San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-07-24

| wanting: water, WltnOub Whioh
element mans battle with nature
is quite futile. Water may yet come
however, as IL has done in many
spots in the great desert, where the
desolate places have been made
to blossom as the rose.
The soil in the greater part OF
the desert is good. 1t is a red sandy
loan, excellent for vegetables and
fruit aud yields easily to the spade
or the pillow. i do not consider 1t
an altogether hopeless case, there
fore, and other men must hold the
same opinion, as 1 noticed several
irrigating canals in Arizona,
which, although they did not con-
tain any water, bore witness to the
fact that man had commenced to
make the desert yield her portion
towards the sustenance OF man.
From appearances, the canals
seemed unfinished.
The real dismal portion OF the
great desert is in the neighborhood
of Yuma, q railroad station on the
confluence of the ella and Colora-
do river-streams, by the way,
which never reach the Gulf OF Cali
fornia, although this appears to be
the destination. At Yuma the
river seems to be about as large as
the Texas Colorado at Austin, and
there was even a good-sized steam
boat as large as the Austin "Ben
Hur" upon it. Still, few miles
further down, l understand, the
waters of the Colorado disappear in
the sand. The heat at Yuma is very
intense, partly owing to the fact
that it is five hundred feet below
sea level. And there are mountains
within sight OF Yuma reaching up
into eternal snow! A few years
ago, through a sudden rise in the
Colorado river, the Yuma desert
was almost filled with water, and
many supposed that this would be
the end Of it. Now it has all evap-
grated, and the salt pillow is again
at work, to exc out of even this
desolate portion Of Gods earth,
something which may be pressed
into the service of man.
This is not intended for hotel
advertisement, but at the railroad
eating house at Yuma, in the most
desolate place on Gods earth, they
served a meal for IS cents, worthy
Of the Chicago Auditorium hotel.
A few hours ride and the train
begins to ascend until it reaches q
height of about twenty.seven hun
dred feet above the desert. The
sand hills make room for verdure,
a refreshing breeze watts through
the windows, which may now be
opened, and before us there pass
the first signs of the new civiliza-
tion of the Golden state.
1t is past harvest time and over
the fields there are scattered the
stacks Of wheat and barley, as rich
as only California can furnish.
There are sufficient winter rains in
this state to raise good crop OF
cereals, as the harvest which has
just been gathered proves. They
have no barns, for from May until
October no rain ever falls, except
upon the mountains, and the grain
stands in square stacks in the fields.
AS the train speeds along towards
Los Angeles we stop more and
more frequently, for the towns
seem very close together. Magnifi-
cent orchards, vineyards, parks,
beautiful residences scattered over
the hillsides, hundreds Of irrigation
canals, spouting artesian wells,
trees laden with oranges, apricots,
apples and plums, streets lined
with palmettos; plumbago and
geraniums trailing up the sides OF
houses and over hedges, well
dressed children and healthy look.
ing men and women, tell the tales
Of industry, good behaviour and a
prosperous race on the shores Of
the grand Pacific, which comes
finally in sight, about an hour
after leaving Los Angeles. l
gazed over the waters, unable
to resist the charm. The Gulf Of
Mexico always filled me with won
der, but wherever l saw the break
ers roll, they appeared more or less
dirty. Here, on the banks Of the
greatest body Of water, the break
ers roll unto the shore clear azure
color, which contrasts wonderfully
with the pure white spray Of their
excited heads. The railroad for
the greater part passes along the
high shores Of the ocean, so that
for several hours l could enjoy the
dream of the infinite, which so ap'
peals to human consciousness
whenever man finds himself face
to face with the grander pulsations
Of the universal heart!