The Arizona sentinel., 1898-11-19
THE VILLAGE OF YUMA.


 Although the town of Yuma is the second ,ldest community in the Territory of Ari- ,ona, it is astonishing how little its re .ources are known to the world at large, and now slightly developed is the natural wealth f the county. This is owing partly to Tuma's reputation for unbearable heat, and ',artly to- the fact that, lying next to Cali gornia, is has been assumed that the county has been thoroughly pro~pected for mineral wealth, and prospectors have, in the main, kept the travelled highways in crossing its Territory. As a matter of fact one suffer- less from the heat here than in almost all of the settled communities of the east. owing to the dryness of the atmosphere, and there is no healthier limaJe on Gods footstool.-
 People labor cut of door 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 case of sunetroke. Our climate, taken in time, never fails TO cure pulmonary complai.- 'T oi any description. Disease such as small TX, cholera, etc rarely visit us, and then o-ly in very mild fsrm, and are never fats-i ex- cept through the pervcrsity of patients. Contrary to the belief of the uninformed, the dry heat of the summer months i, es- pecialIy conducive to good health and ex- reptional vigor. acting naturally upon the human system with the same effect a. the artificial result If Turkish bath-purefy- ing and renovating it. As o further matter of fact, this county has never been even superfcially suspected, and it is only now that people are beginning to search its hills with any degree of systematic enthusiasm for the mineral wealth hidden there Ow- ing to the falling of in the price of silver, deposits of gold only are being sought for; and the present result is little short of mar veleus In all sections Of the county from the Sonora line to Williams Fork discoveries are daily being made, and the greater the develoDment the greater the wealth dis played Wherever the prospector plants his foot, lodges Of gold confront him or are brought to light by the investigating strokes of his pick.
 Portions of the country traverssd for years by commonly travelled trails are deyel- oping into rich storehouses of golden wealth. New and rich placers are constantly eing discovered, and shipments of placer gold from this point through Wells Fargo & Go s Express, are steadily increasing in va'"e From e mining standpoint Yuma County IS rapidly leading the Territory, and yet as far as that industry Is concerned, this section has recei, ed but little recos- nition.
 Asricultnrally the country is vastly inn proving. Enterprises that have lain dor- mant the lat two years, owing to tAe gen esal financial depression and consequent dearth of money for investment purposes, are waking up 10 new life and vigor. Money 1 is being attracted in this direction, and on all sides can be distinguished that indcfin- able stir which is the precursor of an indus trial awakening Even within these last ] two years of financial stvingency and de- pression there has been a steady if slow ill., l crease in agricultural development and wealth. 4 greater area of old farms ha, been put under cultivation, and new lands have been inclosed and new fields started. A large section of Blaisdell Heights has been planted to fruit trees; field of cereals and alfalfa have been added tc the cultivated area on the Colorado river below town; the lands lying under the MohaN k and Farmers canals have been made to yield heavy crops of every variety of agricultural products, as in other sections of the Gia valley, and the gardens of Yuma have been added to and beautiied in fruits, flowers and shubbery tc a more than appreciable extent. Altogether we may feel proud of our progress during these last months of business depression and discou' agement. It speaks well fo, the in- dustry and pluck of our people, and the showing made constitutes the best evidence of the merits of our soil and climate and the richness of our mineral resources. Nature has done everything for our county, and al that is needed is touch of the wand of cap- ital to have oar hills and valleys spring into an active life of rcmuneratiye industry that will last and endure forever.
 Some three years ago, through the energy of II. W. BIaisdell, the Yuma Water and Lig'At Company was incorporated, and by means If its large pumping plant, at the foot of ! n street, the town is abundantly supplied Hlth water at reasonable rates, ant there have grown into existence new ant large gardens and orchards,