The Arizona sentinel. [volume], September 18, 1897, Image 4

About The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911

Image provided by: Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records; Phoenix, AZ

                
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PAIR ARIZONA'S
X Brief 9tueftt f foots Setting ftrth the Many Advantages
JL4iteeiesto tfer fry Yama CWHty ns a Place of Residence.
Jl whi an first eet foot on what is
'xRnt County in 1771. It is the
Dotkweet division of the Territory, and
ftedf the four original conn tied of the Ter
sitory. Many great reclamation projects are
feowvver on font, an 'I iu a few years ex
pect to ttee Tama County rated as the
richest in the Territory.
Tbe'irst glimpse the traveler from Cali
fornia catches of Arizona is that of the
picturesque town of Yuma, which is snugly
situated in the embrace of gentle rolling
hills, upon whose crests and sides the
aicdem homes of our superior civilization
are crowding the adobe dwellings into
eternal oblivion. Yuma is the gateway to
Arizona, the new empire of the West, upon
whose undeveloped riches the eyes of the
country are at present turned, and as such,
cne is bound to grow and prosper with a
rapidity that at present can hardly be re
alized. But coupled with her geographi
cal position we find that she is the center
of a country whose agricultural possibili
ties are practically unlimited, being sur
rounded by a soil the fertility of which
exceeds that of the delta of the Nile, and
wanting only water to become a paradise of
bloom. Billions of gallons of that precious
HmrT have annuallv cone to waste at
Yuma's very doors, but already a reaction
& taking place and many enterprises are
on foot to supply the life-giving waters of
tho yellow Colorado to the thirsty earth.
RIVERS OF YUMA COUNTY.
in regard to climate, healthfulnesB, fer
tility and productiveness of soil, facilities
for cultivation, irrigation and abundance of
water supply, variety of resources and
cheap transportation by rail and by water,
no part of Arizona can surpass Ymna
eoiinty, which is destined to become one of
1-ichcct and most prosperous counties in
Arizona.
It lies between 32 00' and 34 20' north
latitude and 113 'iO' and 114 40' west
longitude. It contains 6.488,320 acres. It
Is about as large as the States of Rhode
Island, Connecticut and Delaware com
bined, or as largo as either New Hampshire,
Vermont or Massachusetts.
She western boundary of Yuma County
is formed by the Colorado river, which"
separates Arizona from California. The
county is bounded on the north by Williams
Fork and the Santa Maria river, whose
waters flow into "the Colorado; on the east
by the counties of Pima, Maricopa and
Yavapai, and on the south by Sonora,
Mexico. Its county seat is the town of
Yuma.
TBe' Colorado river drains the entire ter
ritory of Arizona, and every drop ot water
which falls on its mountains aud plaius
finds its way to this mighty river. It is
formed by the union of the Green and
Grand rivers, fed by the streams which
nseln the Rocky Mountains, and the melt
ing snows cause a greater depth of water
in this river in summer than in winter, thus
furnishing the most water at the season
when it is most required for the purposes
of irrigation and agriculture.
It will be seen that for the entire distance
along its western boundary, Yuma County
possesses the great advantage of cheap
water transportation.
The Gila river rises in the .western part
of New Mexico and is fed by numerous
streams, among the most prominent of
which are the San Pedro, Agua Fria, Has
sayampa and Salt rivers. It. flows west
through Yuma-County and empties into the
Colorado at the town of Yuma.
Yuma county, traversed by these great
rivers from its northern to its southern,
and from its eastern to its western bound
aries, possesses a far greater water supply
than any other county in the Territory,
and far more than can be found in all Cali
fornia. This water is now being diverted from its
natural channels by means of numerous
large irrigating canals, and utilized for the
purpose of reclaiming aud irrigating the
immense tracts of lands which lie in this
'favored country, and which are as fertile
su any in the world.
The Southern Pacific Railroad crosses the
Colorado river at the town of Yuma and
ras through the county, following the
generol course, and at an average distance
of about four miles south, of the Gila river,
rendering all the lands susceptible of irri
gation and cultivation, can find an easy
outlhtinthis way and can be transposed
to all the markets and centers of population
in the East or West.
Another competing railroad is projected
from San- Diego,. California, to tVo town
f-Yuma, and thence along tha north side
of the Gila river. Thus Yuma County will
have exceptional railroad advautagr.s.
THE GLIM ATE OF YUMA.
The climate of Yuma for nine months of
the year has no equal, as we believe, in the
world, aud during the remaining three
.months of the year, comprising June, July
and August, the heat is not oppressive.
Even though the thermometer in mid-summer
may a times rise above 100, and oc
casionally even reach 110, yet, oing to
she absence of moisture in the air, it is not
- oppreseivo. The atmosphere is puie, light
acd balmy. When the mercury marks the
highest eztra-ie of heat, a person does not
iTl that oppression or debility which is
ninths Eastern States when the mer
Rivers, and Ma
Offer! n;
;s of
BANH
G
and
cury is ranging from 80 to 90. The air is
so dry that perspiration is absorbed as soon
as it reaches the surface of the body, and
f.naf.imn in tho summer does the heat
produce any discomfort.
