Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-02-24
SOME FACTS ABOUT ARIZONA.
Mrs Williams Contributes an Interesting Letter
From That State.


FRIEND MUNsoN; Because Arizona
has not so often been visited by our peo-
pie as California, would like to tell
them something more Of our STAY there.
We took long carriage dive one day
through the irrigated land. in the midst
of which Phoenix is situated, and saw
something of the possibilities Of desert
cultivation when water is supplied.
We rode past beautiful homes, thrifty
orange gro~as and alfalfa fields along
the hne of the canals. This Is the val
ley that is to be beautifed by the great
dam which the government is building
to store up the water of the Salt River
in the Tonic basin. Phoenix is the
base of supplies for the mines at Con
gress and elsewhere, and III country
where it seldom rains, the artificial sup
ply must be abundant, but | imagine
with more water, the ideal conditions OF
health resort will be changed. Con
gross is ). 600 feet above sea level and is
typical mining town. Not green
thing grows higher than cactus II
looks as If the earths crust was broken
and ranges of mountains consisting OF
huge houlders thrust mp from beneath.
There Is gold in many OF them without
doubt, and almost every rocky hillside
shows the holes and dumps of the
prospector Millions of dollars have
been taken from these mines, but mil.
lions have also been spent with no re-
turn The water for the mines runs in
pipe to q station opposite and is then
pumped directly over high mountain.
For the people at the railroad station
water is brought in tank cars from the
same source fifteen miles away. Our
brother frank who keeps dairy. and
has about 20 COWS, to supply the miners
with milk, must buy the water at $40
lar tank and baled hay at $40 per ton,
besides the grain ration, pay his men $40
to $50 per month and board, and sell the
milk at ten cents per quart. ] think
DR.. Porter ought to yield to him his
dairy title 'Hardserabble. One can
not realize until they have seen it, how
dreary land must be, entirely desti.
tute of yerdure, where one cannot grow
mill Of beans and where the only beau
tiful thing is the sunshine
think we were wise to 20 to Phoenix
from Ash Fork in the night in a Pull
man sleeper. In the short distance from
the summit south to Phoenix we drop
down 5000 feet, rather trying 60 the
nerves if one is timid We left Con
gress yesterday, passing through many
miles of upland which, with plenty Of
rainfall, would rake fine grazing land
bat the bleaching bones of animals ST.
ways in sight Is carcass in Arizona
never offends any sense but eyesight, so
is never buried)ar conclusive proof that
there has been but twenty-five inches of
rainfall In fve years, We saw, nesr the
railroad, the white cliffs such as the pre-
historic people made dwellings IA
These looked like the pictures, out
whether carved by men. ancient or mod.
ern, we did not stop TO investigate Oar
ing the night we left behind the desola-
tion of the desert and walked at San
Bernadina, in the land of fruit and flow
ers. For miles the road runs between
orange groves, Just now loaded with the
golden fruit sight well worth the
journey to see, at least once, in a life
time.
The beauty of Southern California has
been so often described it is useless for
me to say more, but | doubt If / can re-
frain from telling at some future Gime,
about tine view Of the city and the fruit
and flowers in the yards below that /
see as / write here at our brother
Georges home in Los Angeles.
Mas I'll. ID. WILLIAMS