The Arizona sentinel., 1894-06-16
Resources
 of Yuma County.
YUMA COUNTY.


 = one of the four original counties of the Ter ritory. Many great reclamation projects ar g however on foot, and iu few years ex z z pect to see Yuma County rated as tn
 richest in the Territory.
 . The first glimpse the traveller from Cali
 fOrnia catches of Arizona is that of tn
 picturesque town of Yuma, which is snugly
 situated ill the embrace of gentle roilin! 5 hills, upon whose -crests and sides tn, 2 modern homes of our superior civilization are crowding the adobe dwellings into eternal oblivion, Yuma is the gateway tc Arizona, the new empire of the West, upor [ whose undeYeloped riches the eyes of the country are at present turned, and as such she is bound to grow and prosper with a
 rapidity that at present can hardly be re- alized. 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 soil the fertility of which
 exceeds that of the delta of the Nile, and
 wanting only water to become paradise of
 bloom. Billions of gallons of that precious
 fluid have annually gone to waste at
 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. in regard 10 climate, healthfulness, fer tility and prOductiveness of soil, facilities 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.
 It lies between 320 0O' and 340 20' north latitude and lI30 2O' and Il4o 4O' west longitude. It contains 6. .4SS. .320 acres. It is about as large as the States of Rhode Island, Connecticut and Delaware con- 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 on 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 l Iavapai, and on the south by Sonora, Mexico. Its county seat is the towr of Yuma.
 The Colorado river drains the entire ter ritory of Arizona, and every drop ot water which falls on its mountains and plains finds its way to this mighty river. It 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 snows cause a greater depth of water in this river in summer than in winter thus the most water at the season when it is most required for the purposes of irrigation and agriculture.
 It will be seen that for the entire distance along its western boundary, Yuma County l possesses the great advantage of cheap water transportation.
 The Gila river rises in the western part 'f New Mexico and is fed by numerous f dreams, among the most prominent of S which are the San Pedro, Aqua Fria, Has, t ayampa and Salt rivers. It flows west e trough Yuma County and empties into the ~ Colorado at the town of Yuma $ Yuma county, traversed by these great f lvers from its northern to its southern, nd from its eastern to its western bound. Q ries, possesses a far greater water supply i. han any other county ir the Territory, u nd far more than can be found in all Cali n ernia c; This water is now being diverted from its .SS 7. atural channels by means of numerous a lrge irrigating canals, and utilized for the c, urpose of retaining and irrig9tin the ia immense tracts of lands which lie in this tt avored country, and which are as fertile b, s any in the world. fa The Southern Pacific Railroad crosses the to Colorado river at the town of Yuma and hi uns through the county, following the tr enerol course, and at an average distance oi about four miles south, of the Gila river. endering all the lands susceptible of irri- ta ation and cultivation, can find an easy 20 ntlet in this way and can be transpol ted W ) all the markets and centers of population gi the East or West. oT Another competing railroad is projected fo Qm San Diego. California, to the town ca Yuma, ard thence along the north side tn the Gila river Thus Yuma County will ave exceptional railroad advantages. tr
 THE CLIMATE OF YUMA. U" The climate of Yuma for nine months of Va le year has no equal, as we believe, in the ca Orld, and during the remaining three ~ onths Of the year, comprising June, July wi Id August, the heat is not oppressive. tn ven though the thermometer in ulId-sum- ma CT may al times rise above 1902, and oc- sionally even reach ll0', yet, owing to tio e absence of moisture in the air, it is not jet 'presslve. The atmosphere is pure, light app i'd balmy. When the mercury marks the tar ghest extreme of heat, person does not er1 el that oppression or debility which is ino t In tho Ea-torn Statcs whau the rer. vie