THE VILLAGE OF YUMA.
Although the town of Yuma is the second
oldest community in the Territory of Ari
zona, it is astonishing how little its re
sources are known to the world at large, and
how slightly developed is the natural wealth
of the county. This is owing partly to
Yuma's reputation for unbearable heat, and
partly to the fact that, lying next to Cali
fornia, is has been assumed that the county
has been thoroughly prospected for mineral
wealth, and prospectors have, in the main,
kept the traveled highways in crossing its
Territory. As a matter of fact one suffers
less from the hoat here than in almost all of
the settled communities of the east, owing
to the dryness of the atmosphere, aud there
is no healthier climate on God's footstool.
People labor out of dosrs from the rising
to the setting of the sun, and suffer no in
convenience. There has never been known,
in this section of country, an authentic case
of sunstroke. Our climate, taken in time,
never fails to cure pulmonary complaints of
any description. Disease such as smallpox,
cholera, etc., rarely visit us, and then only
in a very mild form, and are never fatal ex
cept through the perversity of patients.
Contrary to the belief of the 'uninformed,
the dry heat of the summer months is es
pecially conducive to good health and ex
ceptional vigor, acting naturally upon the
human system with the same effect as the
artificial result of a Turkish bath purefy-
ins and renovating it. As a further matter
of fact, this county has never been even
superficially suspected, and it is only now
that people are beginning to search its hills
with any degree of systematic enthusiasm
for the mineral wealth hidden there, Ow
ing to the falliug off in the price of silver,
deposits of gold only are being sought for;
aud the present result is little short of mar
velous. In all " sections of the county from
the Sonora line to Williams Fork discoveries
are daily being made, and tho greater the
development the greater the wealth dis
played. Wherever the prospector plants
his foot, ledges of gold confront him or are
brought to light by the investigating strokes
of his pick.
Portions of the country traversed for
years by commonly traveled trails are devel
oping into rich storehouses of golden wealth.
New aud rich filacers are constantly being
discovered, and shipments of placer gold
from this point through Well3 Fargo &
Co.'s Expresr, are steadily increasing in
value. From a mining standpoint Yuma
County is rapidly leading the Territory, and
yet as far as that industry is concerned,
this section has received but little recog
nition.
Agriculturally the country is vastly im
proving. Enterprises that have lain dor
mant the last two years, owing to the gen
eral financial depression and consequent
dearth of money for investment purposes
are waking up to new life and vigor. Money
is being attracted in this direction, and on
all sides can be distinguished that" iudenn
able stir which is the precursor of an indus
trial awakening. Even within these last
two years of financial stringency and de
pression there has been a steady if slow in
crease in agricultural development and
wealth. A greater area of old farms has
been put under cultivation, and new lands
have been inclosed and new fields started,
A large section of Blaisdell Heights has been
planted to fruit trees; fields of cereals and
alfalfa have been added to the cultivated
area on the Colorado river below town; the
lands lying under tlw Mohawk and Farmer's
canah have been made to yield heavy crops
of every variety of agricultural products, as
in other sections of the Gila valley, and the
gardens of Yuma have been added to and
beautified in fruits, flowers and shubbery to
a more than appreciable extent. Altogether
we may feel proud of our progress during
these last months of business depression and
discouragement. It speaks well for the in
dustry and pluck of our people, and the
' owing made constitutes the best evidence
of the merits of our soil and climate and the
richness of our mineral resources. Nature
has done everything for our county, and all
that is needed is a touch of the wand of cap
ital to have our hills and valleys spring into
an active life of remunerative industry that
will last and endure forever.
Some three years ago, through tho energy
of H. W. Blaisdell, the Yuma Water and
Light Company was incorporated, and by
means of its large pumping plant, at the
foot of Main street, the town is abundantly
supplied with water at reasonable rates, and
there have grown iato existence new and
large gardens and orchards.
MINES.-
There is no section of the United States,
or probably o! the earth, more rich in min
eral wealth than the Cousty of Yuma. All
the country north, east and south of Yuma
lies directly wiihin the main gold belt that
commences in Alaska and ends in Mexico.
From the San Bernardino mountains in
California to the Sonora boundary line - the
mountains and hills are exceptionally rich iu
the precious metal, as though demonstrating
the theory often advanced that the richest
gold mines are teund. bordering the beds of
extinct oceans. The great Colorado desert
was once an inland sea, cut off centuries and
perhaps ages ago from the main ocean, leav
ing its waters to evaporate in this intesse
heat. Throughout all the country border
ing the desert, including this section, rich
mines are being constantly discovered, and
some of recent location arc already produc
ing immense profits. In the neighborhood
of Yuma, claims exceedingly rich on tho
surface are daily being located, and all signs
portend a great mining boom for this county
which will culminate as early as the coming
fall in an inroad of much capital. Experts
are arriving every week and mines are being
bonded at more than heavy prices. It
seems wonderful to believe that all this min
eral wealth has been lying at our very doors
for so many years without a taker, but the
tendency of prospectors is to go a long dis
tance off into strange lands rather than to
seek for mines in a county as old as Yuma
County and so accessible. The greater the
distance, the hardship, and the danger, the
greater the fascination for the prospector.
