davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07
LANDS AND SOILS.

The lands Of Yuma County comprise the river bottoms and valleys and the uplands mesas The bottom ands are moister and slightly mere fertile
 if, indeed, it is possible to make comparisons where all are so wonderfully productive and prolific The uplaDds or mesas are warmer and perhaps,
 lightly for bettert the cultivation fthe citrus fruits vuma contains vsretv of soil The valley land of tbeI Gila and Colorado rivers have for the most part a deep sedimentary soil of brownish, gray san1y loam, resting, in most places, upon gray clay subsoil at a depth of from ten to twenty feet below the surface, The clay subsoil forms hard pan which is impervious to water. These soils hay" been slowly formed by the decomposition of shales sandstones lDarls. limestones, ttc., mixed with gaaic and vegetable matter, washed down by the mighty rivers and have been gradually deposited turing the course of centuries. The fertilizing brownish mud held in the wat t1of the Colorado and Gila rivers resembles that from the Nile, and its quantity varies from O.1 to 0.5 per cent, though the water hen even considerably discolor- ed by mud is good drink, resembling in this res nect the Missouri river water. A chemical analysis of the sediments of the Colorado and of the Nile exhibits a wonderful similarity in the constituent narts of each That vf the Colorado exhibiting a triae less potassa, most phoSphoric acid and car bonade of limestomr beds through which the Colo rado passes In other respects the sediment of the Colorado is almost identical with that of the Eile
 It will be noticed therefore, that when this water IS used for irrigation is superior to artesian waters since it is constantly supplying the land with the ricbestfertilizng elements. The soil of the valley
 is extremely rich in dedomposed vegetable matter and uneombined carbon, readily absorbing the aerial gases such especially, oxygen, which en- tering the soil decomposes the organic matters so shat they can be taken up and nourish the plants which may ne considered Q leading featurs i'll 1t fertility It also readily takes up and retains moisture, while the firmness of it's particles affords every facility for percolation and the activity of capillary action. In ts mechanical composition its partiele are in @ state of very fine division which renders it more productive than coarser soils l acquries heat readily in the daytime, and the loss of the heat at night Is very gradual so that 1t re- mains always warm and is not subject to sudden changes of heat and cold Besides it's essential con stituents of water, organic or vegetable matter, sand and clay, chemical anal ysis shows that lime, soda. magnesia iron, ammoI and available forms of nitrogen. phosphoric acid and potash enter into composition in the proportions best adapted to add to it's fertility, though, of course as is always the case in soil analysis, it's composition varies m diirorent colities and is n5t always constant.
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07
WHY IMMIGRANTS SHOULD COME TO YUMA

 WHY IMMIGRANTS SHOULD COME TO YUMA
 COUNTY.
 Because the climate is perfect,
 Because the soil is fertile and prolific. Because land is abundant and cheap. Because a home can be made with little labor.
 Because so great variety of products can be grown.
 { Because the yield is large and the prices always remunerative.
 Because life is a luxury in a land where the sun shines every day.
 Because there are chances for poor man which he can never hope to find in older countries.
 Because the country is advancing and property values are increasing.
 Because, unlike Southern California it does not require small fortune to secure piece of land.
 Because capital does not block all the av cnues to wealth, nor crowd the poor man to the wall.
 Because Uncle Sam has yet many farms in Yuma county waiting for occupants. Because churches, schools, newspapers and railroads are fast developing the neral and material clements of the Territory. Because good land is becoming scarce, and if you don't catch on now, your last chance will soon be gone.
 Because the country is one of the few regions of the Uuited States that yields the products of the temperate and semi-tropic zones.
 Because the worker receives a fair con- pensation for his labor, and the 'rustler' has field for the display of his energy and en- terprise.
 Because there are neither blizzards or tornadoes, earthquakes nor inundations, snow-sto ms nor cyclones.
 Becaus, the vast and varied resources of the country are yet to be developed.
 Because the wealth of it's mines, its farm ing valleys, and grazing lands, will yet bull up a great and prosperous county.
 Because man can make livelihood ter with less labor than in aay other part of the United States.
 Because there is health in every breeze, and strength and vigor under it's cloudleNs skies.
 Because the settler need not spend life time in felling trees and grubbiEg our stumPs.
 Because vegetation is so rapid that in two years the home is surrounded by a growth of trees and shrubs which would require five years to develop in colder cline. Because fortunes here await the venture some, and health welcomes the afflicted. Because the country has brilliant future and you want to be in the "swim. '" Because in it's pure, dry invigorating air, epidemic diseases cannot live or germinate. Because it's people are generous, liberal, hospitablc and progressive,
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07
THECLIMATE OF YUMA.

