Arizona Sentinel

STATISTICIAN BLANCHARD HAS
BEEN HERE A WEEK

Yuma has been honored for the last week with the presence of Statistician C. J. Blanchard of the U. S. Reclamation Service, who came direct from Washington to post himself fully on the matter of getting all facts and figures about our much beloved Yuma Mesa in order that at the proper time he may launch his world-wide advertising campaign for the sale of these lands.

Last Tuesday night, Mr. Blanchard delivered a most interesting address to a crowded house in the Yuma Theatre, using the films of "The Queen of Yuma Project" as his subjects. What our own people heard him say is but a small part of what he will tell all the world about the wonderful possibilities on the mesa. He is the one man connected with the government who knows more about our reclamation projects than any other man in the service, for it has been his pleasing duty for the past dozen years or more to talk about nothing else than the reclamation projects.

He has lectured in every part of the United States, and frequently crossed the line over into Canada. He intends to do the same thing again, in fact from now until the date of the sale of the Mesa lands he will do nothing except talk about the unsurpassed advantages Yuma Project has over the balance of the United States, and the beauty of the thing is that he not only believes what he says about Yuma, but he knows all he says is absolutely true.

Tonight he will be tendered a banquet in the spacious dining room of the New Southern Pacific Hotel, where places have been set for a hundred or more. On this occasion Mr. Blanchard will deliver an address that will be of more than ordinary importance to the people of Yuma Project, especially those who are fortunate enough to own land on the mesa. Last Friday night he appeared before the Yuma County Commercial Club and fairly electrified his hearers with the good things he said were in store for the Yuma Mesa Auxiliary project.

He briefly outlined his method of advertising the forthcoming sale, convincing his hearers that Yuma will be the best advertised town in the United States by the time he shall have concluded his campaign.

One thing Mr. Blanchard impressed on the Commercial Club was the fact that he will want absolute loyalty shown the undertaking by the people of Yuma. With one voice the board of directors and many prominent citizens who were present assured him that he would be backed to the limit in his praiseworthy efforts. He was assured that the people who own land on the mesa want a system of canals that will be a credit to the mesa. They want no slip-shod work, no cheap, open hitches that will require mending every few months. In this they will have Mr. Blanchard's hearty support, as well as the hearty co-operation of the local project manager and the Reclamation Commission itself, for the Yuma Mesa Auxiliary project is to be the greatest thing of its kind in all the world. If Mr. Blanchard has his way about it the mesa will outshine Redlands, Pasadena, or any other citrus growing section of Sunny California.

I want to say right here, as I have said many times before, that Yuma Project has no more loyal friend in the United States than Statistician Blanchard. He was one of the very first men in Washington to extend me the right hand of fellowship when I was sent there as Yuma's representative a year ago. It was just such loyalty as he displayed in Washington that made the Yuma Mesa Land Bill a possibility. Yuma owes him much, and the banquet of tonight will be but a small testimonial to show in what high esteem he is held by everybody who has the welfare of Yuma at heart. Mr. Blanchard is a real "booster," a man after my own heart. I only wish we had a few more men like him scattered over the United States to tell of the glories of Yuma Project and particularly of the Yuma mesa.