The Arizona sentinel., 1899-02-11
THE VILLAGE OF YUMA.

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 it's re- sources are known to the world at large, and how slightly developed is the natural wealth of the county. This is owing partly to Yuma's reputation for unbearaole 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 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 DO healthier limaUe on Gods footstool.
 People labor out of door from the rising to the setting of the SUI, and suffer no in convenience There has never been known, in this section of country, an authc-tic case of sunstroke Our climate, taken ir time, never fails to cure pulmonary complal-- . of any description. Disease such as small K, cholera, etc rarely visit us, and then o'-iy in very mild form, and are never fati-, ex cept through the perversity of patients, Contrary to the belief of the uninformed, the dry heat of the summer months i es- pecially conducive to good health and ex- ceptional vigor, acting naturally upon the human system with the same effect a. the artificial result of a 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 of 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 prospectoT 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 dcvel 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 x Go s Express, are steadily increasing in va'"e 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.
 Agriculturally the country is vastly i'm proving. Enterprises that have lain dol- 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 oa all sides can be distinguished that indctia- able stir which is the precursor Of an indus trial awakening. Even within these last two years of financial Strirgcncy and de pression there has been steady # slow in- crease in agricultural development and wealth. A greater area of oid farms has been put under cultivation, ald new la,ds have been inclosed and new fields started. A large section of Biaisdell Heights has been planted to fruit trees; field of cereals and alfalfa have been added to the cultivated area On the Colorado river below town; tLe lands lying under the Mohawk and Farmers canals have been made to yield heavy crops of every variety of agricultural products, as in other sections of the Gila valley, and the gardens of Yuma have been added to and beautitied in fruits, flowers and shubbery 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 fol 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 all that is needed is touch of the wand of cap ital to have our hills and valleys spring into an active life of remunerative industry that will last and endure forever.
 Some three years ago, through the energy of H. w. Blaisdel, the Yuma Water aud Light Company was incorporated, and by meane of its large pumping plant, at the foot of \ iu street, the town is abundantly supplied wl:h water at reasonable rates, and there have grown iRto existence new and large gardens and orchards,