The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-07-22

Il
the most widely-known mining engi-
neers of the country, has been in in
innate touch with the business inter-
ests and life Of the Southwest and of
Mexico Much Of that time he has
spent in the management Of large
mining operations in Mexico and in
the investigation of various properties
in Central America and the Southwest
generally.
Thoroughly familiar with climatic
conditions. as we'll as with business
matters in all of that region. Mr.. De-
Kalb was asked by the Manufacturers
Record, in view of the interest that
has been aroused as to the Mexican
border. to outline the conditions of
that section and to give such sugges-
tions as might be helpful in maintain
ing the health of the militia now en-
camped along the border 1ihe. His
statement of the situation will be in.
teresting to thousands who have had
their attention, for the first time, con-
centrated upon the Texas-New Mex
leo Arizona Mexico border line. Mr..
DeKalb is a native of virginia.-Edi-
tor Manufacturers Record.)
BY Courtenay DeKalb. Tucson, Ariz
1t comes as a surprise to one ia
miliar with the Southwest to realize
that people on the Atlantic seaboard
are alarmed for the safety of the re-
Gently mobilized militia under what
they call "the tropical conditions
along the border" 1t had not oc-
Cured, to those who live near the Mex
lean line that they were in the tropics
or anywhere near the tropics. The
average distance from our Southern
border to the Tropic Of Cancer Il Is
far as from Baltimore to Savannah,
and, considering that the average alti-
tude Of the country from Brownsville
to San Diego is approximately 5000
feet above sea-levei, the actual cii-
L = .I 49, =
matte differences between the border
States and the true tropics is about
as great as that between Minneapolis
and New Orleans
| 1t is customary for the native to
extoll his climate and to laugh at
those who find fault with 1t. but an
fastener who has accidentally been
PRESIDENT In the extreme South long
enough 10 know the average weather.
may speaks With better Claim to Gre
dence. especially as he has neither.
lands nor mines nor merchandise tor
sale. First of all. then, let 1t be un-,
derstood that the tropics lie away to
the south of the Mexican border; that
anything really approaching tropical
conditions is not found until one pene-
trates far south of the tropic line as
drawn by the geographers; that tropi-
cal diseases are unknown along the
boundary between the English and
Spanish tongues 1t is hot in Arizona,
New Mexico and Texas in summer
time. There is no doubt about the
heat during the day when the sun
shines. but 1t is a peculiar heat. It
burns. 1t scorches. but 1t does not IN
jure one. 1t never produces sunstroke;
1t does not enervate. 1t is dry heat;
1t is direct sun heat: 1t is intensified
by the glare from the parched yellow
ish earth. but it does not pursue one
into the shade. and at night the radia-
ton into the clear starlit heavens is SO
rapid that the temperature falls until
blankets are welcome.
The American is prone to suffer In
such a countrY-in any country unlike
that in which his father lived-be-
cause Of his racial pride. He is .
poor eclectric In matters of custom,
though SO keenly adaptive in matters
OF business. He insists upon dressing
practically as he did in the North; he
insists upon building houses after pat
terms derived from his Anglo Saxon
ancestors. The ,Mexican.- on the 9TH
er hand, dervise through Spain from
Moorish ancestors, from race used to
the desert from prehistoric times. He
knows how to build, how to dress, how
to eat in hot arid country. His high
ceilings, his cool zaguanes, offer Shelf
er from the parching heat. A zaguan
Is q wide opening, like a driveway. ex-
tending entirely through his house. No
one ever had cause to complain of the
heat who had zaguan to sit in but
the American in his weatherboard
cottage is as unprepared for the cli-
mate as would be man who insisted 4
upon Juggling palm leaves to Green
land for the construction Of a hut in
which to meet the arctic winter The