The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1909-10-14
POSSIBILITIES OF YUMA
REGION URFATH0MED
The Soil Simply Marvellous in Its
PredHCtiyeneSS
And the Climate is IntOxiCatingly
SaiUbrieaS
BY GEORGE ". BURTON,
In los Angeles Times.

IL Is very far from senli-Tnillenium since
three little open boats under the flag OF Spain
first touched the waters OF the western hemi-
sphere ants 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 PalIRs Athene from
the brain or dove, a completely armed ad-
dition TO the family Of nations. 1t Is but
little yer half century since California be-
came a part of these United States of America,
and less than a generation since the settle
ment of the Great South west began.
In all the Us 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 the last thirty, re-
alization Of the vast riches of the American
continent, OF the territory OF the United
States and OF this Great Southwest has been
more and more astonishing to the minds OF
men. One would suppose that by today we
knew pretty thoroughly what the undevelop-
ed resources OF the Great Southwest might
reasonably he expected 30 become. We have
not reached the depths of this great ocean OF
wealth with our plHmmet line yet.
In n residence OF forty years on the Coast
abe writer thought he knew a 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 little con-
ceit that lac was pretty well acquainted with
the Great South west. Last week a trip to the
Colorado River bottoms. below Yuma made
hTln feel us n teRdeYfoot who had come in on
the last train. New TO him, This wonderful
region and Its possibilities are pretty wen
known 10 great NAVY readers or Thc Times
10y the stories pahlisbed. If not by tire demon
stfstion OF their own eyes.
Yuma lies on the map Just twelve miles
from whe4, the government rs putting in the
great Lsguna dam, at the confluence Of the
Gtla 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. fast below Yuma, the interna-
tional boundry line runs up along the river
which there takes a westerly trend and from
Yuma to Mexico is only few miles.
ONCE A MIGHTY STREAM.
Ages ago when the mountain ranges of
Arizona and California lowered toward the
stars at 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 mighty stream, sweeping down debris
in 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 a vast amount
of SILT erosion from the Tpeks full OF pb0s-
phates, lines and tlsintergrated GRANTEES, as
well rs tire vegetation along its banks; and
Shls was all deposited in what are now the
sinks of5be Colorado.
As the mountain tops were WON down, she
sains became less frequent and less IN volume
but the erosion Of rocks add river banks, the
trees and vegetable mould torn from the
banks stin came down and settled into the
bottom Of the great inland lake. This ge0gicaI
leaving the Colorado at Yuma "a stream bout
half mile wide and being at the present
time about twenty feet deep IN 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
mp in the Grand Canyon in Arizona and
down past The Needles. But at this time OF
the year. after passing the mouth of the ella,
instead Of the red river 1t becomes the brown
river. It actually looks today as if ten per
cent OF its flow was silt and only ninety per
cent water.