Arizona republican., 1908-12-15
GENERAL f. ). THOMAS
 A PHOENIX VISITOR
WILL HARRY A COUPLE OF DAYS
 IN THE SALT RIVER VALLEY.
by a Large Party of Friends, He Will Then Go to Fit. Huachuca to Witness Army Man euvers.

General r. D. Thomas, commanding
 the department of the Colorado. and
 his aide, Lieutenant Gaujot. are In the
 city for q couple of days. arriving yes
 terday afternoon on the daylight eX-
 press. They are on the generals an nual tour of inspection of the army
 posts in this department. which in cludes Colorado, Utah. New Mexico and Arizona, and will spend several | days more in Arizona. going from here | to Fort Huachuca. The general is all | so accompanied by a party of Pres | colt gentlemen who have been enter taining him since his arrival in the
 territory. and who will go with him from here to Fort Huachuca, all being
 at present guests of the Hotel Adams.
 The party includes Messrs. II. N. Fred ericks. a well-known Prescott banker; | w A Drake general manager; F. r. | Cruice. secretary to the president. and Paul Burks, attorney for the s. F.. P. | & P railway The party came here yesterday from Castle Hot Springs. where a couple of days were spent, lsand was accompanied to Phoenix also Fby Dr. G. w. Vickers, who went to the | springs to meet them. An invitation
 was extended to c. NJ. Scott. superiq- | tendent of the NJ. &. P. railway. He will not only accept, but will also be | joined by other Southern Pacific of | ficials at Tucson, as next Thursday will be a notable day at the southern post. General Thomas is entitled to | be known as an Arizonan, even though as an officer he serves the country at | large and no particular state. But he | is one of the oldest officers in the army in point of service. having given | forty-six years of his life to Uncle Sam. six of them being spent in Ari zona, between 1872 and 1878, period
 when 1t was easier to die in this coun- try than to live in it, and when the enemies of every well ordered white
 man were more numerous than his friends. He served in the civil war, being very young in years at the time; then graduated at West Point, and has been with the regular establishment ever since.
 When seen at the hotel last evening. he said he was enjoying his Arizona tour immensely. At Prescott he in- spected Fort Whipplc. and thor de- voted some time to quail and duck
 shooting and attending the local
 "bailes" The use of that word "baile'
 stamps him as an ArizOnan of the old
 school. and for the benefit of the many
 Arizonans of the new school now re- siding here. it is explained that it is
 the Spanish word for ball and was the
 popular expression in the early days.
 nf hnIIr ba
 called an incident of the early days in
 Phoenix when he attended the we'd
 ding of a couple. then leaders in local
 society They went direct from the
 office of the magistrate to an old adobe building on East Washington
 street, where a grand ball had been arranged and where an effort was made to dance the newly married cou-
 pie to death. The guests. however. got tired as fast as did the principals. and about an hour and a half after sun rise the next day the orchestra played
 goodnight"
 Of his entertainment in Prescott,t the general was quite enthusiastic. EV- erythinE possible was done to make it pleasant, for five of the six years he spent in Arizona were at Fort Whip pie and Prescott is very much like home to him, even if 1t is wonderfully changed.
 From Prescott the party went to Date Creek. where the general was also stationed for a time. and in that vicinity he had more good hunting while renewing acquaintances with familiar scenes. Thence the party went to Castle Hot Springs. where two days were devoted to a life of ease and enjoyment in the palatial hotel that stands near the old hot springs that have been bubbling up from be- low since the days of the earliest tra- dition. There was a decided differ encc between the sumptuous cuisine of the hotel and the hardtack with which he had to subsist on the occasion of his last former visit.
 Arriving here yesterday. the party was met at the depot by pr. Foss and w. s. Goldsworthy with automobiles and brought to the hotel. after which the doctor took the general and Mir Fredericks for a ride through the val ley. They went to the fair grounds, circled the race track and then pro ceeded north by the Adams and Stone ranches toward the Arizona canal. along Center street, thence east for several miles, and back via the asylum for the insane. Just east of that in stitution the general was particularly impressed by the old ruins of the Hel- llings and Vail mills that were the oasis in the desert in the days when he was stationed at Fort Mcdowell His service in Arizona began there. he being then a lieutenant He went from there to Date Creek. then to Hualapai and then Whipple. He serv- ed in Arizona under Generals Crook. Kautz and Wilcox, and had before done duty on the plains in the Indian wars.
 Speaking of the appearance of the valley, he said he was greatly pleased at the marked improvements of late years, though not particularly surpris- ed, for he has kept in close touch with things and was here only a year ago for day on the occasion of his annual tour.
 The big military event of his trip will be at fort Huachuca which is the headquarters of the Fifth cavalry. his old regiment, and where six troops are now stationed. There is also a mount ed band and all the equipment for a regular military