Arizona sentinel., 1917-09-27
COMMISSION OF INDIAN AFFAIRS CATO SELLS
 MAKES HIS FIRST VISIT TO YUMA.

 ed Yuma Monday morning just before daylight after a trip by from the Parker Reservation by way of Blythe and the California side of the Colorado He accompanied by Supervisor of Indian Affairs F. A. Thack ery w. M Reed chief engineer of the Indian service R. A. Reeves general counsel A. F. Ducos superintendent of Parker reservations and C. A. Engle supervising engineer all of whom spent Monday and Tuesday sightseeing all Yuma Project devong of their time matters per tang the advancement of the Yuma reservation and it's nine or ten hundred Yuma Indians
 They were tired lot of travellers when they reached the Yuma reservation early Monday morning. but that did deter Commissioner Sells from starting just after breakfast for complete of the reservation It was my great honor be member of the party from early morning until sunset Superintendent L. L. Odle was the guide. We made bee-lne for Laguna dam for not o the five distinguished visitors had that wonder full structure. We lunch while the visitors watching the operation of the ponderous steel gates that open the suce ways and they all marveled the simplicity and precision with which the gates opened. Having gone Laguna dam by way of the roadway the top the main sphon canal returned down through the tra part of San Pasqual valley stopping the Government Experiment Farm where Superintendent Blair showed the visitors all the place pointing the various crops undergoing experiment culture, chief among whcl dozen different varieties of cotton, all which will produce upwards of bale of the fleecy staple per
 
 one Indian place to another all the reservation and every place Mr. Sells would get of the auto shake hands with every member of the Indian family pat the the back and congratulate him his fine crop of cotton alfalfa maize and otherwise show his great interest the progress the Yumas making Every of the Indians seemed to know his and expressed outward friendship for him than have them exhibit to- wards the white They seemed realize that he doing all in his power for their general betermen and in single instance any of them backward in showing their appreciation All of them told that Commission Sells would make them speech at the reservation hall that night and a result the hall was filled.
 Among other things that the commissioner is very ouS the YumaS do is engage the hog business for he realizes that with abundance of alfalfa and maize such he growing each Indian farm visited that the hog business bound prove very profitable undertak ing for his wards He also them raise mules as we'll horses and milch least for each family h. deed MT. Sells ambition is the Indians prosperous by their efforts
 Tuesday morning Capt. o. F. Townsend accompanied the visitors down the valley and the river Aga dones the commissioner could for himself what effect the sale of quar has the Cocopahs It unnecessary say that he would like the saloons abolished but much they Mexico will be rather hard thing to accomplish
 At noon, 'the Merchant Prince" Mr. E. F. Sangunett gave informal though sumptuous dinner the entire party with Mayor George Michesen Senator Carvn Cap tain Townsend and myself put in for good measure We sat the table for upwards of hous and then made hasy "Trip Somerton stopping the Indian homestead couple of miles this side of Somerton where for hour Mr. Sells held pow-wow with the Yumas who that magnificent body of land. About thirty Yuma Indians at tended the meeting all of whom promised to send their children to school.
 Then we went down to Somerton the entire party con- Stanty remarking that the fields of cotton alfalfa and maize were just about the best they had any where When remembered that there upwards of 100 reservations the "A that have reservations, it means a great deal for Yuma Project