Imperial press., 1901-05-11


 not elaborate on that point. The Cal ifornia Development company has al ready spent $35O, 900 on the work, and by Nov. enough water will be deliver ed to irrigate 100000 acres of land. This will appeal to a large number of active and intelligent farmers who will look in that direction for homes. believe that within year after water is turned on that section will have population of 1000 people, and within two years, 5000 people.
 "You are face to face with the prob lem of whether you want to get that business and receive the benefit of that development. If I were to look at the matter from a cold-blooded point, should say that it is immaterial to me whether San Diego or Los Angeles gets the business, and it is perhaps more convenient to trade with the lat ter city. But there is something deep CT than that to be considered. We are inseparab1y connected with San Diego and our interests lie in this county"
 Following Col. Ferguson, George w. Marston was called upon for fur ther statement of the case. He spoke with respect to the attitude of the chamber of commerce. "The directors came to decision only after mature deliberation," he said. "Indeed, they were acc sed of a lack of sympathy because they did not act more quickly. state this so you will understand that we are not asking for something that we have not thoroughly considered. We are of the op. .nion that this project is something the citizens of San Diego ought to encourage. It is matter of business, matter of seeing what is for our best interests.
 "For the past thirty years this desert land to the east of us has been a synonym for desolation, place where men lost their lives. This vast irriga- tion project seemed like an Utopian dream at first, but now we realize that there is great body of fertile land and one of the greatest rivers in Amer ica flowing by 1.-the magnificent en- terprise of these men is going to put water on the desert and make it bloom and blossom as the rose.
 "Now, after these men have spent so much money and done so much
 
 a thing. In fact, we have done noth- ing as yet to help this country. And here come these men to offer us busi ness; surely we should stretch out our hands for it. look at this as a very suspicious moment for us to add to our resources. Heretofore it has been our tendency to look northward; now there is an opportunity to get connection of the improvement of a road as a fore runner of great advance i'll the city and county, and as blazing the way for a railroad to the east. We ask you to give it forethought and look ahead to see what it means for the county. We are not asking for railroad, but for a wagon road to section of our own county which has an excellent prospect for development"
 E. J. Swayne, who recently accom- panied the Editorial excursion to the New river country, said: ''I have never made a week of investigation that unfolded more to me than that spent in the so-ca1led desert country. From point three miles out from Flowingwells nearly to the Mexican line, is an almost unbroken stretch of fertile soil. I have been thoroughly convinced that this enterprise is the one thing which will lift us up to the better things we have been hoping for so many years. One cannot stand in the canal, which is seventy feet wide at the base, and follow its course as far as the eye can reach, without real izing that it means business"
 Mir SwaVne said he had obtained