The Arizona sentinel., 1899-04-01
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 of the county. This is owing partly to Yuma's reputation fer 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 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 ,lilnaJe 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 autht -tic case of sunstroke Our climate, taken ir time, never fails 10 cure pulmonary complal. = of any description. Disease such as small, K, cholera, etc rarely visit us, and then o fly in very mild form, and are never fat5,l ex- cept through the pervcrsity of patients, Contrary to the belief Of the uninformed, the dry heat of the summer months 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 Turkish bath-purefy- ing and renovating it. As Q 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 arc 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 devei- oping into rich storehouses of golden wealth. New and rich placers are constantly eeing discovered, and shipments of placer gold from this point through Wells Fargo & Co.'S Express, are steadily increasing in valpa 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 recoa- nItion.
 AgricultaraIly 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 visor Money is being attracted in this direction, and on all sides can be distinguished that indefin- 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 i'm crease in agricultural development and wealth. A greater area of old farms has been put under cultivation, and new lands have been irclosed and new fields started A large section of BIaisden 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; the lands lying under the Moha k and Farmers canals have been made to yield heavy croDs of every variety of agricultural products, as in other sections of the GiIa valley, and the gardens of Yuma have been added to and beautifed in fruits, flowers and shabbery to a more than aprreciabic extent. Altogether we may feel Proud of our progress during these last months of business depression and Encouragement. It speaks eli fol the in. dustry and pluck ot our people, and thr showing made cons tjtutes the best ev.denc of the merits of our soil and climate and tho richness of our mineral resources. Natul, has done everything for our coanty, aad ,ll that is needed is touch of the wand of cai,- ital to have our hills and valley sping into an active life of remune1ative industry tha3 will last and endure forever.
 Some three years ago, through the energy of H. w. BlaisdeIl, the Yuma Water and Light Company was incorporated, and by means "f its large pumping plant, at tn, foot of E- n street, the town is abundanth supplied wl:h water at reasonable r .tes, an, there have grown iRto existence new an, large gardens and orchards.