The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1901-09-26

fit. Nor is this an extravaganza. for horse
flesh and pasturaga are both cheap, and
the whole establishment can usually be
sold at cost when there is no longer ne
cessity for their use. A good solid noun
tain pony which was a delight under the
saddle and a family friend in front of the
two-Seated Democrat With harness.,
whip and all complete, cost the writer
trifie less than $50 and was sold al the end
Of the year for SAT. Pasturage on an ad-
jacent ranch cost 81 so during the winter,
81 in the summer.
Neither barns nor sheds are necessity
for the horse, but brush shed or Indian
vataw is an all-important adjunct 70 tine
tents if one would be comfortable. Under
its kindly shade the hammock is swung.
the table set, the water jar hung, nearly
all the operations of daily living carried
| on. These vataws are copied after the In
dians'. They are made Of stout cottonwood
poles, covered with brush and leaves held
in place by the all-pervasive balllng wire,
which plays such beneficent part in all
the operations and vicissisudes Of Arizona
life.
The question is often asked: Is not the
desert life monotonous? To this the answer
is: That depends To one who loves the
procession Of the seasons, the rugged
| mountains, the purple buttes. the bending
sky and the all-pervading sense of infinite
freedom, life so near to nature is fraught
with tremendous benefit, spiritual and ma
terial.
For the rider Of hobbies-and a hobby is
a good thing 10 take an invalid'S mind on
! his ills-there is an endless variety of SUBJ
! jects. The myriad mounds left by the pre-
historic peoples invite to archaeological re-
search, with the certainty OF finds OF the
old Aztec pottery-if nothing more. For the
botan;st, geologist, mineralogist, ornitholo-
gist and entomologist there IS material ricn
and rare. For the ethnoiogist there are
the Indians and Mexicans, to say nothing
Of stray representatives of every nation
| that on the earth doth dwell.
For the artist and the photographer there
are skies and lights and shadows and sub
iects to be found nowhere else. For the
sportsman there is small game plenty
and for the one who simply wants to rest
and let the world go by-a peace unspeak-
able.
It goes without saying. that no one
should take up the desert life if in ply
sical condition that demands the attend
ance of a doctor, or hurry call upon the
druggist. For such the town. Neither
should one come hither without money,
thinking he can soon earn living. There
strong or at least familiar with the lay
Of the land, there are various occupations
that may be taken up. # one can command
the capital. Chicken raising. bee culture,
vegetable and alfalfa growing-melon rails
ing or a stock farm-will each furnish a
good living.
This. however, comes later-and there
must be means to live on in the interim.
IF possible, every invalid should have
some member Of his own family with him.
| While scores Of men and occasionally
woman come alone, the chances OF recov-
cry are much greater when there IS no
danger Of homesickness. All these condl-
tions met with, a two-years' residence in
tents on the desert has demonstrated the
fact that almost without exception there
is marked gain and often complete cure.
In cases in which the cure has been begun
in time many have been able to return to
their homes entirely we'll. Others, appa-
rently recovered, have deemed it wiser to
cast their fortunes with the Territory, and
have given permanent setting to their
lares and penates. Three only, out OF one
colony of one hundred who had come Tor
their health, returned home to die. With
this showing the desert tent life for con-
sumptives seems to need no further COM
mendation to prove its efficacy.