Distance seemsjindeed, to lend enchant
ment to the view.
So it is that this county is almost a virgin
field for the mine hunter, and now with the
few hundreds searching in its mountains its
mineral secrets are still in effect secrets, for
thousands upon thousands might be wander
ing through the rock-ribbed fastnesses of
our mountain ranges and their presence be
almost unknown, so vast is the extent of
country
Recent rich discoveries of gold deposits,
particularly in ledges, have given a great
impetus to mining throughout the caunty.
New locations are being constantly made,
and all show well upon the surface. The La
Fortuna mine, recently put in operation,
has a 2)-stamp mill running night and day,
and the production of gold averages $75,000
per month. Thi3 mine is situated about 30
miles southwest of the village of Yuma.
Rich gold discoveries have also been made
in Castle Dome, Harqua Hala, Centennial,
Palomas, Pot Holes, and other mining dis
tricts, and, although the mining outlook in
the county was never better, still most oi
the silver and lead mines are idle, owing
to the low value of these metals.
VALLEYS OF THE .COLORADO AND
GILA,
In the valleys of the Colorado and the
Gila rivers there is rosm for thousands. It
is not too much to say that nowhere within
the limits of this broad Union can be found
a more desirable region for the making of a
home. No laborious clearing of the land is
required; it lies almost ready for the plow.
Trees and shrubbery have so rapid a growth
that within eighteen months the immigrant
can surround his abode with attractions
which Would require years to mature in less
favored climates. Fruit3 ripen and are
ready for market a full month before the
California products. The bright sunshine
makes life a luxury, and the pure dry atmos
phere brings health to all who inhale it. For
the establishment of colsuius, such as are
made in southern California, Arizona pre
sents unrivaled opportunities. Thousands
of acre3 now profitless can be made produc
tive by the construction of irrigating ditches,
and there is no investment which assures
larger or more permanent returns.
The statement in this article on Yuma
county arc not exaggerated; in fact they fall
short of doing justice in this wonderful bit
of county. Pineapples, dates, almonds and
waluuts will do well. Strawberries, rasp
berries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries,
and all varieties of small fruits can be suc
cessfully cultivated. Indeed, Yuma County
is not only the natural home of the citrus
and semitropical fruits, as almost every
fruit, nut, plant, grain, grass, or vegetable
whi-sh can be produced in either tropic of
temperate zones will thrive in the rich and
fertile soils.
With tho bright prospects ahead of the
town of Yuma and Yuma County there can
be no better investment for capital seeking
large and renumerative returns than is af
forded here. With a matchless climate,
where all forms of disease known to the
damp and rigorous regions of the east and
north are unknown, where the bright sun
shine kisses into bloom and fragrance every
form of vegetation, and where the clear days
and cool and balmy nights are one long-continued
poem of happiness and delight, we
can offer to capitalists an ideal field for in
vestment and to home seekers a veritable
paradise in which to settle.
ARIZONA.
Its Attractions and Advantages as a
Place of Residence in Winter.
Whitelaw Reid. owner and editor of the
New York Tribune, who has spent the last
two winters in Aiizona for the benefit of
hi3 health, writes entertainingly and in
structively concerning that part of the
country. Mr. Reid says:
So many questions are asked about Ari
zona as a place for winter residence, and
there appears to be such a dearth of pre
cise information among many who are
vitally interested, that it seems almost a
public duty, to set down, in the simplest
form, a few facts of personal observation.
WEATHER.
During a five months' residence in
Southern Arizona in winter there was but
one day when the weather made it actually
unpleasant for me to take exercise in the
open air at some time or ether during the
day. Of course there were a good many
days which a weather observer would de
scribe as "cloudy," and some that were
"showery;, but during these five months
(from No' ember, 1895, to May, 1890.)
there were ouly four days when we did not
have brilliant sunshine at some time dur
ing the day. Even more than Egypt, any
where north of Luxor, Arizona is the laud
of sunshine. As to details:
TEMPERATURE.
I have seen tho thermometer mark 92
degrees iu the shade on my north piazza in
March. On the other hand, we had frosts
whieh killed j'oung orange trees, and there
were several nighta when thin ice formed.