51,e climate of Yuma for nine months ol the year has no equal, as we belieHe' ID '"e w.r;d and during th remaining three 1,ntbs of the year, comprising June' July' ard Auoust. the heat is not oppressive Even though the thermometer in mio-suih- mer may al times rise above lOo'' and oo- .asionaIly e, en reach llo0. yet owing to ,h. sLeance cf moisture in the air, its not ,,onrossive., The atmosphere is pure, light ana balmy. When the mercury marks the biolest extre.4e of heat, person does not ssl that oppression or debility which Is .,4sz "a, tl,o Eastern States when the m1H-
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07

nh;+o man first set foot on what IS
 vrr,a County in l77l. It IS the southwest division of the Territory ana
 of tho four original counties Of She Ter r;+orv Many great reclamation projects are however on foot, and ia few years eN- noot to See \ ma County rated as the ., hest in the Territory.
 Tho first glimpse the traveller from Gan .o,ia catches of Arizona Is that or Vne ,,;o+,rosoue town of Yuma, which Is ShusN t.,o+od in the embrace of gentle roiilhg .,,N or whose crests and sides the ,nodsrn homes of our superior clvlllSa1io" oro crowding the adobe dwellings i"'O ..o,,,a, oblivion. Yuma IS the gateway V ,N:-ano the new empire of the West upon ,'hose undeveloped riches the eyes oi the o,nrtry are at present turned ana as Su'"' :. :s bo,nd to grow and prosper with q
 .;a;+v that at present can hardly be re ,1ivod But coupled with her geograpr
 cal position find that she IS the een.e' .': ofa conpt,y whose agricultural posSio'll- ri rics are practically unlimited, being sur ,,ounaed by soil the feru'''y ol H'on
 .ls ,l,o+ of the delta Of the Nlle' ana wanting only water to become paradise ol ,,oon Billions of gallons of that precious Arid have annually gone to waste al v,ma's very doors, but already reaco'on is taking place and many enterprises are . on foot to supply the life-giving waters oi +lorsllow Colorado to the thirsty earth
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07
WHICH TOWN IS TIC BEST?

Primarily that is question for the phv sician, if there is a physician in the case if not, try them all. If a mountain region, considerable altitude and comparatively low temperature is desired, Prescott is in picturesque region, near a great mining districts. and has the social advantage of an army post, whipple Barracks. 9g- staff IS still higher, is in a region of lse pine forests, and is within 9 hard y's journey of one of the wonders of the Id. the Colorado Canyor Oracle is a .ttv mountain nook, powered in splCndid live oaks, like ,se of California, and is also near an Aportant mining district. If lower altitude and a distinctly semi tropical climate are desired, the three places most likely to be considered are Yuma. Tucson and Phoenix The first is near the sea level; is the warmest and probably the driest of the three, has the least population, and the smallest provision for visitors. Tucson is the oldest town in the Territory, and, after Santa Fe, perhaps the oldest ill the Southwest. Its adobe houses give it a Mexican look, and are thoroughly comfort able. Its newer houses are of a handsome | building stone, found in the vicinity. The | Ter itOrial University Is ere, and it was ! formerly the capital Its elevation being more than double that of Phoenix, it is somew hat cooler, and as there is next to no irrigation near it, the air is a little drier Phoenix is the centre of the greatest irriga- tion in the Territory. The country for miles around smiles with green fields, cover ed with almost countless herds of cattle, and it is everywhere shut in by low mount aims. It is the Territorial capital, has the Government Indian School. the Territorial Lunatic Asylum, and other institutions, Like Tucson, it has its occasional wind and sand storms-perhaps not quite so often. At either place visitors who know how t. adapt themselves to circumstances can be entirely comfortable, and in each they vii find an intelligent, orderly, enterprising and  most hospitable community. They will find a country full of mines, full of rich agricultural lands, abounding in cattle and hor, es, in vineyards and orchards and the beginnings of very successful orange grove, "a country, in fact, as full of promise for hardy and adventurous men now as Califor- mia was in the fifties. Above all, it ha been their lot to search for health ill tar countries, they will revel in the luxury of being in their own land, among their owi. countrymen, within easy reach of theil friends by telegraph or rail, and in climate as good of its kind as any in the world.
 ACTUAL HUMIDITY.
 This is extren ely slight, everywhere ln Arizona, as com pared with any eastern climate in the United States. The air IS driest on the high mesas, remote from snow clad mountains or forests, and Tn the desert valleys, where no considerable irri gation has been begun.
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07
MINES.

