Arizona republican., 1909-06-29
DEFENSE OF
 HOME LAND. E.P. M'COrmlCk Tells of Ariz-
 ona's Advantages II BEATS THE BEACHES Adjures Phoenix People to Spend Their Money in Maricopa County-Life at Soldiers Home Where Friends Are Welcome.

Soldiers Home, Cal, June 25.-
 Special correspondence of The Re
 publican) )-For a long time after inS
 arrival here, nature'ss means of adapt
 ing me to this sea- level atmoSphere
 brought on me the most exhaus ting sickness I have endured since my youth; and not until recently have attained to some degree my former energy and enterprise.
 Realizing that the infrequent and incidental mention by the press of this national resort has been insuffi- cient for survivors of the Civil war in reach of The Republicans wide circulation, l had planned to prepare a complete depletion of this place but, for reasons next to stated, I de- fer that for awhile to discourse on a matter of present importance. A re- cent local mention of a few Phoeni- elan families preparing to spend the summer on the coast, and a yet more recent editorial paragraph expressing a hope that this summers exodus to the coast would be much less than heretofore, I will use as the texts for this communication.
 
 miserable experience here let me say to the Phoenician elite, Don't come here, yet, if you will come, wait until you read or know that this regions summer has come. This June so far has been abnormally cool, ,and the chilling winds and dense fogs of each day have made the atmosphere inimi- cal to the tender tropic-bred' systems of Southern Arizona.
 I pray that very few will come here at all this season, but try the perfect relief that can be had in the mountains of Maricopa county.
 I settled down here on May l last, and within three days an inflamma- tion seized on my tonsils, throat and lungs; then came a period of alter nate freezing and fever. which I hesi- tate to describe lest I become pro fanely emphatic. After the inflam- nation had died out, my gullet be- came so clogged with a tough and adhesive mucous secretion that I had to nearly cough my head off to ob- tain relief Once I feared that l would have to call out the home fire department to insert a loaded hose into me and flush me out, but the Lord be blessed. l just escaped that My ailment would have been diagnosed as a very severe cold. but to me it was a composite of cholera infantum, peritonitis, the pains of toothache, epileptic fits, la grippe and jim-jams. When at last I got up and out I found that I had lost about all the religion I ever had, and that it was up to me to get down to my own private mourner's bench.
 For self amusement I have kept a daily record of the mean and maxi mum temperatures of this place, to compare with the records of Phoenix, as reported in The Republicans weather tables. For the first twenty days of June the mean temperature of this place was 63 degrees; of Phoenix, S2 degrees; our mean maxi mum, about 70 degres to the 95 de- grees of Phoenix. The home ther- mometer agrees with that of the weather record at Los Angeles The | chill of this coast has been intensi- fled by the accursed sea breeze. Oh, this sea breezei It has slapped me cruelty cold ever since have been out | to face it, and lately of mornings needed an overcoat. That internal | sea breeze has followed me from the west center of a 20O-foot long build ing clear around to the opposite cen ter; it can follow one far down a is no escaping it until one puts himself within four wind tight walls, a floor and roof. Nep- tune is an old pelican and brute; he nas no respect for himself nor mercy for any southern-b bred human. Of course I know that after nearly nine cen years residence in Southern Ari- .ona that my blood had become the .hinnest possible. The blood of all Southern Arizona is too thin for a sudden transfer from that air to this ,ne especially from November to Nav. Other members of the home who came here from all parts of the Pacific side of the Rockies have told ne that for a while after settling lere their experiences were most mis- ,rable. Some of them said that if a return to whence they anne. and they had to choose be- ween this southern sea level and hell, hey. would choose the latter. A month or more ago, comparing this Iir to that of Southern Arizona night have halloed Amen" to the .bove sentiment, and with more req on. Since the home surgeons exami- lation of me I realize that my years Ire nearly all in, and that l am here O pass the last of them in So, re- -iewing a rather long (and I'm not so 'ery old yet) and too eventual life. ny sojourn in climes warm and hot md cold, I am now able to candidly