Edwin S. Blanke Hurley, Grant County, New Mex. July 24, 1911 Mr. Theodore L. Blanke 613 Fulton St. Wausau, Wisconsin Dear Brother Theodore:- Editor's note: The letter has a brief map showing where Ed's homestead is relative to towns which are along the Southern Pacific R.R. Towns, from west-to east, are: . Cochise . . Servoss Wilcox . . Pearce Bowie . Courtland . . Gleason Sulphur Springs X (My homestead) Pearce is 7 miles Cochise is 13 miles Servoss is 6 miles I received your letter today and noticed what the Texan said about this country. People from Texas are not half responsible for what they say. Out here it's an awful insult to any white person to tell him he don't know any more than a Texan. One story they tell on them is this:- "A fellow shot a rabbit through the head and the brains flew all over. He needed the brains to tan the hide, so he decided to shoot a native Texan and use his brains. But after getting the brains he found he had to shoot six Texans to get as many brains as one rabbit." Every white fellow I ever saw out here agreed that that was so. I don't care what she tells the bunch around there. I don't want any of those relatives out here anyhow. I only wish I was there and could chew the rag with her. I'll agree Tucson isn't much of a town, but even then, it has prettier places than Wausau. Around Phoenix and Safford are some of the best farmer countries in the west. Any old fool can farm in a way, but it takes just as much knowledge and as wide-a-wake man to make a success farming on an irrigated ranch as it does running a newspaper, let alone an old dinky one. The only difference is, the successful farmer will make more money. Yes, there are fierce desert places in Arizona & New Mex. and I know more of them than she does. Or Oscar, or any of the rest of the Kischel bunch, but I am not going to farm there, either. Around Demming they put in 1200, and something, pumping plants since Nov. 1, 1910. Is the country growing? They are from 40 to 70 feet down to water. At Sansimone, Arizona, they dug eight artesian wells since March 1, 1911. Near Bowie, Arizona, they dug and are now digging at least 20 artesian wells. Near Wilcox, they dug 3 (at work yet) since May 20, 1911. I know the country is growing. I have been at all of these towns and saw the wells the first part of the month, and saw them flow, too. It's raining this P.M., so had to lay off. I hope I won't lose much time on account of rain. I don't know how long this work will last, but will stay as long as it does. Four of us are building a cooling tower with 30 floors in it. I took a picture of it yesterday. We work Sundays and all, here. All the mining companies work Sundays. I hate to, but I don't want to lose the job either. It's not the first time I've had to work Sundays. Things I'll need when I get back to the Unique as close as I can figure now is as follows:- Forwarded $125. Horses (2) $100. Lbr. for well 35. Small plow 15. Pump & frt. 50. Horse collar 5. Piping & frt. 15. Small pump 5. Fencing 75. –----- ------ $125. $300. This lumber includes roofing for the engine room. You know the engine room is dug down 6 feet, and all it needs is a roof. I'll send for that U.S. report. I didn't know it was out yet. Of course, alfalfa is THE crop and THE money crop. Experiments at Tucson don't recommend fruit on account of late frosts, but I could fix that with smudge pots. I looked at the land at Yuma. It certainly is the richest land I ever saw. I know the dams are going to be built and figured on going there if I have time in about Feb. or March. I can go then as second class carpenter. No, I'll wait 5 years before I prove up on the homestead. Haven't seen any good land that suits me in New Mexico. Pa is still figuring on coming out. I certainly would like to see Ida's grave fixed up, but didn't know how we could. You write to someone and find out. $10 apiece wouln't hurt us and it would do quite a bit towards fixing it up. I can't get any good postals up here, so let them go, and think what ever they want to. We will show them in a few years. I'll send you the pack film in about a week or so. Some pictures of Arizona alfalfa hay piled up, where I worked. Write soon. Am well. If you want to help on the engine, let me know. Your brother, Edwin (IR: Based on this description and to the best of my knowledge, the homestead should be at approximately Section 3, Township 17S, Range 25E, which is directly southeast of the Three Sisters hills in the Sulphur Springs Valley. The Arthur Blanke homestead was in the same or adjacent sections. Servoss (also called Servoss Station) as a placename disappeared a very long time ago. Gordon identified it (tentatively) in a note on this letter as Sunsites, AZ, but contemporary government survey records suggest that it was likely about 6 miles northwest of Sunsites on what is now Highway 191.)