The government reports show a mean
temperature for fourteen years at the pres
ent territorial capital of 57i degrees in
November, 53 degrees in December, 49 de
grees in January, 54 degrees in February,
61 d egrecs in. March, aud 66 degrees in
April. The same reports show the highest
and lowest temperatures, averaged for
eight years, ?t the same plane, an follows:
For November 78 degrees and 42 degrees,
December 73 degrees and 36 degrees,
January 65 degrees aud 32 degrees, Feb
ruary 71 degrees and 35 de ree.s.
March 81 degrees and 41 degree and
April 86 degrees and 46 degrees. Tho
nights throughout the winter are apt to be
cool enough for open wood fires, and .or
blaukets. Half the time an overcoat is
not needed during the day, but it is never
prudent for a stranger to be without one
at hand.
AIR.
The atmosphere is singularly clear, tonic
and dry. I have never seen ic (nearer
anywhere in the world. It seems to have
nVinnf. thn an me bracinc and exhilarating
Qualities as the air of the Great Sahara iu
Northern Africa, or of the deserts aDouc
t q:..: ;.i Arabia Petraea. it is
UlUUl,
much drier than in the parts of Morocco,
xUgiers or Tunis usually visited, and drier
than any part of the Valley of the Kile
north of the First Cataract. It seems to
me about the same in quality as the air on
the Nile hetween Assouan and Wady-
Halfa, but somewhat cooler.
ACTUAL HUMIDITY.
This is extremely slight, everywhere in
Arizona, as compared with any eastern
climate in the United States. The air is
driest on the high mesas, remote from
snowclad mountains or forests, and in the
desert valleys, where no considerable irri
gation has been begun. Wherever irriga
tion is carried on on a large scale, the
percentage of humidity in the atmosphere
must be somewhat increased, although to
an eastern visitor it is scarcely perceptible
The same Government observations al
ready cited show relative humidity, at
Phoenix or Tucson, averaged for weeks
from morning and evening readings, at less
than half the usual humidity on dry days
in New York. General Greely, in a pub
lication from the Weather Bureau, gave
the normal weight of aqueous vapor in the
Arizona air at from 1 to 4 grains per
cubic foot.
RAIN.
Showers, and indeed heavy rams are
liable to occur iu every month of the year
but the actual number of rains seems to an
onsfppn viR?f.nr strancelv small. The
average rainfall in Southern Arizona,
shown by the Government observations, is
but 8 inches per year.
ALTITUDES.
It is a striking advantage offered by
Arizona that, with the samo general con
ditions as to temperature and dryness of
air, the physician is able to select nearly
any altitude he may desire. Thus, asth
matic sufferers can find almost the sea
level at Yuma, or an altitude of only a
thousand feet at Phoenix, or of ouly 2,400
atTucoon. Others, who find no objection
to greater elevatious, can choose between
Prescott or Fort Whipple, 5,400; Flag
staff, 6,800,; the Sulphur Spring Valley, or
Fort Grant, 4,200; Fort Hnachuca. 4,S00,
or Oracle, about 4,000.
IS IT A PLACE FIT TO LIVE IK?
This depends on what one experts in a
huge, parsely settled Territory of mount
ains and deserts. The man who looks for
either the beauty or the seductive excite
ment of Monte Carlo will not find it. As
little will he find the historic remains or
the cosmopolitan attractions of Egypt; nor
could he reasonable expect the amusements
aud luxuries of our own Eastern cities. The
people of Arizona are still chiefly busy in
the pioneer work of subduing it to the
residence and uses of civilized man. But
it has two transcontinental lines of railway
with numerous feeders; it has fast mails,
and rival telegraph lines, and is throbbing
with the intense life of the splendid West.
The two principal towns in the south
ern portion, chiefly sought for their climatic
advantages, are Phoenix .and Tucson. Each
of them has ten thousand inhabitants or
more. They have the electric light, tele
phones, trolley cars, plenty of hotels,
banks, bookstores, good schools, churches,
an occasional theatrical performance, some
times a lecture or & circus, often a horse
race, and, in the spring, a thoroughly
curious and interesting "fiesta." For the
cest, people must take their amusements
with them. Good horses are abuudaut
and cheap, and there are plenty of cow
boys the genuine article to show what
horses can do. The driving' for fifteen or
twentv miles in almost any direction from
Phoenix, is nearly always easy. The roads
are apt to be dusty; but there is one well
sprinkled drive of six or eight miles; and
since the winds are quite regular in their
direction, it is rarely difficult to choose a
route or which tho dust will be largely
carried away frora you. The unbroken
desert itself is often as easy to drive over
as an Eastern highway, and the whole
valley is a paradise for bicyclers, or eques
trians. CAN ONE LIVE COMFORTABLE?
That again depends on what you expect.
You cannot have the luxuries of our New
York houser. out there, unless you build
one; or the variety of our New York
markets, unless you charater a refrigerator
car. But there are hotels with almost as
much frontage as the Waldorf; and, like
everything else in the Territory excepting
the mountains and deserts, they are new.
