The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-01-18
STICK TO PRINCETON
Advice of rlartin kaliher, Who Is
Now a Sojourner in the Ter
ritory of Arizona.
Temperature Ranges from the Zero
Point in Winter to I27 De.
greeS in Summer.

From an item in recent issue of the
Union I take it that the editor has
been misinformed in regard to the con-
ditions in Arizona. He writes of the
numerous feas which exist in the
sands of that desert country in num-
bers of lao to the square inch. I have
lived in southern Arizona for six
months and have never seen or felt a
flea yet. Neither has anyone else that
I have heard of. Even the bedbug is
missing and mosquitoes are very
scarce. The heat in summer we must
admit is something terrible. The
SUMS rays give dry burning heat,
but prOstratiOns from heat are sell
dom if ever heard of. The absence of
humidity accounts for that. 1t never
reaches the editors mark of 40 in the
shade, but there were many days last
summer with the mercury at l27 de-
grees in the shade. The government
thermometer, which is somewhat ele-
waited from the ground, reached only
116 degrees. This was at Phoenix,
which is one of the hottest places in
the territory. In the northern part,
where the altitude is higher, the nights
are cool even in summer. It must
also be said that there are many who
come here with lung trouble who do
not breathe their "last" but who re-
cover from the disease and return to
their land over in the northern states.
This country helps many who would
have died in colder climate.
But you must not infer from the
above that I am in love with this
country for it has many drawbacks
and few advantages. There is little
farming at Phoenix, but it does not
amount to much. Tucson is the larg-
est city in the territory and has
about $4,000 inhabitants. Since it is
200 years old you can see the progress
has been slow. At the present time
Tucson has the best reputation as a
health resort Of any place in Arizona.
When I started for this country last
June it was with the idea that this was
a land of ''fowers and sunshine. -
But, as the old saying is "seeing is
believing," and 1 have seen more
flowers in one garden in Princeton
than [ have seen in all of Arizona,
while clouds and rain come often. 1t
has rained enough in Tucson since
Oct. LIST to raise almost any crop and
the periodical rainy season has not
yet set in. Last year the rainy season
set in in December and lasted till
April. It rained 80 days out of 100.
1t is not as warm here in winter as
many think it is. When we arose New
Years morning everything was COW
cred with snow, which staid in. places
for week. Thick ice is frozen every
night now, and one requires more
covers on a bed than he would under
the same conditions in Princeton at
this time. ~
To make matters worse there is a
fuel famine on. Many of the people
in Tucson are without fuel. The peo-
pie here depend mostly on the Indians
to haul in the wood from the noun
tains, as freight rates are too high to
ship in either wood or coal. Unless
warmer weather or relief in the fuel
question comes soon there will be
much suffering. OF course this does
not mean freezing to death. But the
cold here makes one shiver as bad
as in any place I have ever been,
North Dakota not excepted.
When some of you people up there
long for a warmer climate just go
home, build fire, and, while toasting
your toes, be content that you have
warm house and plenty of fuel.
This country has taught me to never
again kick on the Great Northern
freight rates, and that J. J. Hill is a
true benefactor. The Southern Pa
ciic charges so cents per hundred
weight to haul a car of potatoes 318
miles and other things in proportion.
The passenger rate is five cents per
mile in Arizona.
Good fruit is high and very scarce
here. Vegetables are by no means as
good as in Minnesota. Potatoes are
not fit to eat. They come from the
coast. Even eggs have strong taste
not found in the north. One thing-is
noticeable, that all who come here for
health hope and pray that they may
regain sufficient health to return home
and leave the land of misery behind.
Yours truly,
Martin j. Kaliher,'
Jan. 9, 1906.
THE foregoing letter is of consider
able interest, giving, as it does, the
conditions existing in Arizona at the
present time as seen by Mr.. Kaliher.