There is no section of the United States or probably of the earth, more rich in min eral wealth than the County of Yuma. A the country north, east and south of Yum lies Directly within the main gold belt tha commences in Alaska and ends in Mexico From the San Bornardino mountains Il California t7 the Sonora boundary line tn, mountains and hills are exceptionally rich il the precious metal, as though demonstrating the theory often advanced that the riches gold e,ines are found. bordering, the beds of
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07
RIVERS OF YUMA COUNTY.

Tn resard to climate, healthfulness, fer t;,itv and productiveness Of soll' fa'lii'ies e. o,ltiuation. irrigation and abundance of ,,.o.er snpplv. variety Of resources ana cbeap transportation by rail and by water
 rort of Arizon can surpasS Yuma .onntv. which is destined to become one oi .:ohost and most prosperous counties ID Arizona. q,
 Tt1i.s between S2' 0O' and 34' 20' north ,ot;+nda and llS0 2O' and ll40 40' west 1onci+,do It contains 6,4S6, 32O acres. It ;s abopt as large as the States ot khode Island Connecticut and Delaware com t;,ad or as large as either New Hampshire Vermont or Massachusetts.
 The western boundary of Yuma County ;s srocn,ed by the Colorado river, when uo,.orares Arizona from California. Inc ol,n,,, l. bounded on the north by Williams Eo,l, and the Santa Maria rver' whose ,,.o+ors A,,w into the Colorado; on the 'aSl hn the counties of Pima, Manoopa ana y.oi md on the south by Sonora' uovico Its county seat is the town oi Yuma. .;r For
 The Colorado river drains the entire ter .. of Arizona. and every drop ot water ,..b;cb falls on its mountains ana plaInS 6ndsits way to this mighty river It Is ,,,, the union of the Green ana C,,,a rivers. fed by the streams when >:.a; ;n tbe Rocky Mountains. and the "ett' s,,ows cause a greater depth of) wa'eil -3tie r,vr m summer than Tn winter t1YF ? urnishing the most water at Vn0 s'''0i ,vben it is most required fer the F0l 'Qsss of of;rrigation and agriculture.
 r. will be seen that for the entire distance ..es+ern boundary, Yuma County moss, sess the great advantage o' 'N'' r water transoortatlon'
 Tbe Cila river rises ill the western part eIr. NIoxico and is fed by numerous "o,as . among the most prominent oi t;aL ore the San Pedro, Agua Frla' Has .,,.oro,,a and Salt rivers. It flows west thron oh Yuma County and emptieS into '''e ro,o,.odo at the to vn of uma'
 vu,oo ccprtvs teaversed by these great x;rors from its northern to its sor'he'n' sna from its eastern to its western ocuh"' ,r;4s. possesses a far greater wate- SupPS -Lo, any other county in the lerritory' and far more than can be found ln all Oaii' fernia. ,f., i+s
 Tb;s water is now being diverted from Its natural channels by means ot numerous farce i,7ipating canals, and utilized TOT Vne .,r,oso of retaining and irrig"ting the i,,Iooso tracts of lands which lie Tn this favored country and which are as Iei'i'' ss any in the world. .,o
 The Southern Pacific Railroad crosses the Colorado river at the town of Yuma ana rnns through the county, following the aonerol course. and at an average distance foto,+ four miles south, of the Glla rlve1' rendering all the ands susceptible ol HIT ao+;on and cultivation. can ind an easy sn+lat in this way and can be transpoi tea +o sll the markets and centers Ot Popuia'lon in the East OF West. .,
 Another competing railroad is projected s.o,, Son Diego. California, to tie town afYrma ard thence along the north side ,f+l,o Gila river. TEus Yuma County Will oave exceptional railroad advantages.
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07
RAIN.

