The Springdale news., 1906-03-23

lot of my friends back home ask ed me to write them about this country I take this means of reaching them all, as l have not the time to write each ones We left Springdale February 15 and arrived here on 20th. after an un- eventful, but tiresome trip. There was some fine scenery iu New Mexico and Arizona. The morning we landed here was as beautiful as a morning in May would be at home. We were carry ing our overcoats and wraps as It was showing when we left Kan sas City. Before the train stop- ped We could smell the sweet per fume of the orange blossoms and see the ripe oranges hanging on the trees, as the ripe oranges hang on the trees until May and they bloom and start another crop in February. When we alighted children were running around barefooted, crops were up and growing and We could hardly realize that we were on the same earth as the one we left at home.
 The man that 1 am working for met us at the train and conducted us to his house, } miles from the above town. The house IS an adobe { mud bricks as are all the houses in this country. They are very cool during the heat ot the day (which at this writing IS about S5 during the day and 70 at night. We'll, to go into the field We found things about like they would be there Ill May. Tomato vines were standing that were planted last October, there was not enough frost to kill them. Corn now IS nearly waist high. We will have melons by April Is, and all kinds of garden truck all the time. Everything here IS raised under irrigation as II never rains from October until the next July. We are on the Sonora Xiv CT and have water all the year round. The soil IS deep black sand and will raise anything
 They say watermelons grow here the size of rain barrels but l have not seen any yetand cant say as to the size. Our melous are just now blooming. The farm work Is nearly all done by Indians which constitute nearly one third of the population oi this country. The Mexieans are no good to work. l found this man I an working for running his place with Indians and they were doing all the work by hand, they only use turning blows to break the land and they do all the rest with big heavy hoes. We'll 1 told the party that this would never do we would have to get some tools so he said alright go ahead and get tools and show them how to use them. So next day I went to town and got some double shovel blows and scythe blades, as the weeds were as high as a mans head over lot of the place. but l am having a time learning those Indians to use them. They hold a blow with one hand and only use the one handle and when they buy new blow they break off one handle. American blows are very high, cost S10 each, Mexican money, for double shovel blows.
 Right here let me explain about the money system here. There IS lots of American money here and 1t is all called gold. Paper and silver too IS called gold. Then the Mexican money ' is all called silver, and when yot go to purchase anything 1t has two prices, gold and silver. One dollar gold IS worth two of sil. yer and let me tell you 1t takes lots of gold and silver to gel along down here. Here are some o ( +l,o ,,r;~ac ua have tn nav fol