The Arizona sentinel., 1898-03-05
THE VILLAGE OF YUMA.

1
 THE VILLAGE OF YUMA.
 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, and how slightly developed is the natural wealth I of the county. This is owing partly to 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 1 the settled communities of the east. owing to the dryness of the atmosphere, and there is no healthier tlim@ve 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 iii time, never fails to cure pulmonary complaints of any description. Disease such as smallpox, cholera, etc, rarely visit us, and then only 1 in Q 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 l. es-
 pccialIy conducive to good health and ex-
 ceptionai 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
 superEciaLy suspected, and it is only now
 that people are beginning to search it's hills
 with any degree of systematic enthusiasm
 for the mineral wealth hidden there, Ow-
 ing to the falling of ill 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 bis pick.
 s2.g.tt:o.-5 of the country traversed for
 wears by commonly travelled trails are deyel- opiag 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., $ 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-
 nItion.
 Agricultarally the country is vastly im- 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 ill this direction, and on all sides can be distinguished that indcfn-
 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 steady if slow in
 crease in agricultural development and wealth. A greater area of old farms has been pat under cultivation, and new land.
 have been inclosed and new fields started t A large section of Blaisdon Heights has been . planted to fruit trees; fields of cereals and , alfalfa have been added to the cultivated y area on the Colorado river below town; the ?. lands lying under tLe Mohau k and Farmer. l. canals have been made to yield heavy crops
 of every variety of agricultural products, al 8 in other sections of the Gila valley, and the s gardens of Yuma have been added to anC e beautifed in fruits, flowers and shUbbery t e 8 more than appreciable extent. Altogethe Is we nay feel proud of our progress durin: c these last months of buslness depression an(
 discouragem It speaks well for the iA e dustry and pluck of our Iaople, and tn c showing made constitutes the best evjdenc e Of the merits of our soil and climate and tn 9 richness of our mineral resources. Natur ?, has done every thing for OFT county, and al l. Shat is needed i5 a touch of the wand of cap , itaI to have our hills and valleys spring int a an active life Of renunerative industry tha n will last and endure forever.
 Some three years ago, through the energ d Of T. ". Blaisdell, the Yuma Water an n Light Company was incorporated, and b le means of its large pumping plant, at tn Il foot of Main street, the town is abundant
 supplied with water at reasonable rates, an
 there have grown into existence new an
 large gardens and orchards.
 '- MINES.
 ee There is no section of the United State ly or probably of the earth, more rich in mil e. eral wealth than the County of Yuma. z D. the country north, east and south of Yum e. lies .rectly within the main gold belt tn; to commences in Alaska and ends in Mexic ot From the San Rornardino mountains at California to the Sonora boundary line U he mountains and hills are exceptionally rich ct the precious metal, as though demonstratir is tie theory often advanced that the riche