The Arizona sentinel., 1897-07-24

A white man first set foot on what i. ROW Yuma County in l77l. It IS ths southwest division of the Territory, and .ene of the four original counties of the Ter. ritcry. Many great reclamation projects art however on foot, and in few years ex- pect to see Yuma County rated as the richest in the Territory.
 The 6rst glimpse the traveller from Cali ;fornia catches of Arizona is that of the picturesque town of Yuma, which is snugly situated in the embrace of gentle rolling hills, upon whose crests and sides the modern homes of our superior civilization are crovding the adobe dwellings into eternal oblivion. Yuma is the gateway to Arizona, the new empire of the West, upon whose unde7eloped 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 ofa 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, and wanting oaly 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 a reaction .is taking place and many enterprises are on foot 70 supply the life-giving waters of the yellow Colorado to the thirsty earth.
 RIVERS OF YUMA.COUNTY
 In regard to climate, healthfulness, fer tility aRd.productiveness of soil, facilities fsr cultivation, irrigation and abundance of water supply, variety Of resources and cheap transportation by rail and by water, no part of Arizona can surpsss Yuma county, which is destined to become one of richest and most prosperors counties in Arizona.
 It lies between 320 OO> and 34o 20' north latitude and ll3o 2O' and ll4' 40' west longitude. It contains 6. ASS, 320 acres. IL is about as large as the States Of Rhode Island, Connecticut and Delaware con- bi.ed, or as large as either New Hampshire, Vermont or Massachusetts.
 The ~estern boundary of Yuma County is formed by the Colorado river, which separates Arizona from California. The county is bounded on the north by Williams Fsrk and the Santa Maria river, whose waters flew into the Colorado; on the east by the counties of Pima, Maricopa and Yavapai, and on the south by Sonora, Mexico. Its county seat is the town of Yuma.
 The Colorado river drains the entire ter. rit9ry of Arizona, and every drop Of water .wAioh falls on its mountains and plains finds its way to this mighty rlver. 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 1u GtllS IlNCT III SuluulCl OHoh Ah !" AiSNAs hhNS furnishing 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 possesses the great advantage of cheap crater transportation.
 The Gila 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, Agua Fria, Has, sayampa and Salt rivers. It 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 it's 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 reela:ming and irrig"ting 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 cenerol course, and at an average distance of about four miles south, of the Gila river, rendering all the lands susceptible of irri- gation and cultivation, can ind an easy outlet in this way and can be transpol ted to all the markets and centers of population ;n the East or West.
 Another competing railroad is projected from San Diego, California, to the town of Yuma, aEd thence along the north side |. of the GiIa river. Thus Yuma County will dave exceptional railroad advantages.
 THECLIMATEr0F YUMA.
 The climate of Yuma for nine months of the year has DO 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. ssiveu though the tlermsmsser in n1id-s1-A- ..ar l1ay a4 times rise above lGG', and oc-