The weekly Arizona miner., 1870-02-05
Letter From Yuma County.
PoIST or Rocgs, COLORADO VALLEY, ARIZONA,
 January g. 1870.

MR. EDlIOk.-lL was midsummer Nhen | passed through the sand and heat of the vast desert that stretches across the southern line of California. Iwell remember how refresh ing it was to enter the green thickets of will low and cottonwood which frnged the banks of the Colorado, or, as it is called, "the great river of the Vest" and meet again with civ ilization-where grass grows and water runs.
 The point at which 1 date my letter IS noted landmark. within the boundaries of the "Mohave Indian Reservation" A strip of shrubbery that skirts the river's bank for miles appears in the distance like an inviting oasis; and furnishes an abiding place for a large tribe of Indians, that but few years ago were rowing herds, as wild and vicious as are the famishng coyotes which at present haunt the spot. Here, safely domiciled for the present, thankful for the good fortune of having passed safely over the barren wastes that lie between me and the "City of Vine yards" and trustful for the future-I can not l forbear scribbling line or two, Mir Editor, as finish perusing your excellent journal, which find here, and which, with it's neat ness and spirit, variety of information and importance of local matter, is well calculated to take the stranger by surprise, and i'm press him with the fact if unknown be- fore--that the Territory of Arizona, about which so many fearful stories are told, is not wholly unfit to be other than the home of the Ishmaelite or the abode of the dweller of the desert
 have said that this is an Indian Reserya- tion. Although not believer in the grand sue sess of Indian reformation, and having but lit- tie confidence in the "reformed savage,n en- tertaining the opinion that moral suqsion, however we'll intended, and gentle means, how ever patiently exercised either by the Gov ernment or its citizens, to effect the reforma- ton of the natiye-change hs early habits and induce him to become peaceful tiler of the soil, usually, in the end, prove vain and futile. Still, l must confess, judging from what have seen since arriving at the Colo rado the Mohaves have been induced to be- come the best Indian laborers have ever be- fore met with. There are now large num- bers engaged in excayating canal, which taps the river just above Camp Colorado, and is designed to conduct the water to the Res eryation, for the purpose of irrigating its lands; and when properly finished will be work of great importance to this portion of the Territory. Hundreds of acres, by means of this canal, could be rendered productive and made fit for cultivation, which other wise must remain in their present dry and barren state-just worthless. This being public work, everybody naturally forms an opinion concerning it: So far as can see, the Indians do the labor In the canals ap- proach, and where it is designed to break the bank and intersect the river, it strikes the ob- server that an old ditch maker, who had learned by experience not to tamper with the swollen waters of mountain streams. would very likely be amused at the apparent con- tempt which from the outset the proiector had for hydraulic laws, angles and tangents. and surprised at the absence of those safe guards Cor preparations for properly planting them so necessary in an attempt to turn the treacherous current of the Colorado from channels which Nature has prescribed. and conduct it, or any part of it, through fields of sand as loose and resistless as ash heaps , Time and experience have taught that those strong, formidable wingdams, ,bulkheads head gates, piers, etc, which are seen along the banks of the American, Tuba, Stanislaus Mokslumne, and other California rivers. were not unnecessary, but quite requisite, and found so at least when the fountains of the hills were broken up and the imprisoned waters came down in floods upon them. And the labor and cost of their erection were not foolish expenditures, in insuring the per- manency of works intended to control the current of running water, reduce its volume. or contract its force three important con. slderatlons. Yet, no disaster may occur. Arizona, like California, over the river, may think little of seeing her streams take strange freaks and stray across the country to water, perhaps, some more thirsty districts. As for that military camp, it appears to be a lucky spot It stood a fire awile ago, admirably well, and is springing from its ashes like a phenix. Still the "boys in bluen might as well "come to a ready" and by securing each me 'rreserver, be prepared for crisis. Then m the event that the rains descend, the floods come, The winds blow, and the concern starts Tor that fate to which it is written that all structures founded upon the sand" have been doomed, why let them embrace the md