There are boarding houses of more kinds
thau one; and brick cottages of eight or
ten rooms can occasinally by rented. Bet
ter than any of them, for the man with the
energy and the pluck to take it, is to tent
on the desert; and be who knows how to
"camp out" with comfort through Septem
ber m tho Adirondaoks can camp out in
Aiizona through the winter,
Ab to food, there is plenty, and it i3
good if you can get it well cooked. The
alfalfa fields of the Salt River Valley are
the fattening ground for tho great cattle
ranges of the Territory. From there the
markets of L03 Angeles and even of Denver
are largely supplied, Good beef, mutton
and poultry are plenty aud cheap. Quail,
ducks and veui&on from the vicinity cau
also be had. Vegetables aud fruits arc
abundant in their season, and sometimes
the season is a Ioug one. It is the otic
country I have lived iu where strawberries
ripen in the open air ten mouths in the
year. I have had them on my table, fresh
picked from tho open garden at Christinas
IS IT A LAWLESS COUNTRY?
The man who gees to any
considerable
Arizona town with the idea of the South
west detived from novels, or from "The
Arizona Kicker," will be greatly mystified.
He will find a3 mauj churches aa in towns
of corresponding size in Pennsylvania ir
Ohio; aud probably more schoolhouses He
will rki.l pi-.nty" of li'j'ior-nops. too, and
gambling houses, ami daueeLouses, and yet
he will see little disorder i nlets he hunts
late at night for it, and he will be apt to
find as at Phoenix a community of ten
thousand people requiring in the daytime
only one policeman, and hardly requiring
him. During my winter there I did not
see a single disturbance in tne streets, or
half a dozen drunken men, all told. Min
ing men and an occasional cowboy certainly
had quarrels, sometimes, in the disorderly
quarters at night; and there were stories
of the use of the knife among Mexicans;
but the visitor who went about his own
business had a3 little trouble as on Board-
way or Chestnut street. The Pima and
Maricopa Indians, who are encountered
everywhere, have been friendly with the
whites for generations, and there isn't an
Apache within some hundreds of miles.
WHICH TOWN IS THC BEST?
Primarily that is a question for the phy
sician, if there is a physician in the case
if not, try them all. If a mountain region,
considerable altitude and a comparatively
low temperature is desired, Prescott is in
a picturesque region, near a great mining
district'!, and has the social advantage of
an army post, Whipple Barracks. Flag
staff is still higher, is in a region of dense
pine forests, .and is within a hard day's
journey of one of the wonders of the world,
the Colorado Canyon. Oracle is a pretty
mountain nook, embowered in splendid
live oaks, like those of California, and is
also near an important mining district,
If lower altitude and a distinctly semi
tropical climate are desired, the three places
most likely to b considered are Yuma,
Tucson and Phoenix. The first is near the
sea level; is the warmest aud probably the
driest of the three, has the least population,
and tha smallest provision for visitors.
Tucson is the oldest town in the Territory,
and, after Santa Fe, perhaps the oldest in
the Southwest. Its adobe houses give it a
Mexican look, and are thoroughly comfort
able. Its newer houses are of a handsome
buildinz stone, found in the vicinity. The
Territorial University is here, and it was
formerly the capital. Its elevation being
more than double that of Phoenix, it is
somewhat cooler, and as there is next to no
irrigation near it, the air is a little drier.
Phoenix is the centre of the greatest irriga
tion in the Territory. The country for
miles around smiles with green fields, cover
ed with almost countless herds of cattle.
and it is everywhere shut in by low mount
ains. It is the Territorial capital, has the
Government Indian School, the Territorial
Lunatic Asylum, and other institutions
and is the general focus for the Territory
Like Tucson, it has its occasional wind and
sand storms perhaps not quite so often
At either place visitors who know how to
adapt thenibelvea to circumstances can be
entirely comfortable, and in each they will
find an intelligent, orderly, enterprising and
most hospitable community. They will
find a country full of mines, full of rich
agricultural lands, abounding in cattle and
hor-es, in vineyards and orchards and the
beginnings of very successful orange groves
a country, in fact, as full of promise for
hardy and adventurous men now as Califor
nia was in the-fifties. Above all, it has
been their lot to search for health in far
conutries, they will revel in the luxury of
being in their own land, among their own
countrymen, within easy reach of their
friends by telegraph or rail, and in a climat
as good of its kind as any in the world.
LANDS AND SOILS.
