The Arizona sentinel., 1905-02-08
running shape simultaneous with the

running shape simultaneous with the completion of the government plant.
 Yuma is now entering upon new era in her history: the old adobe town will soon be forgotten in the new town that is rising up in all the glory of a young giant in new blood and new vigor under the stimulus of }, 3,060,O0O of Uncle Sam's mighty dollars.
 The people of Yuma must awake to the fact that the old order of things will soon pass away. The letting of the contracts for the l.aguna dam will be the Beginning of an era of prosper ity, the end of which no man can fore tell, for this part of Arizona. The Laguna dam is but the fore-runner of a number of similar projects on the Col orado river extending as far north as the state of Colorado. Hundreds of | thousands Of acres will be brought under cultivation, which are naturally tributary to Yuma-and we must pre- pare to take care of the tide of immi- grafton and homeseekers, once the secretary of the interior declares the lands ready for occUpation and settle ment
 Yuma and it's people by working hand in hand with the reclamation service, by taking advantage Of every opportunity offered from the lasting and perrianent improvements contem- plated in the building of the Yuma project, ought to become not Only the rival but the peer of any city in Ari- zona and by her pr0sperityj by the fame of her unriva,ed climate and the hospitality of her people forever put a quietus upon the sneers and uElnerited iibes which have been her lot from tht very first.
 Yuma is and has been a by-word, 2 standing joke for the entire country Twenty years ago when first came tc the territory, I heard the same lurid story of the soldier at Yuma who had died and when he raached the lowe. regions found the heat there to be SC much less than Yuma Chat he Sent bach for his blankets. That story told first I understand. by some disgruutled army officer who would rather have beer sporting his uniform in the city O Washington than doing duty with hi: company at Fort Yuma, has done more harm to Yuma than all others com bined: it is known and told from coas to coast and is as fresh to-day as it was twenty years ago. Even the citizens O. our own territory have been using it a a club against the prosperity of Yuma by discouraging people from coming here and turning the tide of investmen and emigration to their owG towns an( sections.
 Now thac our natural resources have become patent to the entire world, now thau the reclamation ser#ics has re ported in favor of the Colorado valle! and Yuma as against the entire country our opportunity has arrived. Why hesi tate to grasp It? Why hesitate to pu our united shoulders 5o the wheel an, push ourselves 50 the front? The os( saying that the Lord helps these wh; help themselves is very apt here Nothing is gained by sitting back an; whining abcut nara times and n' mercy Let us fofs eur pet-y differ ences and all pull togeshet for the bes interests of Yuma.
 The present lagisl,:tuFe Ea3 granite the city the authority to casl 5fccia elections. Why not hs3e the cotinoi cali special election and submit th question of the purchase Of the Yum
 Water and Light Company to th
 property hblders@ 1t is reasonably cer tain that all those wllo voted againS the measure one year ago would vot
 for it now. Conditions have Change since then and all have been taugh 9 lesson of broken promis6s and corpor ate greed. Even the worst obstruc tionist wants to wash without payin!
 four prices for the prifilege.. Wit bonds running fen, fifteen and twent . years we would receive the benefit nov without any Of the burden. In te
 years, when tie first bonds becom , due, our city will be so large and pros porous that none will feel the tax an those who have benefited by our fore , sight win help to pay our obligations Viewing it from the side of tn people I can see no good bushes F bteaSon why Yuma should not own it own water and light plant as wei F aS it's sewage system; all and eithe are used for the benefit of the con munity and certainly should be owne and controlled by the people.
 r. J. MILLER, Secretary, l Water Users Association.