The Coconino sun., 1927-08-19
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. A Travel-Hog The
. News Hog And The
Other Kind O. Hog
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= y = = ="
Ernest Douglas, who invents the
"Catclaw Tree" column for the Mesa
Journal Tribune, was afraid to sign
this except with "non-de-plum"
while on his vacation. Ernie is some
travel-hog SO prints this under the
caption of:
''TRAVELOG
Grand Canyon Station,
Los Angeles, Calf,
Aug. IL, 1927.
editor Catclaw Tree:
"Some days ago, in moment of
recklessness or mental alteration, you
asked me to contribute something for
your column-and here is the penalty
In company with my wife as chief of
the expedition, | am vacationing in
Arizona, and having a desire to see
something of Los Angeles at the same
time, / thought would run up here
for q day or so. Upon arriving here
| asked some one how far it was into
the city, and where was the street car
station, and he wanted to know what
city / was talking about, ETC., and l
said Los Angeles, of course-what
other city was there worth talking
about? He said Los Angeles was 500
miles away, and | said that from an
occasional reading of Los Angeles
papers | had got an idea that Grand
Canyon was a suburb of Los Angeles.
"'Oh, that's nothing he said; those
folks are planning now to annex the
Philippines
"And so / guess | will get to see
only this outskirt of the city, after
ALL
'It had been ten years since saw
the Grand Canyon for the first time
and | was rather surprised to note
that there was no perceptible change
in it-no more than there is in my
pocketbook at this minute. A lecturer
here says it took seven or eight mil
lion years-or was it billions for
the canyon to form. Anyhow, it was
quite spell ago that it started be
zona.
'But if the Canyon hasn't changed
the immediate surroundings have. The
new government camp ground is much
larger than the old one, is equipped
with modern toilets, lavatories, IA
cars of water being hauled here daily
from Flagstaff by the Santa Fe, and
a lot of small cement stoves. Ten
years ago when | was here there were
only about dozen cars in the camp
ground. This time the woods is liter
ally full of them from everywhere.
"There are several new buildings
here built of stone, but | don't know
where they got the stones. | didn't
miss any from the road. 1t is a great
asset to the tire manufacturers, that
road. But we should be thankful for
even a road like that giving access to
Los Angeles greatest wonder.
eve took the rim drive today, fea-
ture that was not possible ten years
ago, as autos were not allowed on the
drive and you took the drive only be-
hind horses at an expense of So.
eve have heard a free lecture on
the canyon and took a free hike with
the park naturalist and geologist and
heard the rocks and the plants called
names that / wouldn't want to hear
hurled at any of my family. The wife
took snapshot of me on the canyon
rim with the canyon, or part of it,
as background. She said she was
economizing on film by getting two
freaks of nature with one exposure.
owe have also seen junior Grand
Canyon. Coming by way of Jerome,
Cottonwood, Sedona and Schnebley
HILL At the top of the latter the view
is similar to the view of the Grand
Canyon from Ell Tovar Hotel, where
we stopped-a few minutes, outside
and the formations are the same.
"There is so much in Arizona-out-
side of Los Angeles-that is worth
seeing, and so little time in which to
see it-for most of us-that | fear
the final toot of GabriePs horn will
sound ere we see near all of it.
"And another thing, if anyone
thinks there is no wild life in Arizona,
just let him get out on the highways
and try to dodge the wild drivers.
'Well, here's hoping that for the
sake of your readers you can't read
this or that you will refuse to inflict
it on them, anyhow. But I've done my
part by contributing it, and you are
welcome to do yours by throwing it
in the waste basket-if it isn't al
ready full.
"Yours respectfully.
GAN ARIZONA VACATIONIST." !"
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