The Arizona sentinel., 1909-04-01
THOUSANDS OF
VISITORS THRONG
THE STREETS
Yuma, Beautifully CARRIED and in Happest Mood,
Extends joyful Greeting and Welcome
to ALL
FINISH OF THE GREAT LAGUNA DAT GRANDLY
COMMEMORATIVE

that came unannounced was very
realistic holdup. AS the parade passed
In front OF the Plantation, number
of horsemen and women came out
IRON the "Airdome" holding up the
parade in truly old time fashion. one
man was killed just as they are ii all
shows. This man was J. r. Pender,
OF the Valley. He actually met with
q severe accident while doing his psrt.
As the horsemen dashed up the street
one of them carrying Mr.. Pender, who
held on &c the back Of the riders sad
die Another horse ridden By Miss
Mabel Moore, coming from the oppo-
site direction oollided with the horse
on which Dit. Pender was being car
ried and the latter had his thumb torn
off and was otherwise shoop up and
Miss Moore fell headlong of her
horse, but was not severelf hurt. 1t
was G fortunate affair or someone
would certainly have been killed.
Good Music
With the Phoenix contingent
came the Industrial Band of 25
pieces, which is probably the
best in the territory. This band
was employed by the CONNER
cial Club to help out the Yuma
Concert Band during the cele-
bration, and the money, paid to
them was we'll spent.
Nothing was left undone by
the Commercial Club to make
things pleasant for visitors.
There were free theatres, free
lunches, free dances, and free
ride to all who desired to see
and investigate the valley and
mesa sections.
Why We Celebrate.
Strange as it may seem to US,
a few of our visitors from the
States do not seem to quite un-
derstand "what we are making
80 much fuss about why SO
muci, gorgeous display and fan
fare-in other words, what are
We celebrating: For the infor-
nation OF these people we will
here add something that has
been told and retofd, but Oh &C.
count Of its Importance to this
section will bear repeating.
In a general way every one
knows about the reclama.
ton act, which was passed by
congress and became q law ia
1902. This law provides for the
reclamation of arid and semi-arid
lands in certain states and terri.
tories, by means of irrigation
systems to be constructed by the
United States government; the
funds for such construction
comes from the sale of public
lands. Although advanced by
the government, the money must
be repaid by the settler in tel
annual installments; the amount
per acre being determined BY
the cost of construction and thG
acreage within the scope of tbs
project. The administration o.
this law and the allotment o.
moneys for the carrying out o.
such irrigation projects, is al
most entirely in the hands Of The
Secretary Of the Interior.
| In May, 1904, the Secretary
allotted the sum of three million
dollars for the construction o
what is known as the Yuma Pro
| ject, which includes Laguna dan
and complete system for tn
irrigation of about loo, 900 acre
!of land lying mostly IN the Yum,
land ella valleys contiguous {,
Yuma. The construction of La
guna dam was begun in 1905
> the last rock was placed in it
position and the structure com
pleted last week. Water is nov
1 pouring over the dam-the mos
! important part of the irrigation
scheme is finished, and that
what we are celebrating.
Following is q brief deserfE
ton of the Yuma Irrigation sys
: item, including the I4aguna dam
which will certainly be Of inter
> est to those who have not rea'
, it before, and many who hav
; may profit by reading it again
The Project.
In general terms, the project is {