The Arizona sentinel., 1897-08-14
CUR ONLY SEAPORT.
Interesting Information About Yuma
 And Her Surroundings.

cIcS3u& M0btOA A Ads h
 And Her Surroundings.
 The following communication to the Arizona Republican, by H. J. L., will Do found of interest, not only to those acquainted with the sur roundlngs, but to outsiders, curious for information, as we'll:
 Yuma is the only seaport in Ari- zona. It is also one of the oldest towns in Arizona, bat Yuma has other things to brag of, not the least of which is climate. Just at this time of year Yuma is supposed to excel in the latter. The super annuated yarns about the soldier who died there and being consigned to the internal regions found the weather so chilly that he sent back after his blankets, and then the one about feeding hens ice to pre- vent their owners being doomed to a diet of hard boiled eggs has given Yuma an unenviable reputation as regards heat. The inhabitants, though, do not seem to care, bat go right along attending to their own business. The fact is, Yuma has climate that enables her citizens to raise about everything that can be grown in the tropics, without any of the disadvantages of an equatorial existence.
 The air is so dry that there is almost total absence of humidity, and when the thermometer registers 112, as it often does in July and August, the resident feels no dis comfort at all. At night a cool breeze is always blowing from the Gulf of California, 140 miles to the southward. Lemons, Times and figs grow luxuriantly and have reached the highest state of perfec- tion in the United States. Editor Darlington has tree of each of the above varieties growing in his yard. All are heavily laden with fruit. The fig tree is famous one, having borne for a decade three crops of matured fruit every twelve month, which nets the owner about $70 yearly. It would not take many trees like that to beat running an Arizona newspaper, but Mr. Dor rington evidently prefers jour nalism.
 He has conducted the SENTINEL since 1881 and now he can't give it up for figs or anything else. Nei- ther can the people of Yuma county, who regard the SENTINEL as 8 household necessity. The town has another newspaper, the Sun, which is also we'll supported. The old fort which was established in the early '50s and was the begin ming of the town, still stands, but has been abandoned for twelve years, and is now used by the gov ernment as an Indian school. It is on the California side of the Colorado river and commands a fine view of the surrounding coun- try. The. Colorado is magnificent river at this point and there is no more beautiful sight in the west than to stand on the great railroad bridge which the Southern Pacific company has built here and watch the setting sun as it paints the water, sky and mountains all the colors of the rainbow.
 The Colorado is ,navigable for light ,draught steamers fully 400 miles above it's mouth and in the early days the bulk of the freight of the Territory was brought to Yuma by water and from there distributed all over the southwest :. The advent of the railroad put stop to this, but there is still enough steamboating up and down the river to make very respectable showing. Yuma is the end of g ! division of the s. P. company } which maintains considerable payroll, practically all of which if l spent in the town.
 All the large business houses art , substantially built of brick and th' little city impresses a stranger al being one of solidity and thrift