arizona, which
has caused the downfall Of many we'll
laid agricultural scheme ard made tho
sun-klssed Territory notorious. is one OF
Its great merits as a health resort, says
the New York Sun.
1t is a generally accepted theory nowa-
days that tho white plague Is to be
stamped out only by the segregation OF Its
victim and an absolutely out-of-door life
for them. The first condition is manifestly
impossible in the crowded city and the
second Is feasible only where mother ma
ture Is most beneflcent, where the sun
never goes into hiding for months at q
tllnc whero the breezes are not too wanton
and where the night air Is as dry and free
from Vapors as the day.
All these conditions for the absolute cure
or the amelioration OF consumption are to
DC round at their best in the Southwest.
particularly in the Salt River Valley,
Ariz. Within It's area of 100000 acres,
fruitful as tho Garden Of the Gods, SO soon
as Irrigation Is applied. there are miles OF
desert where the climatic conditions for
the relief of all pulmonary troubles are
abroad. Here the transition of tho sea-
sons-and there are but two, four months
OF summer and the rest OF the year q per-
petual sprlng-is slow and gradual. The
skies arc a cloudleas blue, the air so sweet
that II can almost be tasted, and tho
average humidity SO low as to be lncon-
celvabe to the swelterlng resident Of the
coast and lake regions.
For December and January the mocking-
bird MARBLES his clear-throated cpithalam-
ium to his brown mate in the cotton
woods-the full orchestra of red-wlnged
blackbirds follows the lead Of It's sable
precentor who sits up on n pepper bough
and conducts his followers through n
chorus OF Wagncrian melody the shirt
waist girl swings In her hammock rs COM
fortably as In an Eastern June, and the
small boy beats the sides of his burro or
Indian pony with bare brown feet Pic
mes are the order Of the day In FcDru-
AIRY the almond orchards. which rim the
deserts northern edge, burst into mass
OF pink white bloom, the pomegruna tcs
arc buddcd and the blossomlng orange
groves send forth their fragrance for miles
around.
In the colder lands the invalid would be
shivcring in furnace-hcated rooms, fearful
or every draught. Here he spends his
days and often his nights in the open tho
starry heavens his canopy The nights
throughout the winer are cool. sometimes
coid. Ihere was one week last January
when ice formed In the water bucket In
thc tent, and hot stone for the feet,
n!Hht caps ana bed socks were more than
welcome. Blankets are n necessity all the
winter. Yet with the rising Of the sun
genial spring again asserts itself This
diiterence OF temperature between night
ana day Is possibly the one exception to
perfect climatic conditions. Forcwarned.
however Is forcarmed and with plenty Of
bedding and warm nignl garments there
Is no danger Of taking cold
II IS strange thing about this desert
me- mat 1t has charm which grows with
acquaintance land one who has spent some
time In the desert Is said to he never cu,te
happy elsewhere. The summers arc hot
iherc need be no reservations about that
statement. For days last July the ther-
momcter registered anywhere from 90 de-
gree to III degrees right along-but tho
absence of humidity made the hoat much
easier to bear than the close, muggy de-
yitaiiZed air of New York and Brooklyn.
Ihcre were no sunstrokcs. no heat pros
trations. Ranchcrs went about their work
suffering no Inconvenience.
Although the ma ajorty of heal th-scokcrs
turn their faces to the Scacoast of South
ern California or the pines of PRESCOTT for
midsummer days those who brave the heat
,Inn remain are said to dorive the greatest
benefit at this season. The intense heat
seems To heal the lung tissue and DESTROYS
the germs. Sufferers from kidney trouble
or rheumhtism also make their greatest
gain IN summer.
While nearly every ranch I'm tho valley
stands ready, for n consideration. To onon
It's doors to the invalid. the best results
are to bo attained from tenting on the
desert itself. The ranches must be irrI
gated at stated intervals The desert M
mans land. is dryncss itself
Although the camper, assured of sn,,ot
.er sovereignty, may set up his canvas cs-
tablishmcnt where he WILL the ucustion of
n convenient water supply leads him to
sit
pay Tor barrelful of wash water hanlod
each week on n stone boat from the trri
CATION ditch. while two bits more Will kcon
me swinging OLA, or Mexican water lar
@ ',ru nnu provide water for cooking from
some adjacen, well. Other supplics arc
also readily obtained. The Indians bring
IN from the reservations wagon loads Of
MESQUITE and iron wood, which they retail
Tor u % or " load. while the same
amount VIII buy dry almond fig and onrI
cot wood from the orchards which have
dicd for lack of water Faggoting nartics
are also popular. and he who will can
gather for himself the notsam and ictsam
o.! the desert.
Fruits may be obtained at the oranoo
groves and adjacent orchards at n reason
aple price and of delicious quality. Tho
roil-c"ll or native fruits includes oranges.
hrnpe lruit lemons, apricots. peaches,
Pears' nomegrhnates. figs, grapes nccta-
rlncs, plumS, berries and melons galore
klch Jersey milk may be obtained ot tho
ranches for five cents a quart butter for
tWchty-hVe cents pound, honcy-dcll
cious as the famed honey of HymcttIs
Iltccn cents pound. Ice artificial, can
dc obtained at any of tho towns MT sivtv
cents Il hundred. The markets of pbooniy
supply the best beef and mutton in tho
world at live and let live prices. Groceries
are high. owing to the freight rates. hut
VI 'no stores would be credit to any city
or New York State outside the mctropolis
an accurate account OF living cxpcnscs
Kept during the last year for family Of
three adults and 4 child showed m o,,or