La Junta tribune., 1915-02-27
LATrERDAY ARIZONA.
walter Duhree Writes Interesting
Letter os Observations IN An.
s0as-Many New settlers.

s0aa-Msay New settiers.
When we left La Junta last Oc-
tober you asked me 70 write and tell
you what we found down here. We
had always been told II was hotter
By several degrees than hades and
without vegetation-a barren waste
IN fact. Well. ! guess during the
four warm months Of the year the
stories about the heat apply all night.
~ they claim the thermometer
stands from l20 degrees TO 1870 de-
grees for days At time-so hot the
flies and other insects are killed off
By alighting on the sidewalks. roofs.
etc. Therefore they only have flies
during the winter season. but there
don't seem to be enough Of them
left TO be q serious nuisance then.
One OF the undertaking establish
ments had the corpse OF man who
loaded up on booze and then died
here q few summers ago. His body
was found In corrugated iron build
ing, and not being discovered for .
few days, simply dried up. As the
dead man had no relatives here they
have never gone to the trouble Of
burying him, but just stand him up
In corner. or lay him on shelf out
Of the way.
However. It's an III wind that
blows nobody any good and 10 II IL
With the heat. Since they are putt.
Ing water on the land. Il 10 beginning
70 bloom like . rose. from the effect
Of the water and heat combined.
The government has large rec
lamation system At this point. and
IN immense dam about fifteen miles
up the river. which supplies an irri-
cation canal very similar TO the Fort
Lyon. This soil. like that OF the
Arkansas Valley. will raise almost
anything when watered. and Il has
the advantage OF the Arkansas Val
ley In being practically free from
frost. and therefore suitable for the
raising OF citrus fruits which seem
to grow TO perfection. Oranges and
grapefruit are being picked just now
In large quantities. and they also
raise quantities OF the very finest
dates. lines. lemons. pomegranites.
tangerines. etc. and vegetables OF all
kinds all the year round. The val
ley IL being rapidly settled up by
farmers who are raising quantities
Of Egyptian cotton. alfalfa. cane.
chickens. turkeys. etc. They are
able to harvest from seven to nine
crops Of alfalfa yearly. but the
growth is not 30 rank as In the Ar
kansas Valley.
Yuma Is quite little city Of T..
500 Inhabitants. including u large
number Of MeSicans. The town 10
scattered over n large area and has
= number Of very nice residences.
two good large hotels. several
churches. n new $4,000 county
court house. that would make the one
~ la Junta look small. here n . |
splendid Elks' Home. q new $4,000 |
high school. and a splendid new large |
Mission style grade school. besides
several other school buildings. The
Southern Pacific has small shops
and a round house at Yuma--it be-
ing n division point
The most beautiful roses. poinset.
tas. and other flowers have been
blooming In the open all winter. In
fact the winter climate has been ai.
most perfect. very much resembling
April and May at home. Sometimes
u is little cool mornings and even
inrs. but have not used my over.
coat all winter. esccp, when ! went
20 Los Angeles the early part OF Jan.
uary. ! seemed TO need II most Of
the time there. bu, the Yuma winter
climate has that Of Los Angeles beat
= mile. because Los Angeles. besides
being more cold. also has 40 many
Of the wet. disagre.able and fogry
days during this time of the year.
and from these Yuma Is entirely free.
and is therefore becoming quite .
winter resort.
Ny work here will probably BE-
finished early In April. and Ne hops |
10 return 10 La Jun,a before the real
summer time gets into working order
down here.
Yours very truly.
WALTER DUBREE.
Yuma. Aris.. February 18th.
NJ. Dsbree eneloses . poem %