Arizona republican., 1909-03-30
+. w. GRiFFEN,
Manager
YUMA MAKING READY
FOR MANY VISITORS
Great Preparations for the Celebration
There Today and Tomorrow.

Clarence Stapdage and the writer re-
turned yesterday morning from Yuma,
where the day before they assisted in
the successful launching of a barque
upon the sea OF matrimony. This decd
having been accomplished, the bride
and gIoom ha ling been safely placed
aboard an s. =. through train and
started on their homeward journey, the
two visitors turned their attention to
other matters and fingered in Yuma
another twenty-four hours to take in
the sights of that city and the sur
rounding country.
Yuma is at present bu5ily engaged
in preparing for the greatest day i'll its
history-the celebration of the COM
pletion of the Laguna dam, which takes
place today and extends over INTO to-
morrow. The citizens of that place are
bending every effort to make the oc-
casiOn a pleasant one for the many Wis
itors who will be present, and If any
one fails to take advantage of the spe-
cial train that leaves here this morn
ing. he is overlooking an opportunity
to have a fine time and see great
deal that is well worth the seeing
Sunday morning, the two above
mentioned devoted a couple Of hours
to a trip through the territorial prison.
Though it was the first visit of either
there. the place was not without its
familiar faces Orlando Douglas was
one of the first to be seen. He is
looking better physically than when he
left Tempe some three years ago. He
is regarded as n model prisoner and is
and has been for some time n ''trusty."
He is also chief electrician of the pris-
on and is making good use Of his time.
He has been taking a course In n cor
respondenCe school in electrical engi-
neering. and when he completes his
term, will have not only completed the
course. but will have had some years
of actual experience He asked that
his regards be extended through this
medium to his Tempe friends. He IS
hopeful that he may be transferred TO
Florence in the near future.
Jesse Pierce of Mesa was another
man whose face was familiar to the
two visitors. He is making the best
of the situation with good grace, and
is likewise making the best use OF his
time Only recently he has been des-
ignated as assistant to Douglas in the
electrical work. The prison is not at
all crowded at present. as something
over half of the convicts have been
transferred TO the Florence prison.
In the afternoon trip was made to
the Laguna dam, another project un-
der the direction OF the reclamation
service and one that. while il Is not at
all similar to the Roosevelt dam, is a
proposition Of much magnitude. Ac
tual work on the dam was completed
last week, and the large force of men
is now engaged in cleaning up the
loose material and in putting the big
dam in shipshape for the celebration
today and tomorrow. The dam is a
little less than a mile in length and
answers the identical purpose OF the
Granite Reef dam. though slightly diff
ferent in form and vastly larger. The
entire Colorado river is now under per-
feet control and is being sent around
both ends of the dam through the sluice
gates. Though the lam is completed
and the canal work fairly well under
way, it will probably be the better part
Of a year before the dam will be serving
the purpose for which it is intended