The lands of Yuma County comprise the river
bottoms and valleys and the uplands or mesas The
bottom ands are moistcr and slightly mere fertile
if, indeed, it is possible to mike comparisons
where all are so wonderfully productive andprolifi,
The uplands or mesas are warmer and, perhaps
lightly for better the cultivation of the citrus fruits
Yuma contains a variety of soil Tho valley land
of the Gila and Colorado rivers have for the most
part a deep sedimentary soil of brownish, gray
sandy lomi, resting, in most places, upon a gray
clay subsoil at a depth of from ten to twenty feet
below the surface. The clay subsoil forms a hard
pan which is impervious to water. These soils have
been slowly formed by the decomposition of ehales,
sandstones, marls. limestones, etc., mixed with or
ganic and vegetable matter, washed down by the
mighty rivers and have been gradually deposited
during the course of centuries. The fertilizing
brownish mud held in the wat oof the Colorado
and Gila rivers resembles that from the Nile, and
its quantity varies from 0.1. to 6.5 percent.,
though the water when even considerably discolor
ed by mud is good to drink, resombling in this res
pect the Missouri river water. A chemical analysis
of the sediments of tho Colorado and of tho Nile
exhibits a wonderful similarity in the constituent
parts of each. That of tho Colorado exhibiting a
trifle less potassa, most phosphoric acid and car
bonade of limestome beds through which the Colo
rado puss'-s. In other respocts the sediment of the
Colorado is almost identical with that of the Nile.
It will be noticed, therefore, that when this water is
used for irrigation it is superior to artesian waters
since it is constantly supplying the land with the
richest fertilizing elements. The soil of the valleys
is extremely rich in dedomposed vegetable matter
and uncooibined carbon, readily absorbing the
aerial gases, such especially, as oxygen, which en
tering the soli, decomposes the organic matters so
that they can be taken up and nourish tho plants
which may be considered a leading feature in its
fertility. It also readily takes up and retains
moisture, while the firmness of its particles affords
every tacility for percolation and the activity of
capillary action. In its mechanical composition its
particles are in a state of very fine division, which
renders it more productive than coarser soils It
acquiries heat readily in the daytime, and the loss
of the heat at night is very gradual, so that it re
mains always warm and Is not subject to sudden
changes of heat and cold. Besides its essential con
stituents of water, organic or vegetable matter,
sand and clay,- a chemical analysis shows that lime,
ioda, magnesia, iron, ammonia and available forms
of nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash enter into
composition in the proportions best adapted to
add to its fertility, though, of course, as is alwajs
tho case in soil analysis, its composition varies in
different localities and is not always constant.
The sol o the uplands, or mesas, lighter and
more gravelly and in some places of a iree, loamy,
calcareous character. The mesa lands aro warm and
generous. Thcysacm especially adapted for tho
grape, olive and citrus fruits generally. Tiieirsoil
contains more magnesia, lime or chalk than the
bottom lands. It never cracks and retains moisture
.tdimrably in stuumcr. It is of that character which
will product a wine that will keep good for fifty or
a hundred years, and improve annually, not being
liable to sour, or on exposure to the air, after one
year old, to become turbid and change color in tho
bottlo or glass.
Wo ctu saiely pay that the 6oil of Yuma County
can nowhere bo surpa&ied, containing as it doea all
the essential elements of richness and fertility.
FtUIT CULTURE.
Fruit production throughout Arizona is a sub
ject o great Interest at present, and will no
doubt, be the principal industry in Yuma County.
Tho remarkable results that have sprung from
very superficial and imperfect culture has de
monstrated that the soil and climate of Yuma
County are peculiarly adapted for this branch of
agricultural snterp'Ise. The development of these
resources i3 of the utmost importance and is at
tracting carefnl attention. Experiments have been
made, with enre, and facts in regard to the culture
of different kinds of fruits have been collected
which cannot fail to convince, oven tbemostskept
ical, cf the wonderful superiority of Yuma County
over Southern California in fruit showing, and
which must lead to a large and varied production,
of the most remunerative character.
The Con missioner of Immigration In his report,
published hi 'SS5, writes as follows of the rich
ullev.sof the Gila. Colorado and Salt rivers.
"The soil of these valleys is amony the richest
on the continent. It is formed of the detritus
which the streams for ages have brought down
from their mountain homes in their Journer to the
By constant overflows and change of channel,
the deposit of this rich vegetable matter has form'
ed a soil of extreme fertility, Near tha streams it
is a dark alluvial mold, well adapted to small
grains aud grasses. Farther back tnere is a rich
sandy loam, mellow and porous, and especially
favorable for fruit culture. It has been already
demonstrated that the productive capacity ef these
valleys is uot surpassed by lands of equal area in
any part of the United States. So rapid and prolific
is the growth of the fruits, cereals and vegetables
that the labor of tho cultivator is reduced to the
minimum. In nearly all of them two crops a year
can be growth, and vegetation is one month ahead
of California. The farmers plants a cottonwood
sapling before his door, and within the year he has
a shade tree twenty-five feet bieh! Alfalfa can be
cut six times during the season, and it is an actual
fact the grape-cuttings have produced within eigh
teen months! What State or Territory can make
such a showing? The climate, it must be remem
bered, 13 nearly perpetual summer. Snow never
falls in these southern valleys. The farmer begins
to plant in November, and by the middle of May
his harvest is ready. Roses are in bloom, fruit
trees are blossoming, and the grain fields are a sea
of green, when the fields of the Eastern farmers
are covered with snow and ice.
