The Arizona sentinel., 1909-11-11
POSSIBILITIES OF YUMA
REGION UKFATHOMED
The Soil Simply Marvellous in Its
Pf0duCtiyeHeSS
And the Climate is lHtOxiCatingIy
SaEpbriGHS
BY GEORGE n. BURTON,
In Los Angeles Times.


II is very far from a semi-millenium since
three little open boats under the flag of Spain
frst touched the waters of the western helni-
sphere and revealed the new world TO the
eyes OF Europeans. 1t is only little over a
century since the United States OF America
sprang, so to speak, like Pal!as Athene from
the brain of Jove, a completely armed i'd
dition TO the family Of. nations. 1t is but
little -ver half century.shsee California be-
came a part of these United States OF America,
and less than a generation since the settle
naent OF the Great Southwest began.
In all the l25 years since the Republic was
founded. also in the half century since Cali
fornia became one OF the States OF the Union.
and during every year of tlis last thirty, re-
alization of the vast riches 81 the American
continent, OF the territory'of the United
States and of this Great Southwest has been
more and more astonishing 70 the minds OF
men. One would suppose that by today we
knew pretty thoroughly what the undevelop-
ed resources 81 the Great Southwest might
reasonably he expected to become. We have
not reached the depths of this great ocean Of
wealth with our plulnmet line yet.
In a residence of forty years on the Coast
the writer thought he knew little about
what there is on the Coast, and as most of
these years have been spent in and around
Los Angeles he naturally had a little con-
ceit that he was pretty well acquainted with
the Great Sou thwest. Last week trip to the
Colorado River bottoms. below Yuma made
him feel as tenderfoot who had come in on
the last train. New 80 him. this wonderful
region and its possibilities me pretty EeR
Known to a great many readers OF TYss Times
by the stories published, III not by the 6eEson-
Stration of their own eyes.
Yuma lies on the map Just twelve miles
Fom where the government is putting in the
great LagunR dam, at the confluence OF the
Gila and Colorado Rivers. 1t is twelve miles
from Yuma down the river to the Mexican
boundry line on the Arizona side OF the river
At one point, just below Yuma, the interna-
tional boundry line runs up along the river
which there takes a westerly trend and from
Xuma to Mexico is only q few miles.
ONCE A MIGHTY STREAM.
Eges ago when the mountain ranges OF
Arizona and California lowered toward the
stars, nj least twice as high as they do now,
rains were very freduent and came down in
torrcntial volumes all along these mountain
ridges. The Colorado River in these past ages
was q mighty stream, sweeping down debris
la tons every second OF its flow. The Colora-
do sink was at that time great inland sea,
which spread over the country on both sides
OF where the river now runs. AS the erosion
Of winds and storms, landslides and glaciers
wore down the mountain ridges year by year,
the great river carried down q vast amount
OF silt, erosion from the rocks full OF phos.
pilates, lines and disintergrated GRANTEES, as
well as the vegetation along its banks; and
this WAS all deposIted la what are now the
sinks OF the Colorado.
As the n1osntsSn tops were woS7l down, tEse
RAINS beeanse less frequent and less In voasse
Bst the erosion of sockS and river banks, TIC
trees and vegetable mould tom ffe&a the
banks still came down and settled into the
Bottom of the great inland lake. This geeEicSl
leaving the Colorado at Yuma n stream about
half a mile wide and being at the present |
time about twenty feet deep IA the deepest |
portion.
1t is not necessary to remind CalifoTnians |
that the Spanish missionaries and explorers
called this river the Colorado because OF the |
reddish color of its waters. 1t is the Colorado |
down past The Needles. But at this time of
the year, after passing the mouth OF the ella,
instead OF the red river it becomes the brown |
river. 1t actually looks today as II ten per |
cent of its flow was silt and only ninety per |
cent water.