Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-12-17
a Leiier from Arlsoaa.

Stafford, Arizona, November 28.--Per-
haps some Of your readers would be- glad
to hear from me. 1 have boon here one
year and find myself decidedly improved
in health. / cannot say am quite well,
but cherish the fond hope that I may
In the not far distant future be able to
make that statement. This is an ideal
winteriug place climatically. The won
der is that moro people from the East
and Southeast do not come here to
winter. People with ueak lungs would
surely be benefited by stay hese.
Stafford is on the Gila river (pro-
Dounoed Hela river.) Notwithstanding,
it is in the midst of the Great Ameri-
can Desert,p it is an oasis, being sup
piled with water for irrigation from the
Gila rivee, consequently green trees,
grasses and crops are abundant The
finest fruits grow here. 1t would delight
your eyes to see some Of the orchards
with acres of apples, pears, peaches,
plums, apricots, prunes and ounces.
Many of the apple trees are still laden
with beautiful, large red apples, which
sell readily from to cents pound at
the orchard. Although we are over geo
feet above sea level, we have many
artesian wells in the valley that help out
the irrigation, and furnish TO those who
take the trouble to go for it, good drink
ing water. TheNordinary well water is
SO. impregnated with alkali and other
yet many people use it.
ReiigiOusly, this is a pretty tough
place. Recently / saw a book, the title
of which was hThe Country God For
got" 1t treated of Arizona. judging
from the lives of most of the people,
they live s.if they either thought God
had forgotten this territory or that
heart. We have heard of q family long
ago that were ready to move from Geor-
gia to the frontier of Texas. The friends
Of the family, with the pastor OF the
church, called to spend the last evening
with this family before their departure
the next day. As was befitting such an
occasion, the pastor was asked to pray
fervently and with deep interest. AS he
said "amen" the little 5-year-old daugh-
ter rose saying audibly, "Good-bye, God,
we are going to Texas" Many of the
people who como here-live as if they had
said on starting here, Goodbye, God, 1
am going to Arizona, the country that
you forgot" Whilc this is true, there
are some as true and loyal Christians
here as I've ever met anywhere But
they are not 80 numerous. It would be
more fitting to repeat to the majority of
.Arizonians the 18th verse of the 32d
chapter of Deuteronomy. .r ~
There are many Mormons here, but
since they teach that God was once q
man, that Adam is now god and they
all expect to be gods, one need not be
surprised that the infidel has very little
respect for such gods, and do not wish
to fall into their hands. If our people
only knew the truth of Mormonism they
would weep over it, pray over it and
spend freely their means to give the
truth of the Bible to these poor, deluded
people. 1t is hard to reach them, for
they will not come out to hear the truth,
still that fact does not free the Christian
though unwilling to hear it, the Good
News, We do hope the United States
Constitution will be 80 amended as to
prohibit the teaching of poligamy, and
that the enforcement of that law will be
put in the hands of tho national govern
mont. The recent election in Utah is
fair illustration of Mormonism in poll
tics. 1t has been said that in the cleo
tion Utah went Mormon" So it will
ever be where the Mormons are in the
majority, or can win by combining with
either political party. But enough on so
unpleasant subject.
We are always glad to hear from our
friends in South Carolina, and should
any of them feel enough interest in us to
write us, we would answer their letters.
The weather is delightful We have
had ice several mornings, which is cooler
than usual here. Groham Mountains,
the base of which is 10 miles and the
top 25 miles from here, is capped with
snow, which will remain there till next
April or May. But snow does not fall
here in the valley often, and not much.
Wish you merry Christmas and
prosperous New Year.-Rev. G. Wardlaw
in Anderson Intelligencer.