Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-07-22
Fun and Frohc on
 Wighfmdn Ranch


 two chi,dlen, of Stafford Mr and Mrs
 Philo Merrill and five children, of Pima
 Professor and Mrs. F. D. Smith, Dr. and Mrs. Wightman and children, Rollo Wightman. Miss Ercel Cook and Claude Kenyon made up a gay party that wis. tied Wightman s ranch on Saturday A portion of the party reached the ranch on Friday night to be ready for the good time of the following day. Flushed with the good time of Satur. day, the stay was protracted until Mon day night. In recounting the pleas ures of the trip last night, Professor Smith said:
 'When you want a taste of genuine western hospitality at it's best, just take hike down the line to Wight man $ ranch near Geronimo. When we started Saturday morning for a three days visit we of course expected good time, for that is always to be expected where the jolly doctor and his genial frau have charge, but we were not prepared for such royal entertain ment as we received. On alghting from the train we saw a short, stout gentleman about four feet six inches high and six feet four inches in cir conference, so completely covered with broad brimmed hat that we had diff fculty in recognizing him as our med ical friend, but he soon had us slowed in his motor ear and on our way to the ranch. By the way that ear of the doctor s is the most elastic thing in the way of an auto it has been my lot to see. Ostensibly it is built for two, but to my certain knowledge it brought seven passengers besides the doctor on one of it's numerous trips to the station.
 Arrived at the ranch house, the whole party, now numbering ten, took walk over the plantation, noting the springs with capacity for irrigating fully 800 acres, the well-eultivated gar dens filled with all kinds of vegetables looking in prime condition, the beau tiful grove of eottonwoods, the fine row of mulberry trees shading the other house, which is occupied by the China men who are doing the gardening. As a climax we were led through the melon patch, and l for one, began to feel sorry that l had not invited myself for a week instead of only three days. Sev- eral acres of ground seemed to be com pletely carpeted with canteloupes, while from the adjoining patch we could see faf tar ,nlA ,,Sr nt us most cordial invitation to enlarge | out wristbands, and the mystery of the 1 doctor increased girth was explained. f There are two accomplishments pos sessed by Dr. Wightman in which Fl | back him against all corners. One is | running foot race and the other is putting himself outside of a forty | pound watermelon in the shortest possi. | ble time.
 "The chief occupation at the ranch | seems to be eating, which is conducted on the plan of a continuous perform ance. Still there was time for boating, | fishing and swimming. Perhaps it can be imagined how Michigander, aceus- toned to living few rods from the shore of "Gitchee Gumee.' v but who, for the past year hadn t seen an ex- panse of water bigger than q bath tub, felt when he caught sight of that twen- tyacre body of beautiful water in which the surplus from the springs is in store. In an incredibly short time a bathing suit, (also incredibly short), was impfovised and yours truly en- loved the first real swim he has had since striking the sun-k kissed land.
 But what 's the use? If l were to tell how many black bass Mrs, Smith caught at one sitting it wouldn't be believed. After the arrival of the 6 Q clock train our number had increased 10 twenty, and yet we had fish left from breakfast next morning. There IS no fish story about that l we nev- CT understood where the hosts slowed the entire twenty of us Saturday night. but we were all there with good 1ealthy appettes Sunday morning.
 As final tribute to us 'tenderfeet. Dewey killed rattlesnake that measured four feet from his nose to the end of his tenth rattle, and six inches in circumference This part of The performance was mercifully de- 1erred until we were about to start for "iobe and have been wondering ever since if it was deliberate plan to iughten us so we will not dare to take our rayenous appetties so near the doe LOT $ melon patch again. What $ the aHSwer!"