Showers, and indeed heavy rams are liable to occur in every month of the year; but the actual number of rains seems to an eastern visitor strangely small. The average rainfall in Southe5p Arizona, as shown by the Government obseI vations, Is but 61% inches per year.
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07

extinct oceans. The great Colorado desert was once an inland sea, cut eff centuries and perhaps ages ago from the main ocean, leav- ng it's waters to cvaporate in this intense neat. Throu.n .nout all the country border ng the desert, including this section, llch hines are being constantly discovered, and some of recent location are already produc- ng immense profits. Tn the neighborhood pf Yuma, claims exceedingly rich on the surface are daily being located, and all signs oortend a great mining boom for this county which will culninate as early as the coming ;all in an iEroad of much capital. Experts Ire arriving every week and mines are being bonded at more than heavy prices. It eeems wonderful to believe that all this nm eral wealth has been lying at our very doors for so many years without taker, but tine tendency of prospectors is to go loLG dis 5ance off into strange lands rather than to seek for mines in county as old as Yuma County end so accessible. The greater the distance, the hardship, and the danger, the greater the fascination for the prospector Distance seems, indeed, to lend enchant- ment to the view.
 So it is that this county is almost a virgin field for the mine hunter, and now with the few hundreds searching Ill it's mountains its mineral secrets are still in effect secrets, fol thousands upon thousands might be wander ing through the rock-ribbed fastnesses ot cur mountain ranges and their presence be almost unk nown, so vast is the extent o1 country
 Recent rich discoveries of gold deposits particularly in ledges, have given great impetus to mining throughout the county.
 New locations are being constantly made and all show well upon the surface The l.; Fortuna mine, recently put in opel ativn has 2)-stanip mill running night and day and the production of gold averages $75, ,0G; per month. This mine is situated about B miles southwest of the village of Yuma,
 Rich gold discoveries have also been mad, in Castle Dome, Harqua Hala. Centennial i Palomas, Pot Holes, and other miring Gis tricts, and, although the mining cr icok il the county was never better, still Lost O the silver and lead mines are idle, owin. to the low value of these metals.
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07

cury is ranging from 800 to 9O'. The air is so dry that precipitation is absorbed as soon as it reaches the surface of the body, and at ne time in the summer does the heat produce any discomfort.
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07
VALLEYS OF THE COLORADO AND
 CHA.
CHA.

In the valleys of the Col, rado and the Gila rivers there is roem fol thousands. It is not too much to say that nowhere within the limits of this broad Union can be found a more desirable region for the making of a home No laborious clearing of the land is rec aired; it lies almost ready for the blow. Trees and shrubbI " have so rapid growth that within eighteen months the immig ant can surround his abode with attract;C1 C1s which would require years to mature in less favored climates. Fruits ripen and are ready for market a full month before the California products. The bright sunshine makes life a luXary, and the pure dry atmos- phere brings health to all wbo inhale it. For the establishment of colcnjes, such as are made in southern California, Arizona pre- sents unrivaled opportunities. Thousands of acres now proftlcss can be made produc- tive by the construction of irrigating dtches. and there is TO investment which assures larger or more permanent returns.
 The statement in this article on Yuma county are not exaggerated: in fact they fall short of doing justice in thls wonderful bit of country. Pineapples, dates, almonds and waluuts will do well. Strawberries, rasp- berries, blaczberries, currants, gocseberries, and all varieties of small fruits can be suc- cessfully cultivated. Indeed, Yuma County is not cnly the natural home of the citrus and semitropical fruits, as almost every fruit, nut, plant, grain, grass, or vegetable which ca;. be produced in either tropic of temperate zones will thrive in the rich and fertile soils.
 With the bright prospects ahead of the town of Yuma and Yuma County there can be no better investment for capital seeKing large and renumerative returns than is af- forded here. With a matchless climate, where ali forms of disease known to the damp and rigorous regions of the east and north are unknown, where the bright sun shine kisses into bloom and fragrance every form of vegetation, and where the clear days and cool and balmy nights are one long-con- tinued poem of happiness and delight, we can offer to capitalists an ideal field for in vestment ard t0 home seekers veritable paradise in which to settle
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07
ATTITUDES.

