The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-03-11
Letter From
W. B. Campbell.

PHOENIX, Ariz.
February. -, 1901
DEAR FATHER:
Yesterday we received your letter
telling of the below zero weather,
and in the same mail Lybbe got a
letter from her mother at Manitowoc
telling about Lake Michigan being
frozen completely over, the first time
in twenty-five years, and how the
wolves were gathering in the woods
around Manitowoc. being driven down
from the North by the extreme cod.
Cheer up, the earth is not frozen
solid: it is melting hot down here.
The Phoeniz weather man is al
ready in training for next summers
tussel with heat records. Washing
toms birthday he succeeded in making
Il record of 81 degrees in the shade.
But every one here did something
special on that day. never saw 1t
so universally celebrated anywhere.
The stores all closed, they had pa
rade and speeches, and numerous par
ties went off on picnics to the noun
tains. 1t seemed more like the Fourth
of July to me.
However it is well enough that they
unbottle their enthusiasm on the
22nd of February as do not think 1t
would keep in this climate until the
Fourth of July. They tell numerous
good stories about the hot weather
here in summer time, but / believe
the best is one about feeding the
hens cracked ice to keep them from
laying hard boiled eggs.
About. two-thirds of the people Ego
to the coast" during the intensely
heated term, some even going so far
IA to MOI tgage their homes, or furni-
ture or pawn articles of wearing ap-
parel to secure funds to get away.
On the other hand some of those who
say they do not feel 1l5 degrees of
Arizona temperature any more than
90 degrees in Chicago or New York.
Such thing as sun stroke has
never been known here.
Very slight exertion will induce a
profuse perspiration, which, on ac-
count of the extreme dryness of the
air, evaporates very quickly thus
keeping up a continuous cooling pro-
cess. I lowered the mercury in the
thermometer on our front porch 2C
degrees this morning by wrapping
the lower part in a wet handkerchief
and the temperature remained down
until the handkerchief had dried out
j notice that do not feel the heat
nearly as much when stirring around
as when sitting still trying to keep
cool. After taking vigorous exer
else in the hot sun yesterday after
noon I sat down on the shady porch
the thermometer registered 90 and
actually felt chilly perhaps from the
mere thought of sitting out on q
porch on a February afternoon,
The favorite shade tree here is the
umbrella tree, so called / suppose or
account of its wide-spreading luxuri
ous foliage. Nearly all the street;
and walks are lined with these trees
and many of of residences have clus
tiers of them to shield them from the
simmer sun. OF course there are
palm, eucalyptus, olive, orange ant
pepper trees, but these are used NOR,
for ornaments and ! believe there
are as many umbrella plantsin Phoe
nix as the rest put together. Th'
umbrella tree is about the only decid
uous tree cultivated to any extent
1t looses its leaves about the middle
of December, and in spite of the re
markably warm weather of the las
two weeks not a bud has it yet pu
forth.
1t seems very strange to see tn
thermometer 50, 90. 81 and % day al
ter day, and then look ont on bar
wintry branches, but they tell M
the umbrella is tropical tree adapt
ed to climates of intense heat an
any deciduous tree which would pu
forth its leaves now would be kille
by the fierce suns of July and August
1t is so with the grass used on tn
lawns. Bermuda grass is the onl
kind that will live through the sun
mer, but in the fall it dies down an
in its place springs the beautift
blue grass common to Norther
lawns. This lasts all winter but agai
gives away to the Bermuda when tn
heat arrives.
/ Another thing cannot become az
customed to is the very great dali
range of temperature.
You have read of the mountainor
. countries like Mexico where you ca
have almost any climate you war
by simply going from one altitude
. another-you can run the who
. lgamut of seasons here in twenty-for
hours without stirring from yor
, front porch. Yesterday, at for
o'clock our thermometer stood at
a at sp. m. it resistered 60 Durir
January frequently saw 1t touch
and 20 in the afternoon and the
found ice in the back yard the ne!
morning.
Il But do not infer that this is
: changeable climate. 1t is any thir
:. else. Day after day we have exact
n the same kind of weather with Il
n possible variation of a few degre