The Arizona sentinel., 1900-01-24
Those Lands Near Yuma.

The brief history of tho land now
 being taken up by homesteaders is
 substantially as follows: During the war between Mexico and the United
 States the State of Sonora seeded
 from the generl government of Mexico,
 and during her period of independence
 made a grant, known as the Los Aga
 den grant of 45,000 acres of land along
 the Colorado river, just below the
 present site of Yuma. This land came
 into the United States with the Gads-
 den purchase.
 Several years ago the claimants Of
 the grant unwittingly gDt into a con-
 troversy with the general government,
 the end of which was a decision- finally passed upon by the supreme court last aummer-that Sonora, be- ing only a State, did not have the right to give away public land, and
 therefore the Los Algadon grant be- longed to the general government and was open to settlement under the homestead laws, or will be open as soon as the United States land com- missioner completes the marking and classifying of certain articles of red tape.
 Shifting from afar the result of the legal battle, more than a year ago, Capt. A. D. Yocum, Professor Yocum, A. E. Baldwin, the Lybarger brothers and others from Pasadena, took time by the seldom used iorelock and estab- lished themselves upon the best quar- ter sections they could find, and formed 8 neuclus for the neighbour hood of Somerton. Steps were iMme- diately taken to form water con- pany, which culminated in the Colo rado Valley Farmers Co operative Water Co, capitalized at $l00,000. The shares selling at present for $25 each. The right Of way has nearly all been cleared ready for the blow and and already several miles are completed. The canal starts near Yuma, following for the first six miles q laguna. The preparing of the lagu- na for use is being done by MT. S'hedley, Ynma capitalist from Pennsylvania, with steam dredger. It is confidently expected that fifteen miles of the main canal will be com pleted by the 1st of April, 1900 l Branches from the main canal will be l made next winter, so that almost the | entire settlement will be reached.
 The principal crops raised in the valley are alfalfa, barley, wheat, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, pumpkins and melons. Most of the decdious fruits grown in California can be raised in | -he Yuma valley. It does not take | 5he vision of 8 p hett to forsee that a. 10 distant-day this valley will be a , wonderfully productive and wealth producing section of he growing Ter 'itory of Arizona. The climate is healthy. Like all the interior lands adjacent to the Pacific south of Mount Shasta, 1t is warmer in summer than winter. Sometimes 1t is hot for sey- 'ral consecutive days. From October ill June the days are most pleasant md the nights are cool, ice forming 'ften in December and January.
 But the phenominal vegetable growth in summer is the marvel of all gho have visited tue valley. I ought o repeat that homestead filings can lot at present be placed upon the and, It Is held only by " "squattt r. ight;" also, that nearly all of the laims have been "sqnatted" upon. let good land can yet be had by pa tent hunting among the tall weeds nd timber near the river. Without
 question it is a fine opening for young nen CT older, who have the grit and push to suffer short season of hard hips for the rewards that are sure to allow. J. M. Clark in Pasadena News.