Every variety o grains, grasses, fruits and vege
tables grown in the temperate and semi-tropic
zones can be prodnced in the valleys of Arizona,
Wheat, corn barley, oats and all the small grains
give a yield of from twenty-five to fifty bushels to
the acre. Alfalfa, clover, timothy, Bermuda and
all the cultivated grasses grow luxuriantly, the
former giving from eight to ten tons to the acre
each year, Every variety of vegetable raised iu
the United States can be grown in Arizona, and
nowhere are they found of better quality.
"Besides the products mentioned, these semi
tropical valleyB produce cottoa, sugar-cane, to
bacco, hemp and rice. With the exception of the
sugar-cane, but little attenticu Is paid to the culti
vation of other staples; but it has been demonstrat
ed that the soil and climate aro specially adapted
to thf ir successful growth. Cotton-growing is no
experiment in Arizona, for it is on record that
when the Europeans first penetrated this region
thev found the Pima Indians wearing fabrics
made of cotton grown in the Gila valley.
"But it is their adaptability for fruit culture
that assures to these valley lands a dense popula
tiou and aprospereus future. Almost every var
iety known can be raised in their fruitful soils. The
apple, pear, plum, poach, apricot, quince and nec
tarinc, are of delicious flavor, and givo a gen
erous yield. The grapo of all varieties is a home
In these sunny vales. No place In the grape-grow
ing belt of the Pacific Coast can show so prcllfic
yield. Tha quality is all that could be desired
and the wine, although its manufacture is yet ex
perimental, is of a fine flavor, delicious bouquet,
and unsurpassed bj any native product as a table
beverage. Experiments with the raisin-grape
have shown that thi3 climate and soli possess
every advantage for the production and curing of
this staple article of commerce.
"Besides the fruits already mentioned, the or
ange, lemon, lime, olive, fig. pomegranate, and
others of the citrus family, can be grown success
fully in the valleys of Southern Arizona. "Orange
trees are now in bearing in the Salt Biver valley
and at Yuma; whllo the bananas is also being cul
tivatedatthe latter place. Iho Arizona orange in
quality and flavor will compare favorably with the
best California.
"In the valleys of the Colorad, tho Salt and the
Gila livers, there is room for thousands. It is not
too much to say that nowhere within the limits of
this broad Union ean be found a more desirable
region for tho making of a home. No laborious
clearinsr of the land is required; it Ilea almost
ready for the plow. Trees and shrubbery have so
rapid a growth that within eighteen months the
immigrant can surround his abode with attractions
which would requlro years to mature in less favored
climates. Fruits ripen and are ready for market
a full month before the California product. The
bright sunshine makes life-a luxury, and the pure.
dry atmosphere brings health to all who inhale t.
For the establishment of colonies, such as we have
made of Southern California a arden, Arizona
presents unrivaled opportunities Thousands
acres, now profitless, can be made productive
by the construction of irrigating ditches, and there
is no investment which assures larger or more
permanent returns ."
The foregoing' statements are not exaggerated
in fact, they fall short of doingjustiee to this won
derful land. Pineapples, dates, almonds and wal
nut3 will do well. Strawberries, raspberries, black
berries, currants, gooseberries, and all varieties of
small fruits can be successfully cultivated. Indeed,
Yuma County Is not only the nitural home of the
citrus and semi-tropical fruits, as almost every
fruit, nut. plant, grain, srais or legetable which
cau be produced in cither tropic or temperate zone,
will thrive in its rich and fertile soils.
ARIZONA.
Arizona stands at the threshold of n
era of wonderful social and industrial de
velopment. There can't be a doubt about
the fact. The dawn for which she has
waited so long Is breaking at last. Thore
is every promise of a. day of great pros
perity and permanent upbuilding just be
fore her. The impulse of a new and ener
gizing hope is visible everywhere among
her people, while the cumulative effect of
many things, which made but small im
pression as they transpired singly, is now
commanding for her a full share of atten
tion and interest abroad among home
seekers and capitalists.
A lively competition has sprung up for
the possession of things which have hereto
fore gone a-begging for ownership. There
is a scramble for franchises. Nothing more
surely indicates a great industrial awaken
ing than this. The rates of interest aro
falling to moderate figures. Nothing, more
surely indicates confidence and competition
among the money lenders than this.
Arizona has reached that climacticer
period which every western state has ex
perienced sometime in its history when,
after long and weary struggle and doubt,
with each side of the balance first up and
then down, the clouds of despondency
have suddenly rolled away, and a sunburst
of energizing hope has thrilled the droop
ing spirits of the people to greater and
braver endeavor than before.
For the last twelve years the subsidence
of the great Tombstone boom and the com
pletion of two transcontinental lines of
railroad across her territory Arizona has
rather diopped out of-public attention,
but in that time sho has. I col ui.tly ac
cumulating a fund of substantial saltu
and a force of moral character wfcid)
qualify her now to ri3e np and take her
satiny in her own bands.
