The Arizona sentinel., 1902-12-24
MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Christmas day has come. The exchange of gifts, kindly greet ings, and the merry-making, in- dicative of good will, respect and esteem, will gladden. many, and perhaps, in some instances, in fuse into the hearts of some, to whom the dying year has brought misfortune and attending sorrow, renewed hope and increased cheerfulness for what the future may bring forth. Aside from thoughts naturally suggested by this Christmas season, viewing it as you please, whether from a religious, sentimental or personal standpoint, we have much to be thankful for. The contrast be- tween our sunny skies and the eastern winds, southern frosts, far western rains and fOgs, and northern blizzards is very great. We will eat our Christmas din ners with open doors and win dows, looking out upon gardens filled with the choicest roses, pinks. chrysanthemums and oth- CT flowers; orange trees laden to the ground with luscious fruit, and date palms with their feath- cry leaves waving in the gentle breeze; so that were it not for the almanac pointing out that the joyous Christmas-tide is here no one would be tempted to be- lieve that we had not entered upon early autumn instead of mid d-winter. Our tables will be supplied with tender vegetables grown in the open air, such food as can hardly be produced else where except under glass. Green peas, lettuce, caulifCwer, spin ach, and even watermelons, may if desired be procured from the gardens still glistening with the morning dew; while lemons, ol- ives, lines, oranges and other fruits will add zest to the Christ mas meal.
 This year has proved most i'm portant to our advancement to- ward that permanent prosperity for which we have patiently waited so long. Thousands of acres of the finest land under the sun has been put under cultiva- tiOn; carloads of settlers have located in our valley, thus add ing to our county's population, not to speak of several hundred additional souls soon expected to become permanent residents among us.
 As year after year slips by Yuma county becomes more and more widely known as santa rum of the first importance. Many unfortunate sufferers from pulmonary and bronchial trou- bles, as evinced by the consider able number now in Yuma, seek our perfect climate and return from whence they came, cured, Our mesa and bottom lands; our abundant water supply; our wealth of gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, and other metals; our situation on one of the great transcontinental railway systems of America: the fact that we are bordered by the largest naviga- ble stream west of the Rocky Mountains and traversed from east to west by the most impOr tant railroad in the territory, both offering unlimited opportu- mites for the establishment of manufacturing industries equaled in but few places; our genial winter climate, which offers health to thousands, and which is pronounced by one we'll quail fled to judge (the chief officer eff the U. $. signal service depart ment) as being not only the most perfect in the territory, but also in the United States or in Europe; our ranges covered by fattening cattle; our rapidly increasing taxable wealth and swelling pop ulation-these and many other gifts showered upon Yuma coun-