The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1918-02-08
Big Sandian in Arizona.
Phoenix. Arizona.


Dear Editor:-- Have been receiving
your paper since coming here and IT is
like finding an oasis In desert 20
read the locals, a habit OF reading your
paper contracted about twenty years
ago Speaking OF oasis this country is
now one but the desert Is all around.
have not ventured far enough away
10 see the prairie pup. the chip munk,
the cactus prickly pear or sage brush
which is about the only living things
that exist In such places but | know
that In this country where the ground
IL not irrigated nothing but the desert
remains So Arizona Is u great desert
state where many OF the rivers sink
into the sand and the coyote digs his
hole unscared. But further away eighty
miles from Phoenix where the Silvery
Colorado wends its way" a project was
conceived over a dozen years ago where
by the river that contains the famous
Grand Canyon OF Colorado was to con-
vert this rainless region into thousands
OF fertile YIELDS so the government built
the great Roosevelt dam costing up 10
now nearly ten million dollars. This
accounts for scores OF signs like this
In windows OF real estate men in Phoe-
nix. Farm for sale $500 per acre, well
irrigated, part in Alfalfa balance good
cotton lands, etc.
The word cotton may sound as
strange to you as II did TO me but 1t
is claimed that Arizona produced mill
lion dollars worth in 1917. To see the
large cotton stalks right here in the
outskirts OF Phoenix higher than your
head is apt to make one a believer.
But right now what Uncle Sam and
the allies are demanding from Arizona,
as well as food, is the products OF her
rich copper and other valuable miner
ais which are badly needed in this, the
worlds greatest crisis, to crush to earth
the criminal Hun
Phoenix, the capitol. with popula-
tion OF 30.00O,0OO more people is the
commercial center OF Arizona. Head
quarters for the miner the COW boy
with his cayus tpony) leather breech-
es and lariat (rope) can be seen on
the streets here any day.
Then comes the governments ward
the big Indian, OF which the state has
many thousands located on reserva-
tions all over the state, The Navajo
and different tribes may be seen here
ed with gorgeous dresses with all the
colors of the rainbow. What is said TO
DO the largest Indian school in the U
| s. is located here.
Then you can see the Mexican greas-
er or peon with shiny face and treach-
erous looking eye looking as tho they
would willingly be an accomplice TO
villa for n few pieces OF silver. They
- 81 -. A..- rsrlr N mr.
constitute what seems like 1-5 of the
permanent population. Well, l was
about to try to describe the seven ages
OF man when only meant to tell OF
the seven kind.
Phoenix winters many hundreds OF
people from all parts Of the country
who come here for tuberculosis trou-
bles.
The winter nights here are very cool
and It certainly requires fire here
nights and mornings. Yet all vegetables
grow on, the waving palm thrives and
the orange and lemon few miles out
around the foot hills are successfully
grown and have a commercial impor-
tance.
While all the east and the middle
west was griped in cold and the ther-
mometer registered "20 below In Ky.
and every town In Texas except Brown
Vile. according to press reports. was
covered with snow. even Elpaso. the
much favorite resort. the sun shined
on In Phoenix and the weather was
quite warm. The weather is not as
bracing as in Colorado or higher alti-
tudes or as on the Pacific coast, but
many from the Pacific states come
here for the winter to get away from
the fog and dew which does not exist