The Arizona sentinel., 1889-06-22
HISTORIC YUMA.
lis present Condition and FG-
 tire prospects.
Marked Activity h Agricu;turea and Mining EnterprIses.-Cood sci;
 and HeaIei7fui Climate.

representative of the ArisO'ciase visited the historic town of Yuma, on the
 Rio Colorado. Yuma IS not noted for
 it's architectural beauty, but the hos
 pit&lity of its citizens oi
 whom have resided in this territory Flor third of q century -is proverbial
 and tho scribe was treated right 1 royalty. Citizens of the town claim
 that Yuma's wealth, per capita, is
 greater than that of any other city in
 Arizona, and we have no reason to
 doubt it. Her natural advantages are
 great, as her resources combine agri-
 cultare, stock raising and mining, her
 trade extending from the Needles, on l the CoAorado, far down into Sonors
 and Lower California. Upon these
 industries several large business
 houses thrive and the populace is maintained, being incidentally sup ported by the expenses of maintaining the territorial prison and the exten
 sive works of the Southern Pacific railroad at that place.
 Tho climate is semi-tropical and
 healthful, and the Southern Pacifc hotel, now under the management of $. s. Gillespie, affords favorite resort for invalids, and especially benefited are those afflicted with pulmonary and throat diseases by a sojourn there. Even in summer, with high range of ! thermometer, the heat is not cypress i've, yet so advanced are the seasons that grapes were ripe when your cor respondent was in Yuma, and water melons had been enjoyed for fort l night before Some of the most mag niicent gardens and yards are to be seen in Yuma. Trees ladened witt limes, lemons, oranges, olives, pom egranates, persimmons and almost every variety of fruits were seen by the Arison;a'e scribe, while plants and shrabs covered with fragrant and varied blooms sersed to delight the senses.
 With such favorable conditions, it may be surprising to some that. agri culture has been so long neglected in Yuma county, and that she is just be- ginning to utilize some of the mil lions of acres that are susceptible t. cultivation. This, however, is easy of explanation. Yuma, prior to the ad vent of the Southern Pacific railroad was the entrepot for all of Arizona Upon her river trade, mining and stock raising the town depended for its magnificent support. Farms in the Colorado bottoms, mostly owned by Mexicans and cultivated without irrigation, afforded vegetables and garden-truck; grain and flour were imported from the coast; hence, as in the pioneer days of California, but little attention was given to tilling the soil It must be admitted that it has taken our western nefghbor long time to realize the change of condi- tions, but now an activity is apparent shat cannot fail. to satisfy the most progressive individual Immense projects ere on foot for the rec!ama tion of lands on the Colorado riYer be- low Yuma. On the Gila the Mohawk. the South Gila, Purdy and other canals are bringing into productiveness vast areas of fertile Iand that will produce almost any desired form Of vegetation. The Mohawk canal covers qt present about 30,000 acres of land, and when extended will reclaim at least 45,000. On this waterway Geo. ". Norton has onc of the finest farms in Arizona, aRd the region is destined to become most prolific. Tbe South ! Gila is thirteen miles in length at present, and wil render productive l l5,000 acres. Temporary difficulty 1 regafdihg it, which was heretofore 1 recorded in your columns, reached settlement just before arrival of the writer in Yuma, by the sale of bands in tl sum of $75,0O0. Water IS now running, and the coming winter this { waterway will be extended so as t. cover at least 100000 acres. The | Purdy canal is q success and covers a large body Of fertile lands, while it is confidently stated that the old Toltec canal project at AsRa Caliente will 1 secure necessary capital as soon os present co-r rplications are removed 1 The writer regre,s iis inability to vis;. |