The Arizona sentinel., 1894-10-27
Resources
Of
Yuma County.
YUMA COUNTY.

modern homes of our superior civilization
are crowding the adobe dwellings int
eternal oblivion. Yuma is the gateway t
Arizona, the new empire of the West, upoI
whose undeyeloped riches the eyes of tht
ountry are at present turned, and as such
she is bound to grow and prosper with 1
rapidity that at present can hardly be re
allied. But coupled with her geographi
cal position we find that she is the center
of a country whose agricultural possibili
ties are practically unlimited, being sur
rounded by a soil the fertility of which
exceeds that of the delta OF the Nile, anC
wanting oaly water to become paradise o.
bloom. Billions of gallons of that preciou:
fluid have annually gone to waste al
Yuma's very doors, but already reaction
is taking place and many enterprises are
on foot to supply the life giving waters Of
the yellow Colorado to the thirsty earth.
RIVERS OF YUMA COUNTY.
Al
tility and productiveness of soil, facilitie:
for cultivation, irrigation and abundance Of
water supply, variety of resources and
cheap transportation by rail and by water,
no part of Arizona can surpass Yuma
county, which is destined to become one OF
richest and most prosperous counties in
Arizona.
1t lies between go CO. and 340 20 north
latitude and 1872 20 and ll4' 40 west
longitude 1t contains SASS, 800 acres. 1t
is about as large as the States of Rhode
Island, Connecticut and Delaware COM
bised, or as large as either New Hampshire,
Vermont or Massachusetts,.
The western boundary of Yuma County
is formed by the Colorado river, which
separates Arizona from California. The
county is bounded Oh the north by Williams
Fork and the Santa Maria river, whose
waters flow into the Colorado; on the east
by the counties of Pima, Maricopa and
Kavapai, and on the south 10y Sonora,
Mexico. Its county seat is the town of
Yuma.
The Colorado river drains the entire ter
ritory of Arizona, and every drop OF water
which falls on its mountains and plains
finds its way to this mighty river. 1t is
formed by the union of the Green and
Grand rivers, fed by the streams which
rise in the Rocky Mountains, and the melt
ing SHOWS cause a greater depth of water
in this river in summer than in winter. thus
furnishing the most water at the season
when it is most required for the purposes
of irrigation and agriculture.
1t will be seen that for the entire distance
along its western boundary, Yuma County
possesses the great advantage of cheap
water transportation.
The ella river rises in the western part
of New Mexico and is fed by numerous
streams, among the most prominent of
which are the San Pedro. Aqua Fria, Has
sayampa and Salt rivers. 1t flows west
through Yuma County and empties into the
Colorado at the town of Yuma.
Yuma county. traversed by these great
rivers from its northern to its southern,
and from its eastern to its western bound
aries, possesses a far greater water supply
than any other county in the Territory,
and far more than can be found in all Cali
fernia.
This water is now being diverted from its
natural channels by means of numerous
large irrigating canals, and utilized for the
purpose of retaining and irrigating the
immense tracts of lands which lie in this
favored country, and which are as fertile
as any in the world.
The Southern Pacific Railroad crosses the
Colorado river at the town of Yuma and
runs through the county, following the
generol course, and at an average distance
of about four miles south, of the ella river,
rendering all the lands susceptible of irri-
cation and cultivation, can find an easy
outlet in this way and can be transpol ted
to all the markets and centers of population
in the East or West.
Another competing railroad is projected
from San Diego. California, to the town
of Yuma, ard thence along the north side
of the ella river. Thus Yuma County will
have exceptional railroad advantages.
THE CLIMATE OF YUMA.
The climate of Yuma for nine months of
the year has no equal, as we believe, in the
world, and during the remaining three
months of the year, comprising June, July
and August, the heat is not oppressive.
Even though the thermometer in mId-sum-
mer may az times rise above 1902, and &C.
casionally even reach ll00, yet, owing to
the absence of moisture in the air, it is not
oppressive. The atmosphere is pure, light
and balmy. When the mercury marks the
highest extreme of heat, person does not
feel that oppression or debility which is
felt in the Eastern States when the mer-
curry is ranging from So to 90. The air is
so dry that perspiratlon is absorbed as soon
as it reaches the surface of the body, and
at no time in the summer does the heat
produce any discomfort.
LANDS AND SOILS.
The lands of Yuma County comprise the river
bottoms and valleys and the uplands or mesas. The
bottom lands moister and slightly more fertile,
if, indeed, it is possible to m Ike comparisons
where all wonderfully productive and prolific.