The Arizona sentinel., 1898-07-16
THE VILLAGE OF YUMA.

, THE VILLAGE OF MA.
 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, anC how slightly developed is the natural wealti
 of the county. This is owing partly tC
 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 the dryness of the atmosphere, and there
 is no healthier climate 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 sunstroke. Our climate, taken in 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 perversity of patients. Contrary to the belief of the uninformed, the dry heat of the summer months is es- pecially conducive to good health and ex- ceptiOnal vigor, acting naturally upon the
 human system with the same effect as the artificial result of Turkish bath-purefy- ing and renovating it. As 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 off in the price of silver,
 deposits of gold only are being sought for;
 and the present result is little short of mar
 vicious. In all sections of the county from
 the Sonora line to Williams Fork discoveries
 are daily being made, and the greater the
 development 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 traversed for years by commonly travelled trails are devel- oping into rich storehouses 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 mining standpoint Yuma County is rapidly leading the Territory, and yet as far as that industry is concerned, this section has received but little recog- milton.
 Agriculturally the country is vastly i'm proving. Enterprises that have lain dor mant the last two years, owing to the gen eral financial depression and consequent dearth of money for investment purposes, are waking up to new life and vigor, Money is being attracted in this direction, and on all sides can be distinguished that indefn- able stir which is the precursor of an indus trial awakening. Even within these last | two years of financial stringency and de- pression there has been a steady if slow in- crease in agricultural development and l wealth. A greater area of old farms has | 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; fields of cereals and1 alfalfa have been added to the cultivated area on the Colorado river below town; the lands lying under the Mohawk and Farmers canals have been made to yield heavy crops ot every variety of agricultural products, as Ill other sections of the Gila valley, and the gardens of Yuma have been added to and beautifed in fruits, flowers and shubberv to more than appreciable extent. Altogether we may feel proud of our progress during these last months of business depression and Encouragement. It speaks well for the in- lustry and pluck of our people, and the showing made constitutes the best evidence 't the merits of our soil and climate and the lchness of our mineral resources Nature las done everything for our county, and all nat IS needed IS touch of the wand of cap- tai to have our hills and valleys spring into m active life of remunerative industry that will last and endure forever.
 Some three years ago, through the energy ( 'f Il. w. Blaisdell, the Yuma Water and ( light Company was incorporated, and by means Ot its large pumping plant, at the ( oot of Mtiu street, the town is abundantly implied with water at reasonable rates, and { here have grown into existence new and I arge gardens and orchards,