The San Francisco call., 1896-06-12
THE DESERT Will BLOOM
Eastern Capitalists Propose ;
Great Colonization
Scheme.
Water to Be Conveyed From the Colo
rado River Into San Diego
County.

SAN DIEGO, CAL, June 11.-Another
colonization scheme on the Colorado
River is said to be well started. The de-
tails OF the project are given by A. B. Bos-
well of Los Angeles, who accidentally
learned through relative of move which
has been kept quiet.
81 don't know much about the scheme" F"
said Mr. Boswell, ''but l am willing to tell
you what 1 have learned. A company of
New York capitalists has been formed
and come ctions established in the City of
Mexico. can't give you the names of
these men. According to the information
given me by my relative, who is interested in
the project, and who will probably act as
land agent for the company, they have
purchased 100000 acres of land from the
Mexican Government, situated on the
west side of the Colorado River in Lower
California. The land is embraced within
the concession of the Mexican Land and
Colonization Company, which has its head
quarters at London. with offices at En-
senada. The New Workers bought out the
rights of the English company ami paid
the Mexican Government so cents an acre
for the land.
"The plan is to divert water fromsthe
Colorado River for the irrigation of these
lands, which are conceded to be rich and
capable of raising the finest of tropical
fruits. When the water system is in, the
price of the land is to be fixed at $40 per
acre, payable in ten years, according to
agreement with the Mexican Government.
Efforts will be made to colonize the dis
trict as fast as possible.
"The promoters Of the scheme have vis-
tied the country several times" continued
Mr.. Boswell, "and they evidently mean
business, as they have sent two parties of
surveyors into the field preparatory to be-
ginning the work of diverting the river.
They are desirous of keeping the thing
quiet, and | do not even care to name my
relative, who gave me the information.
The lands in question lie just below the
international boundary line. They in
clude the famous mud volcanoes and hot
springs that abound in that section. The
richer part of the country comprises the
bottom land of the New River, which flows
into the Colorado, or rather is an arm of
the Colorado. The company proposes to
build canal thirty feet in width and raw
ing total length of about fifty miles, tax
ing in the best portion of these lands.
The canal Will cross the boundary line and
furnish water for good deal of Govern
ment land in San Diego County, which is
equally rich and capable of giving homes
to great many people.
II was told that the development of this
so-calIed desert was to be fastened by
compact made with The Southern Pacific
Company" added Mr.. Boswell. ''The
company now has a long and profitless
haul across the desert from Yuma to Los
angeles, and it has assured the projectors
of this new colonization enterprise that if
the country is developed by canal and
colonized with enough settlers to make
the proposition bona-tide the road will be
built from Yuma direct to San Diego, in
order to open up the country and make
business on the desert, which is now
losing section of road"
Mr.. Boswell was reluctant to allow the
use of his name in connection with the
information he gave, but finally con-
sented. The reason he gave was that
possibly it might hurt the chances of his
relative in securing the position he sought.