Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1922-11-02
Frank KOOns Is Nov In WinsIow
Arizona, and Gives Interesting
Account of His Travels
PAINTED DESERT is SCENE
OF REMARKABLE BEAUTY
Local Youth Finds Employment
With the Harvey System Of
Eating Houses and Hotels


The following interesting letter
was written by Frank Koons. son of
Mr.. and Mrs. BENJAMIN Rooms. sa9
Broadway, to his former roommate
at the University of Wisconsin. Fred
erick Stanley, of Baraboo. Mr.. Koons
is now at Winslow. Arizona having
arrived at that place about Oct 18th
He writes as follows:
Dollars to doughnuts you nearly
fell OF your chair (as they saw at
the Orpheum) when you heard that
| was going TO Arizona. Well. here r
am, out in the widest of the wild
southwest with lots of Mexicans. In
dians, and desert thrown in. Oh. yes.
there are few white people here as
this is town of some 1000. counting
Mexicans, but you could go several
hundred miles in any direction at
right angles to the track and not see
a soul, save perhaps a few Indians.
The Navajo and Hopi reservations
are near here and the White Noun
tain reservation is not far away.
Tells OF Scenery
| arrived here this morning at
scheduled time after one "heck" OF a
long ride. Some 1,643 miles in all
and we didn't loiter on the way much
either. except now and then for lunch
You perhaps know something Of the
beauties Of Kansas but I will say
that the eastern part of that state
is handsome compared with the
western part Of it.sH
Colorado was something Of a dis
appointment for scenery as il was a
continuation of the treeless plains
of Kansas for some time Bw the
route turned south into New Mexico
several hundred miles this side OF
Denver and Pixies Peak. However. be
fore hitting the New Mexico line we
began to go up and soon were run
ming along between some fine scenery.
The soil is quite red and this as a
BACKGROUND for the stubby evergreens
made some very pretty pictures.
The highest points l went over
were the Grat0n Pass, 1908 feet, and
the Continental Divide, 1887 fees high.
both in New Mexico. The mountains
have very odd shapes and seem to be
like big waves rolling along. Perhaps
you have heard Of the Painted Desert.
and it is just that, painted with lots
of bright hues-red of different shad-
es and several varieties of blue tints,
combined with the sage brush and
bunch grass make it almost like a
painted scene.
Hunting Is Good
The air out here is thin and dry,
supposed to ge very healthful which
is a point in its favor The height is
1855 feet but to look at the country
you might think it was that much be
low sea level Just a fine little desert
for some miles around but I am told
that the woods about 35 miles from
here have good hunting, deer as Weu
as bear and lion. The Grand Canyon
is only 153 miles from Winslow and
hope to get over there before I re
turn next spring.
How I shall Ike this country
can't exactly say yet. For a short
time it will be alright. but for a long
time? Although several fellows have
told me that there is a certain fascina
ton about it that gets a fellow. I'll let
you know later as to that
The Harvey system is a dining
room, lunch room. dining car. and
station hotel service covering ths
entire Santa Fe railway At every
division point. this system maintains
a hotel service complete and lunch
counter and il really is some system
for service for I ate in the dining
rooms at the various points we stop.
ped at and | really was surprised.
The Park hotel dining room has not
a thing on this for finish and appear
ance and the food and waiter service
are A No l. This is one OF the main
routes. il not the main route. from
Chicago to California. and consequent
ly gets lots Of the big moneyed tour
ist and transit trade. Every day a
number of through and limited trains
pass through, going both east and
west
Sell Navajo Blankets
Speaking OF Indians. the Navajos
have some wonderful blankets ana
,arpets, az wonderall priced too