Arizona republican., 1905-10-11
UNDUE AUTOGRAPH ALBUM
And One That Has Great Value, Aside
 From Sentiment.

Secretary Van der Veer of the board of trade is a reasonably happy man now, for he is certain that time will not hang heavy on his hands during the next six months, unless he wants it to, and a man is supposed to be happy when he is busy. Yesterday he received from J. w. Benham, who is at Po:tland, the visitors register MT. Benham has had displayed all summer at the Arizona exhibit. The keeping of the register was for the securing of addresses of people who were impress ed with the exhibit and wanted to learn more about Arizona. The book though undoubtedly passed up by scores, was filled to its fullest capacity two or three weeks ago, names and addresses covering nearly every avail able line, all the fly leaves and the inside covers. Estimated by counting the names on a page and noting the number of pages, there are about 5000. names.
 The book is an interesting autograph album in many ways. Its purpose is well set forth in the following inscrip- tion placed on the front of it by MT. Benham: If interested in Arizona or its products. please register name and address, stating what information you desire and it will be mailed later" The addresses within include almost every civilized country in the world, from Australia to LOGz, Russia, and around the globe both ways, to and including those points. Canada and the northwest are especially well rep resented.
 While the larger number of signers were undoubtedly in earnest and nam ed some special thing in which they were interested, such as mining, agri- culture, horticulture, business location, health, manufacturing, etc., there are many who are apparently triflers or rather, tokers. Their excuses for writ ing their names are interesting, while some no doubt combined humOr with real business, as, for instance, the man who wrote that he was looking for the best location for lungs in the win ter time," or another who said "On the way to Salomc, thinking of Iocat ing if as represented There might have been humor or business in the legends announcing that the writers were interested in curiOs, Navajo blankets or petrified wood. One man said Send me the TontO dam." An 1 other said he wanted the land in the Tonto basin. There are many others written in joke that were probably prompted by youthful ideas Of TO- nance, and were perhaps to some ex- tent in earnest. Several Misses an nounced that they were interested in Arizona boys and various young men admitted an interest in Arizona girls. Others who had no notion of com ' ing to Arizona and did not care to ovetwork the mails by receiving liter ature that would do them no good, nevertheless exhibited their apprecia-
 ton by saying complimentary things i about the exhibit. One says " our I exhibit is well arranged" Another says Arizona is grand" etc. Unfortu- nately a great many of the addresses 1 from large cities gave no street and number and therefore it would be l useless to try and send printed mat | ter. but out of the book can probably i be secured a list of several thousand | who are worth paying attention to.
 During the coming winter, when MT. 1 Van der Veer hasn't anything to do
 but sit under his orange tree, he can
 write letters until he is paralyzed, If he wants to. to be read by the smold- ! ering back log in the frigid northland from Oshkosh to Tiflis.