The Arizona sentinel., 1898-05-07
THE VILLAGE OF YUMA.

Although the town of Yuma is the secon
 oldest community in the Territory of Ari
 zona, it is astonishing how little its re
 sources are known to the world at large, ant how slightly developed is the natural wealtl l of the county. This is owing partly t. Yumas reputation for unbearable heat, anC
 partly to the fact that, lying next to Cali
 fornia, is has been assumed that the county
 has been thoroughly prospected for minera
 wealth, and prospectors have, in the main
 kept the travelled highways in crossing it Territory. As a matter of fact one suffer- less from the heat here than in almost all O
 the settled communities of the east, owing
 to the dryness of the atmosphere, and there
 is no healthier climate on Gods footstool.
 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 case Of sunstroke. Our climate, taken in time. never fails to cure pulmonary complaints ot 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 pervcrsity of patients. Contrary to the belief of the uninformed. the dry heat of the summer months is es- pecialy conducive to good health and ex- oeptional vigor, acting naturally upon the human system with the same effect as the artificial result of Turkish bath-purefy- ing and renovating it. As a further matter Of fact, this county has never been even superfeially 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 prospcctor 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 x Co.'S Express, are steadily increasing in value From a 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 conseouent dearth of money for investment purposes are waking up to new life and vicor. Money Is being attracted in this direction. and on all sides can be distinguished that indefn- able stir which is the precursor of an indns- trial awakening, Even within these last two years of financial stringency and de- pression there has been steady if slow in. crease Tn agricultural development and ! wealth. greater area Of old farms has 1 been put under cultivation, and new lands have been inclOsed and new fields started A large section of BIaisdel Heights has been p-ahted to fruit trees; fields of cereals and alfalfa have been added to the cultivated area on the Colorado river below town. tbo lands lyng under the Mohawk and Farmers canals have been made to yield heavy crops of every variety of agricultural products. as n other sections of the Gila valley. and the gardens Of Yuma have been added to and 2eautlted in fruits, flowers and shubbery to more tAan appreciable extent. Altogether ae may feel proud of our progress during .heSe last months of business depression and encouragement. It speaks well for the in iastry and pluck of our people, and the howing made constitutes the best evidence T the merits of our soil and climate and the ichness Of our mineral resources. Nature -as done everything for CUT county, and aUi hat IS needed is a tonch of the wand of cap tai to have cur hills and valleys spring into n active life of remunerative industry that I'll last and endure forever. Some three years ago, through the energy Ii. W. Blaisdell, the Yuma Water and light Company was incorporated, and by leans of its large pumping plant, at the pot Of Main street, the town is abundantly implied with water at reasonable rates, and lere have grown into existence new and