The Arizona sentinel., 1888-03-10
The Great Colorado Valley.
Editor Yuma SBNNEBL:

| Lne bGCehttOH Ot the SIoaO 1A NA-N OA sOSAAsN0
 drawn thereto, your valuable paper would
 do thereby substantial service to the Peo-
 pie and add to the nxed population of the | Territory.
 Situated as you are at the outlet of the great flood of waters of the Colorado,
 which comes sweeping through the gates. The magnitude of its watershed. Its
 navigability for some 600 miles. The mag
 ni6cent chance for irrigation from it's wa
 ters. Its extraordinary fertilizing powers,
 consequent on the load of finest sediment in
 transit.
 The great boon of cheap freights it holds cut to settlers near its shores. The inex
 haustible supplies of fael that are every
 where convenient to its banks, and only
 just being appreciated in Los Angeles
 The wonderful salubrity of its climate, NJ here fever and ague are unknown, and for which no word in the Mojave dialect can be found; and the beauties of its scenery, which like kaleidoscope, are constantly shifting their varying colors and presenting new attractions, and never tire the eye. These things, all elaborated and placed be- fore the intellectual appetite of the tourist and immigrant ill the columns of your pa- per, will be of great benefit and make it YUMA SENTINEL to this grand river, one of the largest in North America. and whose waters, flowing past your doors, are already crossed by two great ans-continental rail- ways.
 had the great pleasure to ride on the steamer "Gila," Capt. J. A. Mellon, (than whom no more genial host or more intelli- gent informant can be found) from your city up the river to the upper end of the ''Colorado River Indian Reservation" (of which more hereafter) in the latter part of February, and more pleasant trip, pre- senting so many varied types of scenery and types of character can not be imagined. and tourists would do we'll to take the trip from Yuma, on the S. P, to The Needles, on the A. & P. To the home-hunter, there are phases of fertility presented, that can not be paralelled anywhere else, in California with all its boasted varieties of climate, and I declare it on thirtytwo years of citi- zenship therein.
 This great valley is seldom visited and rarer described, and its advantages and pe- culiarities have been sealed book to but few.
 A government expedition under Lieut.. Ives, in the sixties, ascended the river, and a1 elaborate report was made. It was pigeon-holed in some department and is forgotten or lost. Its Indian inhabitants hare assimilated with tue incoming white men, adopted their manners and customs, are tractable servants and can 'hoe their own row" in the race for life with the new conner. They are of fine physique, were vegetarians originally, and retain many of their ancient customs yet. Their dress is rather scant at times, but seems comfortable and wears well. The government has set apart for them reservation that is out of all proportion to their necessities and a proper showing of the same to Congress gould no doubt cause 1t to be thrown open to settlement, except such part as they actually cultivate, (which the clerk at the Agency says would not exceed 800 acres). As it Is some S0,000 acres are lying idle, when if released to settlement thriving population would immediately occupy the fertile lands, and the increase in taxable property and active prosperity to the terri tory would be enormous
 The irrigation facilities of this great val ey are unrivaled. Fresno Co.,, California, where lands have in ten years increased in value from SIPS to the present value of $50 to Sl00 per acre, presents no such valu- able offerings in the way of fertility or irri- | gation. SENTINEL, proclaim it to the null | titudes who daily swarm past the doors of your city: "Here are lands that will grow cotton, rice and cane. Lands that are re freshed by an occasional inundation, which | will always keep their fertility up to the highest point. Lands that more nearly re- semble the valley of the Nile, which for ages was the grainary of the world, and l from it's stores fed the conQuering hosts of | the worlds most famous generals Lands | with waterway down to the sea" which | will always secure fair rates of transporta- | tion, the lack of which in other places has caused blight and decay to settle and eat away their prosperity. Lands as fair as ever eastern sun kissed, almost as fertile as the tropics, and blessed with climate which for consumptives is perfect sanita- rum; vast garden spot it can be trans formed into by intelligent labor. All the elements are present but the intelligence of man.
 But alas! the laborers are few. Bras of come and go, and the era of agri culture is yet to come here.
 SENTINEL, proclaim the stores in camp and call for volunteers to enlist in the cru sade against prejudice. Yes, the prejudice of the people who cry, ''The land of man, yana" Who sit down and smoke their cigarettes and enjoy the shade and fail to present the chances in this region to the thew comer," and who ought to hold up the arm of valiant MT. Kingsbury, of the Immigration Union, who says:
 "We are told Tn Scripture that the Lord |