Page:California Historical Society Quarterly vol 22.djvu/162

152 Hooper, David Neahr, and James M. Barney did not leave for Wickenburg, Prescott, and other settlements in central Arizona.

In Yuma, as in the other up-river landings and mining camps, a cross section of society revealed the usual conglomeration of nationalities and colors found on the frontier. Here the river pilots and passengers mingled with the miners, the Mexican traders, the Chinese laborers, the soldiers from the fort across the river, and the scantily clad Indians. Little attention was paid to such insignificant markings of civilization as dress, cleanliness, or community pride; and the ill-kept adobe houses, yards, and streets of Yuma bore mute evidence to a careless and carefree existence. Life, however, was not humdrum. Frontiers thrive on activity. In Yuma the frequent periods of idleness were punctuated by occasional Indian uprisings, the escapades of "gun toting" bad men, and the arrival of the steamer at the wharf.

"With the cry of "Steamboat coming!" Yuma sprang into activity, for the arrival of a boat was a festive occasion. Boys and loafers ran down to the landing at the foot of Main Street to enjoy any possible excitement; the peanut merchant, the apple boy, and the tamales vendor hawked their wares; Americans, Mexicans, and Indians rushed noisily about loading and unloading the steamboat, the barges and the "prairie schooners" drawing up alongside the steamboat warehouse.i^s"

To maintain the pace demanded by these youthful camps along the Colorado, it was necessary to repair and replace the units of the river fleet constantly. By 1864 the Cocopah had had her boilers patched three times,^^^ and in August, two years later, it was announced that she had been condemned.^^*^ By March 1867, she had been replaced by a new steamer, the Cocopah No. 2, constructed at Yuma.^^^

Only two river boats were launched during the peak trading period. Each claimed the title of "Queen of the fleet," and each had numerous supporters who were equally uncompromising in their loyalty to their candidate. The first of these vessels, the Gila, was constructed at Port Isabel at the mouth of the river during the winter of 1872-73. She was launched in February and arrived in Yuma on the fourth of that month.^^^ She was 175 feet long, with a 35-foot beam, and a 4-foot hold. She drew only 16½ inches of water, which was less than any boat on the river, and her capacity of 236 tons made her the largest river steamer ever to operate on the Colorado. One admirer wrote: "Her passenger accommodations are unsurpassed by any boat of her size and build we have ever seen—having staterooms with all modern appliances and improvements, for sixteen passengers. Her dining hall is large and spacious, and her promenades are all a lover of nature could desire."^^^

The Gila's rival was the distinctive two-stack Mohave No. 2, which was launched in 1875. Whether or not the twin smoke stacks gained for her the position of highest esteem among both passengers and pilots is not recorded, but she was the only steamer on the river to boast that distinction in design. She was the particular favorite of Isaac Polhamus, captain and superintendent