The Arizona sentinel., 1877-11-24

subject. Pursuing my inquiries at Yuma
 found degree of incredulity prevailing
 so discouraging to the pursuit of kndwl-
 edge in this department of natural science
 that I abandoned the inquiry. But this
 whole country is such an abn0rmalism
 that l should hot be surprised at any bob
 cry the elements might kick up.
 One is not oppressed by the abundance
 of animal life on the desert. Very few
 birds are seen; horned toads, everything runs to horns down here, are found in | abundance; also several varieties of snakes
 near the wet places. The turtle has his
 home here and is found, I am told, i'll large numbers and grows to a very large size.
 What he lives on and how he quenches his thirst if he be bibulC usly inclined, the learned Tn bans of the s. P. R: R. have
 been un ble to enlighten me.
 After tie long, hot ride over the desert
 a sudden view of the Colorado rlSer with its
 fringe of green and broad, rich bottoms,
 was blessed revelation. A few minutes
 later we were crossing the river over the
 beautiful bridge that connects California
 with Arizona, and found ourselves in
 Yuma. Yuma is typical Mexican frontier
 town: Every building in it, with the ex-
 ception of the railroad and steam naviga-
 tion warehouse, is adobe, and nearly every
 building is one story high. The streets
 are rambling and irregular, commencing
 nowhere in particular and ending in a bluff ar sand dune. In going about one is con-
 pelled to wade ankle deep in sand. The only trees one sees are the mesquit and an occasional cottonwood. The patent pave
 ment man has not come along yet, and the sewerage and water questions have not yet begun to disturb the serenity of the town: The population is sufficiently hete- rogeneous-made up of few Americans, sprinkling Of Europeans, great many Greasers and liberal assortment of h. dians. The latter adopt costume admir- ably fitted for a hot climate. It is true there is very little If it, but what there is is picturesque to say the least. The squaws wear loose robe about the waist, leaTiTg the upper and lower parts of the body exposed; while the bucks content them selves with strip of cloth about the lcins and wisp of calico dangling behind them. Irreverent wags are fond of speaking of the Yuma Indian dandies as being dressed ! i evening costume, to-wit: swallOw-tails. |
 Yuma has the reputation of having the | continent. Everybody has heard the story | of the dead soldier who came back for his | blankets, and everybody has come to be- leve that the place, climatically speaking, l is next door to Tophet am satisfied from what have seen and heard that this evil E fame is not deserved For three months in the year Yuma is terifcally hot, there is no disputing the fact. For two or three months more much clothing is a burthen and a weariness; but the fall and winter months are generally not only pleasant but delightful. The days are warm with out being sultry, and the nights simply blissfuf. I found the heat of midday far less oppressive than in the Tulare valley, while the evening was So cool that wood fire was not uncomfortable. I should say Yuma was one of the be,t places in the world for persons of weak lungs; and were Ehe hotel accommodations better, should not hesitate to recommend it for this class of invalids. Pulmonary diseases are un- Known here, while am told by agent of the Steam Navigation Company, who has lived lere eight years, that he has never known I case of typhoid or other fever engendered y decaying organic matter. Nor has small pox ever got footh'old here. The air s so wonderfully dry that disease germs ,annot develop: Perhaps the best indica- ion of it's general healthfulness is found in he fact that, with population of at least me thousand, it supports but one doctor.
 am not ;n the confidence of the railroad but the talk at Yuma is that preparations are nearly comple ed for ex- ending the Southern Pacific two hundred niles into Arizona Tte surveys are prac- icahy completed, the location determined, he iron purchased and en route and the ies ready to be sent forward. All that is vanted to set the great work in motion is F he order from headquarters. It may be : ,sued any day; it may be delayed weeks r months. The road, as understand it, sill follow the right line of the Gila, but ome distance from it There will be no eavy grades and very little bridging.
 AN exchange holds that the har1 times c ont make rascals, it only brings them to a he surface. Just as prairie fire does not p lake wolves and rattlesnakes, but only t rives them to the open space. h