The Arizona sentinel., 1894-12-29
Yuma, the Future E4eadin =
City ofArEzOaa.

inst, contained the following COM
munication:
From the mines, $4,000 month.
From the railroad, $500 a month.
From the territorial prison, including con-
tracts and salaries, $4,000 a month.
From the river boats, $1,000 month.
From the Blaisden plant, in wood bought,
labor, etc, $1,000 a month
From the surrounding ranches, $1,000 a
month.
The foregoing are figures given me by a
prominent citizen of Yuma as his estimate OF
the resources of his town.
Yuma is probably the best known town in
the United States, for its population. 1t
has gained prominence from many recourses.
It is town of the grandest location agricul-
turally; few acres there with water rights
being better than big farm back east. 1t
is the most tropical town in the United
States. This feature has given it prom
inence, and deservedly so. However, that
very feature is its best resource. They can
make money out Of the weather proper, by
its aid to agriculture, and as o winter
attraction to invaids. Lines will grow in
Yuma, which they will not do to any sue
cessful degree elsewhere in the United States.
Lemons there grow more successful than is
possible in California. Not to decry the
beautiful Golden State, it certainly has nc
location outside Of its own Yuma that wall
compare with Yuma, Arizona, from fruit
growing standpoint.
From an irrigation standpoint it should
not be surpassed. The muddy Colorado
the Nile Of America river as far ahead Of
the Nile as an all-the-year-around PROPOSE
ton as the Nile is ahead of the Santa Cruz,
is right at their feet in Yuma. With fall
of few inches to the mile, with a volume
of water twenty feet deep and from an
eighth to a quarter of a mile wide, it has a
flow of at least five miles an hour. On the
banks of this river are steam pumping plants
of large capacity, notably the Blaisdel pro-
position, of which more later on. A better
power has been suggested. in the flow Of the
mighty river itself A river that is navi
gable for pretty spectable-sized steamers
for hunreds of miles should furnish power
enough to raise from its own depths water
for irrigation. Water power wheels are
suggested, of some form that will generate
power of almost any quantity for the throw
ing of the muddy Colorado on the adjoining
land. The water must be raised in some
manner, as the fall of the river is so slight
that drawing it off into canals is impractical
bic.
The Colorado is a grand river in many
respects. It drains much of, and in some
instances all of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah
Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona. 1t has
a larger flow at 200 miles from its mouth
than below. 1t carries muddy sediment
that is a splendid fertilizer, one quarter as
rich as stable manure. Along its banks the
sublimest, the most awe-inspiring scenery il
all christendom may be seen. 1t has moi
been successfully navigated from end to enc
half dozen times. The Colorado is more
uniform in flow than any river in the world
coming as it does from such vast area.
Except in spring, when few warm days
melt the snow suddenly, the flow does not
vary three feet year. The river is i'm
portant as a highway to Yuma. Out of The
town up the river as far as eighty miles two
steamers ply almost constantly, their biggest
traffic being to and from the mines.
This river is the great feature of Yuma
All Arizona has climate and some of it rich
land, but elsewhere water cannot be found
as the Colorado furnishes it at Yuma. From
this river, combined with its other resource:
of climate and land, viii come city thai
viii be the most prosperous and probably
the largest in all Arizona.