Using a chamberpot on a sleeping porch in old-time Phoenix


Let's time-travel back to turn-of-the-century Phoenix and stay at the Ford Hotel, which was on Washington and 2nd Avenue. Of course air conditioning hasn't been invented yet, but the nights even back then before pavement and asphalt were pretty darned hot, and most hotels had beds outside so their customers could actually try to "cool off" enough to get to some sleep.

In this journey of imagination we're men. I'm going to say that we're traveling salesmen. No one vacations in Phoenix when it's hot, but we have a job to do. It's miserably hot there, even at night, but we're tough. We're old campaigners, fought side-by-side in the war, so this is nothing.

OK, the sun is going down but it's still miserably hot. How in the world can people live here? Let's go see how it is out on the sleeping porch. Still hot, but not as bad as inside of the room. I wonder if someday there will be some kind of magical way to cool off a room? Yes, I know I'm dreaming!

I see that there are blankets, as if we'd need them! I'm going to carry a pillow out there. That's about all I'll need. That, of course, and a chamberpot. It's only civilized to use that, I don't suppose the management would take too kindly to us "relieving ourselves" any other way, although I've heard of people that do that. I've never seen it, but I make sure to never walk under the edge of a sleeping porch, if you know what I mean!

Yes, good idea, let's use the spittoon, too. I'll be chawing my 'baccy, and since this is a nice hotel I know that they'd appreciate me not expectorating on the porch floor. I have my canteen, which I've had since the war, and I'll fill it up with some of that nice, fresh, lukewarm well water. Tastes awful, but it's water!

OK, the sun has gone down, time to get comfortable. Dang, it's still hot! I wonder if there are any scorpions out here! I'll keep my shootin' iron handy, you can be sure of that!
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