It IS striking advantage offered by ditions as to temperature and dryness of air, the physician is able to select nearly any altitude he may desire. Thus, asth- matic sufferers can find almost the sea level at Yuma, or an altitude of only a thousand feet at Phoenix, or of only 2,400 at Tucson. Others, who find no objection to greater elevations, can choose between Prescott or Fort Whipple. 5,4O0; Flag staff. 6,S00,; the Sulphur Spring Valley, or Fort Grant, i 200; Fort Huachuca. 4,S00, or Oracle, about 1, 900.
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07
ARIZONA.
It's Attractions and Advantages as q
 Place of Residence in Winter.

Whitelaw Reid. owner al ! editor of the New York Tribune, who has spent the last two winters in Alizona for the benefit of his health, writes cntertainingly and in structively concerning that part of the country. Mr. Reid says;
 So many questions are asked about Ar- lona as place for winter residence, and there appears to be such deartb of pre- cise information among many who are ritally interested, that it seems almost q public duty, to set down, in the simplest form, few facts of personal observation.
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07
RES0yJR CSEE OF
 YTYFyY A GSOIJ L1 \ Y The Soil, Climate, Rivers, and Nsany and Varied Offerings of
LAIR ARlZONA's BANNER COUNT

Brief Statement Setting Forth the Many Advantages and Inducemeuts offered by Place of Residence
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07
WHY CAPITAL SHOULD SEEK YUMA COUNTY

WHY CAPITAL SHOULD SEEK YUMA COUNTY
 Because it's mines are the richest.
 Because it's grazing lands are the best.
 Because it's farming lands are valuable and productive.
 Because it gives assurance of the largest returns on money invested.
 Because it's grand resources are yet to be developed
 Because it is young, growing county with an assured future.
 Because the opportunities for engaging in manufacturing enterprises are better than in any other region of the West.
 Because good mining properties can be had at reasonable figures.
 Because there IS a demand for additiona facilities for ore reduction.
 Because there are vast stretches of ricL soil to be reclaimed by the construction of irrigating canals.
 Because there are large tracts of grass lands that can be utilized by the sinking ct artesian wells.
 Because there are many openings Tn new country which cannot exist in older com. munities.
 Because the opportunities for engaging il the successful cultivation of semi-tropi fruits are better than in any other part the United States.
 Because property values are rapidly ad vancing.
 Because Arizona's boom is yet to come
 CAN oNT. LIVE COAfoRTABLY? That again depends on what you expect You cannot lave the luxuries of our New York houses out there, unless you builC one; or the variety of our New Yorl markets, unless you charater refrigeratO car. But there are hotels with almost a much frontage as the Waldorf; and, lik' everything else in the Territory excepting the mountains and deserts, they are new There are boarding houses of more kind than one; and brck cottages of eight O Q ten rooms can occasinally by rented. Bet |. ter than any of them, for the man with energy and the pluck to take it, is to on the desert; and he who knows how ''camp out" with comfort through Septem e Der Ill the Adirondacks can camp out il l Arizona through the winter. As to food, there is plenty, and it i
 good-if you can get it well cooked. Tn alfalfa fields of the Salt River Valley ar e the fattening ground for the great cattl ! ranges of the Territory. From there tn :, markets of Los Angeles and even of Denve Q are largely supplied, Good beef, mutton t and poultry are plenty and cheap Quail !, ducks and venison from the vicinity cal also be had. Vegetables and fruits ar abundant in their season, and sometime
 the season is a long one. It is the on :. country l have lived in where straw berrie e ripen in the open air ten months in tn
 year. have had them on my table, fres T. picked from the open garden at ChristDlai
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07
WEATHER,

During a five months residence in Southern Arizona in winter there was but one day hen the weather made it actually unpleasant for me to take exercise ill the open air at some time or other during the day. Of course there were good many lays which weather observer would de ,cribe as "cloudy, and some that were ''sho3ery; but during these five months ifrom No' ember, 1895, to May, l696.l
 here were only four days when we did not have brilliant sunshine at some time dur ing the day. Even more than Egypt, any where north of Luxor. Arizona Is the iaud Jf sunshine. As to details:
The Arizona sentinel., 1900-02-07
TEMPERATURE.

I have seen the thermometer mark 92
 degrees in the shade on my north piazz2 in darch. On the other hand, we had trosta which killed young orange trees, and there ,ere several nights when thin ice formed. The government reports show a mean emperature for fourteen years at the pres mt territorial capital of 573 degrees in November, 53 degrees in December, 49 de grees in January, 54 degrees in February, u degrees Tn March and 66 degrees