The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1888-11-17
the Great Mohawk Valley and
Mohawk Canal.

"a rev years ago, when George w
Norton located the heading of tn,
Mohawk canal, many of our evils,
men" ridiculed the enterprise. L
took an immense amount of labor anC
money to conduct the work, but will
indomitable grit and energy the granc
Mohawk canal is nearly completed
and by December 3lst of this year the
final work will end.
The water supply, even in the sum
mer months, is abundant and perma-
nent. The heading is in solid rock
and the opening cut in the granite /.
twentJ-three feet deep and thirty
feet wide. Over ten thousand cubic
feet of rock were blasted at the head
ing, through which the crystalline
waters of the ella flow to enrich the
fortunate farmer and beautify the
fertile lands of the Mohawk valley.
The headlights is built of the heaviest
Oregon pine and is cemented on each
side in the solid rock. The canal is
excavated four feet below the bed of
the river and there is always at this
point an unfailing supply of water.
No matter how heavy freshet or
food, the heading of the Mohawk ca
nal can never be injured.
The Mohawk canal is twenty feet
wide at the bottom, and so far twenty
one miles of the work has been COM
pleted Sixty teams are at work on
buck-scrapers and one machine ditch
er, excavating over | 800 cubic yards
of dirt per day. The canal will irri-
gate 10000 acres of as fine and fer
tile land as there is to be found any
where in the world. Land which will
grow all the citrus fruits to perfec-
ton, and where the grape ripens by
the first week in June and the apricot
in March. Land which is nearly all
level and only needs the pillow and the
fertilizing waters of the ella to BIOS
som and produce crops which are
bound to p ay the farmer heavy re-
turns. A visit to Geo. w. Norton's
in the Mohawk valley will
soon convince anyone of the value of
land along the Mohawk canal. Mr..
Norton has had his place under cult.
vation only few months, yet it looks
ike farm which has been cultivated
for years. He raised 600 tons of
sorghum on 40 acres and has another
crop (the second) almost ready to cut,
md of equal quantity as the first.
Alfalfa, vegetables and fruit trees are
LONG splendidly, and Mr., Norton is !
about to plant 40 acres in olive trees, |
which thrive in this county.
Adjoining Norton's farm is Capt. |
F. W. Smiths homestead, which also
shows remarkable growth for the
hort time the place has been cult
rated. A large number of settlers
ire clearing their land and many will
liant orchards and vineyards this
easen. A large acreage will be
planted to oranges and lemons; several
sacramento capitalists will in season
et out large vineyard of raisin
A number of others will cul-
ivate bananas, pine-apples, and figs,
ii of which grow at their best in Yu-
ma county.
The Mohawk valley is one of the
'est in this section; the lands are rich,
he location splendid. Forty thous-
nd acres of fertile land, all of which
an be irrigated, within few miles of
great trans-continental railway and
istant from the Colorado river only
fty miles; this is the position of the
ovely Mohawk valley. Upon the
ompletion of the great canal Yuma
ounty will begin her march to the
ront rank of prosperous sections.
Already the movement has begun,
nd Mohawk valley will be the scene
f great activity within few weeks
nd in three years will be peopled by
thousands of happy and prosperous
armers, growing wealthy from the
ichness of our magnificent lands, and
njoying health and happiness from
'uma's exhilarating and equablc eli
late.
Reports from Florida state that
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