Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1921-11-03
TO OPEN NEW COUNTRY.
Big Things in Store for South.
western United States.

which, dispatches state, sooa Is =,
be developed, will open to passen- :
ger traffic and commercial devel-
opment a rich portion of south
western United States. as we'll az
part of the North American
continent OH the Gulf of Califor
MA that is little known and ex-
plored, says bulletin of the
National Geographic society.
The Bay of St. George marks
the northern limit of deep water
III the Gulf of California. and
when its new harbor is connected
by short spur of track with the
railroad already in existence.
there will be an all-water outlet
through the Panama canal to
eastern United States for the
mines of Arizona. Once, Just
after the Civil war, the people of
the Arizona mines had all their
supplies brought them from Cal
lfornia by water, the ships steam
ing down the California coast up
the gulf and the Colorado river
to Yuma, and now it seems that
the old method of handling their
products will come into vogue
again.
The Gulf of California. of
which Americans hear so seldom,
ranks among the largest of the
world. IL II We're stretched out
lnlai-d over our country from
New York harbor it would swal-
low up broad stretch of coun-
try from 30 to $50 miles wide
back as far as Detroit and it's
busy factories. 1t was shown on
the early maps of North America
q" the Sea of Cortez. since this
bold corsair explored it first. Its
depth varies from 600 to 5000
feet, its coast line on both sides is
irregular, and in it are many is
lands, Angel de la Guarda and
/ Tlburon being the largest. The
latter island points its rocky crest
1000 feet above the level of the
sea and is inhabited by "a fierce
and warlike tribe of Indians. the
Seris, who, its is claimed, have
cannibaiistic instincts.
The Bay of St. George itself
is broad open sheet of water on
the eastern side of the gulf. 200
miles north of Guaymas, a town
o. %, 600 inhabitants, on Guaymas
bay, one of the most beautiful
haI bors in the world. Rocky
point lies on it's northern edge
not far from the mouth of the
Sonoita river. From it's shores
back into the country there are
vast areas of sand dunes. or los
medanoS. as the natives call them.
In fact, this term is applied to
the whole upper part of the gulf
east\ OF the Colorado. The mere
name recalls sensations of burn
ing heat. trackless wastes. parch-
ed thrOatS. rattlesnakes and other
reptiles. Though stories of the
fabulous deposits of gold and sill
yer existing III this barren region
are rife in the neighbOring cOun-
try. little is actually known of
what wealth it contains, as most
OF the proSpectors who have ven
tured into its lonely reaches have
never returned to tell their sto-
ries.
The whole of this upper north
western part of the Mexican State
o! Sonora is included in what is
locally known as Papagueira. the
home of the Papago Indians-a
broad region which slopes toward
the Gulf of California and north
ward to the Gila river, and Is
much the same that the tribe held
al the time of the coming of the
SPaniardS. The natives are strong
and healthy, possess force of
character. and are industrious
and of an even temper. They
have almost completely adopted
the white mans garments and
are fast acuiring his customs and
modes of living.
son the southern edge of the
Bay of st. George. a salt deposit,
usually measuring about 1926 feet
in diameter but sometimes entire
II covered by the sea. which is a