Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-03-20
,ue posT.INTEllICENCER PUB. co
wE.TERN RANKINGS.
fcoxysposDENCE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
seattle. June 10 lS5

erside began making arrangements 10
i.ov. California. ! was 10th to leave
that glorious climate, where my few
vasks of soiourn were 50 full OF pleas
ant associations.
Having arranged to join one Of those
monthIy excursions that run both east
and vest every month i'll the year, be-
tween Chicago and Los Angeles, Cal,
arrived at Cotton IN time to interview
the town before the train was due. The
moat that can be said of the town is,
,bsra ia too much rum and too little
water TO make it a desirable place Of
residence. was an eyewitness to the
fact that when a man gets more of a
load in q saloon than he can carry, he
ia dragged out and dumped on the
shady side uf building to sober off.
"All aboard"' yes, and away we go
through a fine section of country for
solno miles, when the beauties of Cali
fornia fade away and We cross the divide
and enter upon one OF the dreariest.
most desolate and uninviting deserts to
bo found on the American continent.
This great sandy waste lies between the
San Jaclnto Mountains and the Colora-
do river Much of 1t lies below the SEA
level and is noted for the scarcity of
water, sand hills. dry lakes, cactus and
int0lerab ble heat and dust. AT Il point
some miles west of the Colorado river
the tram stopped to.give the passen2ers
chance To inspect the mud springs and
mud volcanoes, which, by the way, Is "a
curious freak of nature. In depres-
sion near the road is "a cluster of boiling
mud oauidrons. The mud Ii of red
dish nature and from the consistency of
thick cream to that of stiff batter. The
ebullitlon Is continually rolling up III a
peculiar manner, ana some of the more
dense contents spuri upward some dis
tance and fall back, forming u kind of
rim or crater wall to the miniature vol
canoes. 1he AR around Is strongly i'm
pregnated with sulphur, and IN places
one Ovef the ground and hear the ruin
bling voice of the boiling bowels of the
earth beHeath. lntuitIvely an expires
son heard once from the pulpit, IN my
b0yhOod days, came To my mind; II was
that Of hell being capped over" If
there Is such peculiarity characteristic
VI hades, surely this place. | thought,
must be its earthly correspondence aC-
cording To the theology that teac hes there
is correspondence between all things
here and hereafter.
Arriving at Fort Yuma, we had time
10 look around. The Colorado river is
the line between California and Arizona.
A tine railroad bridge spans the river;
above and below 1t noticed steamboats,
At anchor. This place il nearly two
hundred miles east of Cotton and located
on the right bank of the river $50 miles
from its mouth, where 1t empties into
the gulf of California. The corner of
Old Mexico is here seen Just across the
river. The fort was established In 1919:
II il more iarticularly used now AZ a
penltentiary for the outlaws of Arizona
who get caught than as a government
post; however, there are some soldiers
stationed there. Yuma IL said to be the
hottest and dryest place IN the Unit 4
States; it not being All upusual thing to
have $50 uuclouded days in the year.
The town Is built mostly Of adobe brick.
But few whites were seen, the inhabit-
ants being mestly Mexicans and half
breeds. Indians were numerous, and
more squaiid set of human beings have
never seen. Men, women and children
we're nearly naked, and they wallowed
around In the sand and gravel Ike 50
many swine. Some were engaged In
Bringing IN wood on their backs, carry
lng loads that one would think would
tire beasts of burden. One tall, lank
specimen Of this peculiar tribe WAS car
Tying around load of waterme elons,
selling To whoever would bay. Others,
with their faces painted in a manner
that made them look hideous, We're of
feriny bows and arrows and like trink
cts for sale TO the passengers: while
others. some 50 old that their heads were
as white as snow, were to be seen here
and there begging. Squaws, with child
Ten strapped on board and hung upon
Their backs, would trot around seem
ihgly as contented and unconcerned AS
the fates We're the gods they wor-
shppsd
From Yuma TO this city but little
eouhtry OF any importance was passed
through. Most of II WAS desert there
we're lew stations of any prominence,
aau these were from where considerable
Heientlng Is done into the mining camps
u The mountains north of the line OF
railroad. The teams used for freiehting
'hos'iy consist of fourteen mules To each
.Xon. just before our train pulled
m'o the depot here we were shown. as
.epassed. the old nissisn church. said
Woe The Oldest church III America. be
x three hundred years old, built by
.ue catholic Fathers when they first
,.ohhenced their work of locating set
aeuents snorthward. with the purpose Of
WILing and evangelizins the New
"o,iu. They certainly deserve much
Meuit Tor their injomitable energy,
,t'erance ~ and faith in the power Of
~, ,ine WAS given to the excursionists.
uo intend going through To the East,
,pke ,SpAke a stroll through the city, while
~ Se VINO wished to lay over sought ho-
os . Know of no more pleasant way
travelling than with these monthly
nnsursions, notice of which, see, is
rn sao'Ished In the Home Mirror, of Long
mont, Colorado.
,,oon ucson Is city of no mean proper
",a. as II Is claimed that there is pop
avon avon here of 1900. nearly one-half
m. mAloahs. 1t is the county seat of Pri-
couhty. The couct house is a fine
,bs ,be'ure, costing nearly 100000. IL is
a., os' important town on the South
OIL I raciilc Railroad betw cen Los An
S,,. and New Orleans. five hundred
fon,t from the former place and over
n;l,h ;leeh hundred to the latter. II is the
Araoad center of trade for southern
onss A narrow-gage road is in
p,o,n;I Vi construction to Globe City. a
iyiheht mining and lumber region
Ia x ih the north; another is talked Of
vhs. e famous Quijota mining region,
said fabulous stores of wealth, 1t Is
inc ,si found, and thousands are flock
vorts t'.Ier: : Five hotels, gas and water
DIV. electric lights ana herdic coaches.
are o., ~ quite city appearance. There
the,aa -FOUR churches in the place, but
puhls are several sectarian schools where
One a., worship is held regularly. and
lsros ae academy. Where there il 81
ih iheA Proportion of Mexican or Span.