The Arizona sentinel., 1908-01-29
Good Words For Yuma.
YUMA IS SURELY DESTINED TO RE A GREAT CENTER OF BUSINESS AND POPULATION"

The enclosed quotation is from @ well-written and illustrated ar ticle in the California Independ- ent, by it's editor, Rev. P. H. Bodkin, A. M., from which we extract the following:
 A two weeks exploration trip in the Colorado river valley during January is full of interest. The littl5 city of Yuma. hugging the banks of the dull, reddish river, which has so often come near destroying it, is little over half a century old. The population of the city and adjoining valley numbers about 3, GOO people The Yuma valley lies to the south of the city and was only recently taken up by white set tiers. It is rich alluvial deposit of some ST, 7,000 acres, protected by a gov ernment levee. Until recently the overflow of the pig river in the June floods mahe life miserable for the home steaders in 9he fiat river bottom. Now they can laugh at calamity and go on harvesting their crops. This good work of protecting the arabic lands by levees is conducted by the reclama- tion service of the United States.
 The reclamation service is pushing the big diversion dam, about twelve miles above Yuma. This week work was resumed in earnest on the Cali fornia side after lapse of more than 8 year. A high levee has been con- structed, on which railroad is being laid to carry material for the compile tion of the dam. This is of peculiar construction and is not intended to inn pound but divert large body of water. Three low, paralell concrete walls are sunk across the bed of the river, about p feet apart and the spaces filled with rock. This work is about all finished except the center span. Soon the river will be turned into the side dLiQ OuO ludlu OAohdO1 "AAA OO blocked with concrete. The main canal on the Arizona side, will pass under the Gila river by an inverted sy- phon and will be led around the mesa lands to the Yuma valley, where the present expensive pumping plants will be discarded for the gravity system. Hko i.. f0 hoU hi,r nOmninD plant to irrigate the mesa lands east Ot Yuma, where is grown now the finest favored oranges we have ever tasted. These are raised at the Blaisdell ex- perimental ranch, few miles from Yuma, which forms as pretty picture of orange and lemon groves as can be found in southern California. When all these systems of irrigation "get busy" under this continual sunshine there will be agricultural miracles per- formed that will astonish the world.
 Yuma is surely destined to be great center of business and population. All ready we can see the first low wash of waves where soon shall flow human sea. The people expect it and have good foundation for thelr faith.
 The public schools are in charge of an expert in the person of J. H. Mcclure, under whom are nine teach CTS. The Methodist Episcopal and Roman Catholic churches have good buildings, while the Episcopal, Bap- tfst and Disciples have occasional di- vine services.
 For eight months of the year the climate of the Colorado valley is all that can be desired. Clear skies, sun ny days, starry nights, dry air, per feet sanitarium, 150 miles square. The time will surely come when invalids and health seekers will come hither in-