The Arizona sentinel., 1897-07-03
THE VILLAGE OF YUMA.

Although the town of Yuma is the second
 oldest community in the Territory Of Ari- zona, it Is astonishing how little its re
 sources are known to the world at large, and
 now slightly developed is the natural wealth of the county. This is owing partly to
 Yuma's reputation for unbearable heat, and partly to the fact that, lying next to Cali
 fornia, is has been assumed that the county has been thoroughly prospected for mineral wealth, and prospectors have, in the main, kept the travelled highways in crossing its Territory. As a matter of fact one suffers less from the heat here than in almost all of the settled communities of the east. owing to thu dryness Of the atmosphere, and there is no healthier cIirn.:e on Gods f5os5ool.
 People labor out Of doors from the rising to the setting Of the sun, and suffer no in | convenience. There has never been known, in this section of country, an authentic casa of spnstroke. Our climate, taken ir time, never fails to cure pulmonary complaints of any description. Disease such as smallpox, cholera, etc, rarely visit us, and then only in very mild form, and are never fatal ex- cept through the psrversity ot patients
 Contrary to the belief of th2 uniufornel, the dry heat of the summer months is es- peciaI,y conducive to god health and ex- ceptioaal vigor, acting naturally ypon the human system w;th the same effect @, the artificial result of Turkish i2oh-,afa'y- ing and renovatiaG jv. As further lna5ter of fact, this county has never been evan i supcrEc:~lly suspected, and it is only now that people arc beginning to search its hiils with any degree Of systematic enthusiasm for the mineral wealth hidden there, Ow- ing to the fs!ling of in the price of silver, deposits of sold only are being sought for; l and the present result Is little short Of mar yelou7. In all sections of the county from the Sonora line to Williams Fork discoveries are daily being made, and tae greater the developn2e2t the greater the wealth dis played. Wherever the prosPector plants his foot, lodges of gold confront him or are brought to Ii sh5 by the iavcstrg rgating strokes of his pick.
 Portions Of th2 country traversed fog years by commonly travelled trails are deveI- opirg into rich sterehouses of golden wealth New and rich placers are constantly being discovered, and shipments Of placer gold from this point through Wells Fargo & Co.'S Express, are steadily increasing in value. From 8 mining standpoint Yuma County is rapidly leading the Territory, and yet as far as that industry is concerned, this section has received but little reco1- nition.
 Agriculturally the country is vastly i'm proving. Enterprises that have lain do:- m2nt the last two years, owing to the zen eral faapG;aI depression and consequent dearth oAmoney for investment purposes, are wakinSN SND to rew lie and v:sor. Money is being attracted ill this direction, and on all sides can be distinguished that indeia- able stir which is thePracursor of an indus trial awakening Even within these last two years of financial stringeacy and de pression there las been a steady if slow in crease in agricultural development and wealth. A greater area of old farms has been put under cultivation, aad new lands have been inclosed and new fields started A large section of Biaisdell Heights has been planted to fruit trees; fields of cereals and alfalfa have been added to the cultivated area on the Colorado river below town. .I4o lands lying under tie Mohawk and Farmers canals have been made to yield heavy crops of every variety of agricultural products, as in other sections of the Gila valley, and the gardens of Yuma have been added to ana boautifed in fruits, flowers and shcIbory to Q more than appreciaole extent. A-,ogatha, We may feel proud of our progress during these last mo2ths of business depression and disoouragelncut. It speahs ycl for t!e ;n- dustry and pluck of our people, and the showing made constitutes the Lest evidence of the merits of our soil and climate aad the richness of our mineral resources. Nature has done everything for our county, and al that is needed is toush of the wand Of cap ital to have our hills and valleys spring into an active life of remaneret,vo industry t,la, will lazsaad endure forever.
 Some three years ago, through the energy of II. w. Blaisdsll, the Euna Water &-d Light Company was incorporated, a..d }, means of it's large pumping pant. a: tx foot of Main street, the towa is alo-l2n.l supplied with water ag reasonable rates, a.G ! there have grown into existence new and large gardens and orchards