The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1912-08-30
OWN in Yuma, on the border
between the new state Of Ari-
IONA and the older one of Cali
fornia, they revel in the dis


~ fornia, they revel in the dis
tinction of possessing the hct-
lest place under the stars and stripes.
When the rest OF the Wpublic has been
gripped by winter. thermometers In
Yuma register 100 degrees. Just how
high they go in the summer no man
has as yet vouchsafed.
That Yuma is inhabited by human
|salamanders goes without saying.
Only people who like such heat would
come there from choice, and would
try to get away after they do get
there.
There are several things at Yuma
that excite the attention OF the stran-
ger. It seems just the sort OF place
you pictured 1t before you came. Most
interesting are the Indians. Here,
alone, Of all places under the flag.
Uncle Sam allows polygamy. and the
Yuma buck is permitted to maintain
rs many wives as he can induce to live
with him In the wigwam- The pris-
on at Yuma Is different from any pris-
on west OF Gibraltar. and the only
counterpart Of the village Jail. which
Is sort of stepping stone to the pris-
on, is in the heart OF Turkey. The
people Of Yuma are otherwise so typi-
|cally Mexican that one wonders almost
II ones under the rule Of the sta-s and
stripes.
How to Get to Yuma.
To get to Yuma you leave Tucson,
Ariz.. at $40 at night. At 6::15 In the
morning you're at Yuma. On the map
the journey seems nothing. but In the
west distances are startling In their
magnitude.
The hotel is what Dickens might
have described as depot restaurant,
built over the station itself. and with
Its porches looking down into the tur-
gid Colorado river. There is bridge,
with the Indian women trundling past
constantly. A boat landing is near by,
while on the opposite bank is the gov
eminent Indian school. Everywhere
there are the Yuma Indians. The gay
garments and blankets they wear are
genuine, and not put on simply to at
tract the tourist. As a matter OF fact,
the Yumas hate the whites, and while
they sell trinkets to them at the station
too few sightseers visit the town to
win themselves to affability. The
bucks. who squat along the changing
river banks in their straw hats and
leans. idle the year round. are, in fact,
positiyely disccurteous to the stranger.
After one has left ones belongings
at the hotel and started to explore.
Yuma is found to be interesting for
what II lacks in modernity. There Is
practically but one long street. This
Il lined with low one and two story
cottae e, built of frame. and housing,
almost without exception. saloons and
shops. In addition to the homes Of the
|householders.
There is fair public school build
ing and Catholic church The latter
e interesting for its Indian commune
cants. who come there as did the red
men to the missions in the Pre-Mexi-
can days IN California
At the time Of day that you are out
Yuma il still half In It's slumbers.
Aside from. q fight Of crows on the
main highway. the quiet Of dawn reigns
supreme. You can walk over the en-
tire place In an hour, and You 90 80
while you may. unobserved. There
are lemons growing In one garden, the
f,rsf you encounter Today It Is cold
until the sun has risen. but then, and
il summer, Yuma IS. next to Death
valley, the hottest place In the world
81 that you may look for tropical toll
age.
You wonder at the foolish custom OF
the milkmen Of Yuma. who knock ct
zach door until told By the tenants
Is leave the milk outside, 9 custom
whose origin Hes shrouded e mys'
terry. Two women, seemingly intoxt'
Gated. attract your attention They
Are following . man. expostulating e
only Nexicans can.
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