The population of Arizona is Mexieaa.
This ia a mistake of great importance- frota
the moral point of view. There ia but oe
onsiderable center of Mexican popuktios
in the territory, the oity of Tucsos, and
even there it is not by any means at prea
entthe predominating element It tfaiak
it is certain that Arizona has net to-day
nearly so large a Mexican population aa
Colorado and not above one-tenth as much
as New Mexico.-'"Fitz-Mac," in Dearer
News.
WHY IMMIGItANTS SHOULD OOME.TO YUMA
COUNTY.
Because the'climate is perfect.
Because the soil ia fertile and prolific.
Because laud is abundant and cheap.
Because a home can be made witir little
labor.
Because so great a variety of products
can be grown.
Because the yield is large and the Brisea
always remunerative.
Because life is a luxury in a land wisra
the sun shines every day.
Because thore are chances for a poor man
which he can never hope to find in older
countries.
Because the country is advancing and
property values are increasing.
because, unlike Southern California it
does not require a small fortune to secure a
piece of land.
Because capital does not block all the ar-
enues to wealth, nor crowd the poor man
to the wall.
Because Uncle Sam has yet many farms
in Yuma county waiting for occupants.
uscause churches, schools. neTssatxn
and railroads are fast developing the moral
ana material elements of the Territory.
JJecause gooaland is becomine scarce. ad
if you don't-catch on now, your last chance
will sooiibe cone.
Because the country is one of. tb few
regions ofrthe United States that-yields the
products of the temperate and semi-trople
zones.
Because the worker receives a fair cobv
pensatioa for his labor, and the 'rustler has
a field for the display of his energy aod en
terprise. Because" there are neither blizzards or
tornadoes, earthquakes nor inundatioas,
snow-storms nor cyclones.
Because the vast and varied resources of
the country are yet to be developed.
Because the wealth of its mines, its farm
ing valleys, and grazing lands, will yet build
up a great and prosperous county.
Because a man can make a livelihood hr.
with less labor than in any other part of the
United States.
Because there is health in every brteze,
and strength and vigor under its cloudless
skies.
Because tho settler need not spend a life
time in felling trees and grubbing eufc
stumps.
Because vegetation is so rapid that in two
years the borne is surrounded by a growth
of trees and shrubs which would require
five years to develop in a colder clime.
Because fortunes here await the venture
some, and health welcomes the afflicted.
Because the country has a brilliant futute
and you want to be in the "swim."
Because -in its pure, dry invigorating air,
epidemic diseases cannot live ergsnninata.
Because its people are generous, liberal,
hospitable and progressive.
WHY CAPITAL SHO OLD SEEK YUMA COUNTY.
Because its mines are the richest.
Because its grazing lands are the best.
..Because its farming lands are valuable aad
productive.
Because it gives assurance of the largest
returns on money invested.'
Because its grand resources are yet to be
developed.
Because it is a young, growing caaty
with an assured future.
Because the opportunities for engaging ia
manufacturing enterprises are better thaafn
any other region of the West.
Because good mining properties can be had
at reasonable figures.
Because there is a demand for additional
facilities for ore reduction.
Because there are vast stretches of rich
soil to be reclaimed by the construction of
irrigating canals.
Because there are large tracts of grass
lands that can be utilized by the sinking ot
artesian wells.
Because there are many openings in a new
country which cannot exist in older com
munities. Because the opportunities for engaging in
the successful cultivation of seaii-tropis
fruits are better than in any ther part of
the United States.
Because property values are rapidly ad
vancing.. Because Arizona's boom is yet to come.
Because it is a virgin field, ready for the
seed which will produce a golden harvest.
NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION.
Homestead Estby No. 1450.
Land Office at Tucson, Arizona.
August 9, 1807.
Notice is hereby given that the following
named settler has tiled notice of his inten
tion to make final proof in support of hi
claim, and that said proof will be made
before the Register and Receiver, U. 8.
Land Office, at Tucson, Arizona, on Sep
tember 27, 1807, viz.: George H.South
well, Palomas, Yuma County, Arizona, for
the S K SE K, See. 13, and N K NB K,
Sec. 24, Tp 6 S, R 13 W.G8R M.
Ho nanies Hie following witnesss to
prove his continuous" residence upon and
cultivation of, said land, viz. John F.
Nottbusch, Daniel L. Grumbles, Harry E.
Fairman, and Daniel B. Morris, all of
Palomas, Arizona.
Any person who desircs;toprotestagalnst
the allowance of such proof, or who knows
of any substantial reason, under the law
and the regulations of the Interior Depart
ment, why -suth proof should not be al
lowed, will be given an opportunity at th
above mentioned time and place to cross
examine the witnesses of said rfaimant
and to offer evidence in rebuttal of that
submitted lv claimant.
TJegist&r..