Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1906-11-04
A PHOENIX YOUTH
IN THE FAR NORTH
A Land of Perpetual lnebriety Where
the Arizonian Must Be Lonesome
With Only Two Sober Friends in
Town.

The following interesting letter has
been received by Frank Alkire, from
Z. T. Lightburne. "a Phoenix lad, who
is best known by the sobriquet of
Doc" having the good fortune 10 be
the son of a doctor. He has lived in
Phoenix all his life, except a year or
so spent in California, in school. He
was here last spring and at that time,
and before he went east to school, was
employed by The Alkire company. He
is now located at Wharton. Ontario on
Great Georgian bay. a body OF water
on the eastern side of Lake Huron.
The letter is interesting, both for the
mention of local characteristics, and as
a bit of news from a Phoenix youth:
Well 1 came to il at last. and am now
i'm a bank, and the largest bank in the
world. as far as branches and the num-
Der of men are concerned. The Cana
dian Bank of Commerce needs no in
PRODUCTION to you. as il is one of the
few banks that have a capital of ten
millions Of dollars and a reserve fund
of four million, five hundred thousand
dollars. Besides this. we have now one
hundred and sixty-nine branches in the
United States and Canada. The mana
ger is no less than the Hon. 3. +. Wal
ker. under the small salary of fifty
thousand; the assistant manager is Mr.
Alex. Laird of one of New YOrk's
largest banking firms. who L am afraid,
viii starve on the salary of ten thou
sand. and one of the most important
clerks is the person of Doc who lives
on the outra geous salary of two hun
bred and fifty (you know what)
Well, of such is life in the small town
OF Wharton.
Wharton is situated on Colpoys Bay
and is one of the best towns on the wa
tiers of the Great Georgian Bay. It
has an excellent public ana high school
and is certainly well fixed. as tits the
only town within miles that has even
these. Judging from the seven churches
the early inhabitants Of this penin,uia.
We're a rather religious set of people
although this does not say that the
seven parsons are very much TO see
or hear. There are five hotels here.
and each has its bar A bar here is
something that is rather gift to War
ton, as it is the only place for miles
around that can boast or such an inn
portant thing. and whenever a man
gets good and dry he strikes for War
ton. as it is the one oasis in a great
desert OF local option. Wharton is a
lumber camp and a large one at that.
1t has four large saw mills, three fac
tories of the Canadian Furniture
Manufacturers association, a sugar
beet factory, that cost one hundred
and fifty thousand. but on account of
the inability of the poor. ignorant class
Of farmers that live and breath on the
rocks back of town. to produce enough
beets to keep the thing in motion, the
sugar beet factory has passed into his
tory, but not off the tax collectors
books, who seems to take a fancy to
remember it about this time every year.
and sells it for the two thousand dol
lars taxes. Besides this. we have the
magnificent plant of the Colonial Port
land Cement company, as it is styled.
This factory was started when the
people thought that they had nothing
/ to do with their money and that they
had some limestone and something else
with which to make cement. A few of
the foolish gathered up the savings of
years, and spent about two hundred
thousand dollars in the erection of the
beautiful cement factory. the buildings
of which would cover at least three
acres. When it was ready to run they