The Arizona sentinel., 1904-07-27
FROri ARIZONA.
Prof. Woodson'S Interesting Letter
 Descriptive of Yuma.

paper, the Reformer, at Jacksonville, Texas.
 Yuma. Ariz., June 12, 1904.
 Dear Reformer: left Texas on May 18th, coming via Texas & Pacific to Fl Paso, then over the Southern Pacific, arriving here on May 22nd. On May 26 I was elected superintend ent of Yuma public school, salary $l25 per month The trustees and physi- clans here assured us that Yuma is the greatest health resort in the west for people afflicted with lung troubles, many people coming here every year from California, the north and east: hence we decided to stop here.
 Mrs. Woodson and the children stood the long trip of 1850 miles quite well. We have rented two furnished rooms and are doing light housekeeping.
 Yuma is growing town of 2, 600 to 2.50O people, situated at the junction of the Gila and Colorado rivers. The Col orado is bold and beautiful stream p feet deep and 40 yards, wide, spanned by the Southern Pacific Company's magnificent steel bridge. Steamers ply up and down the Colorado for 300 miles, engaged in carrying supplies for ranches, mining camps and small river towns.
 Yuma has three wholesale and retail grocery houses, and several that only retail: two drug stores, five physicians, nine lawyers, three newspapers, two banks, two hotels, six restaurants, Methodist, Christian and Catholic churches, fifteen saloons, ice factory and bottling works, water works and elec- tric light plant.
 The territorial penitentiary with BOG prisoners, the Yuma Indian reserva tiOn and government Indian school and the weather bureau and custom house are located here, and these three enter prises alone contain about 1000 souls.
 "Uncle Sam" has engaged to spend $3, 900, GOO here building dams and irri- gating these rich river bottoms, and the business men believe that Yuma is going to be city of 50, 600 people. The city fathers and county officials are planning to build 8 $20, 600 school build ing and $75, ,000 court house. If you should hear anything rumbling back over the arid plains of West Texas along the Nile of America, you may know it's the boom at Yuma, the com ing city of the Great American Des- ert.''
 The public school system of ArizonG is up 10 date, in many respects ahead of that of Texas. The school age is from to 2l; they have compulsory at tendance, and the territory furnishes paper, pencils, tablets, ink, pens, and all necessary apparatus, and all the public schools are required to float the Stars and Stripes. There are 20 public schools in Yuma county and the trust ees pay from $50 to $l00 per month for six and eight months. Each county has county superintendent who holds four examinations each year, in June, September, December and March. All examination papers are sent to PhOe- nix and are graded by the territorial board, that issues only first and second grade territorial certificates. The towns and cities here pay grade teach CTS from S7O to $l00 per month, and principals and superintendents from 9100 to $200 per month.
 Yuma has the reputation of being the hottest place in, the union, but drummers assure me that they bear los to 112 degrees here better than 90 to 100 degrees in Texas. Yuma is only 50 miles from the Gulf Of California, hence we have fine sea breezes at night. Many of the people here sleep out of doors the year round. It rains here once or twice @ year: nearly three inches fell here in February, 1901.
 The people irrigate in d small way in these bottoms and raise apricOts, Oran- ges, lemons, dates, figs, olives, almonds, corn, pumpkins, melons, all kinds of vegetables, and six crops of alfalfa, the finest in the world.
 Our city schools enroll about 325 pu- pills and have six teachers. About 60 per cent of the pupils are of Mexican percentage, bat we have no negro pu- pills in the city schools. The Indians attend their own reservation school furnished by Uncle Sam.
 Living is somewhat higher here than in Texas: for instance, fare on railroads from Fl Paso to Los Angeles is five cents per mile; freight rates are still higher.
 If Mrs. Woodson can be cured of her throat trouble we shall be amply paid for coming here. In fact the west is the country for people who have energy and ambition to succeed in the world. | Come and see as and you will find hearty welcome from the most gener- ous, hospitable and industrious people | on the earth. They are here from ev- cry state in the union and from all for ei%n countries, and they are all here for health and business. Coming from [ so many lands and countries, our cos mopolitan society offers a fine field for [ the ready pen of the novelist or the so- Der cnntem nlatinn of tha nhiInsn,oh.r