The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-12-25
Interesting Letter From Former
Resident.

|
read your letter with great deal OF
interest, for it told of the changes and
improvements being made there. Paw
Paw is improving and changing so fast
that it is hard matter to keep the old
town in view, unless a person is right
there and sees the changes as they are
made. Now can't picture in my mind
anything on the south side Of Main
street but the old wooden row, and then
the court house. l hope the old court
house lot is still held by the county, for
il that should ever be sold and used for
private and business purposes it would
be an act of vandalism that should in-
cur the extreme penalty OF the law In
such cases made and provided. And
the country, too, seems to be keeping
pace with the village in improvements.
What would have been thought of
man, even 20 years ago, who would have
looked into the future and prophesied
these things? The old wheat fields
turned into orchards and vineyards, the
big farms cut up into smaller ones and
a scrambing of the landless who never
thought of owning land outside their
little dooryard and garden, for a few
acres whereon to make themselves mil
lionaires.
1t seems to me wonderful, the
change that has taken place. If |
we're but % years old should expect to
see Just such a change in this country,
for, with irrigation, which is surely
coming, there would be no end to possi
] bilities of this country in the produc-
ton of anything needed by mankind.
And there would be this advantage over
almost all other countries, that two or
more crops can be produced every year.
The soil is almost inexhaustible requir-
ing no artificial foods. The water ap-
pears to have all the elements necessary
to keep the land in perfect condition
without any other fertilizer. The farm
ers and gardeners on the flats here,
where they have irrigation, are farming
the year round. They don't have long
winters when they can do nothing but
cut wood, and sit by the fire and drink
cider and crack hickory nuts They are
now, and have been for a month, sowing
barley for next springs crop, and veget-
able and other garden truck are grown
the year round. We had green peas for
dinner yesterday that were picked in the
morning. Lettuce, radishes, squash
and such eatables we can get every
day in the year. The irrigated flats are
no more productive than the mesas or
plains if the irri eating system was SO ar
ranged that water could be distributed
over them. We can see from our yard
what the Arizona deserts, so called,
would do with irrigation. There has
never been a spoonful of manure or 9th
er fertilizer put on it, and yet the trees,
flowers, erapevines, etc. make growth
that would seem to anyone but an Ari-
zouan TO be impossible | was looking
at a grape vine few days ago in our
yard that ] estimated, with my eve, the
present summer growth to be about Is
feet, but thinking someone might dis
pute it if ! told IT, got tape line and
measured it and found it to be % feet;
and all the fertilzlng that vine has ever
/ had is water from the city waterworks.
Our watercomes from the subterraueau
Santa Cruz river, or the most of it, eX-
cepU at the rainy season. 1t runs under
ground for a good many miles above
and below the city, but by digging
wells from - to 30 feet deep each side
of the river bed for a long way back
from the river they strike the sub
merged stream. and the water is pure
and inexhaustible. A man near the
city, living mile or more from the
river, dug a well, and at depth of so
feet the bottom fell out and he had four
or five feet of water He has steam
pump in it and irrgates 40 acres of land.
His pump throws 3 inch stream and
don't lower the water at all, which shows
that he dug right into the bec of the
river, although mile from the river
bank.
We have had no frost, roses and
other flowers are yet in full bloom. | am
sleeping out doors yet aud have all sum-
mer, and probably shall all winter.
have my bed fixed for storms or too cold
weather. | have spring cot and | at
tached a post to each leg, carrying it up
about 81 feet above the bee! and put
wire screen all around and on the top.
The front is two sliding doors that open
up the whole of one side, so that in
> summer | am protected from nose uitoes,
flies and other insects; then / have a
e covering of canvas (tent cloth that COW
ers the whole bed and not a drop of rain
; can get inside Since it began to be
cold weather have let the cover down
: part way round, and it makes nice
bedroom; plenty warm enough in winter
and cool in summer. The heat in sum
mer is not so oppressive as | expected.
; There has not Keen a night this summer
that | did not sleep comfortably. Many
people have tent to sleep in summer
and winter. They live in the house
through the day and sleep in tents.
received the Northerners containing
the account of the "Home Coming and
| thank you for them. / was very much
interested in them, particularly in Isaac
Barnum's letter.
Foley's Honey and Tar positively cure.
% ] o1l d. /.