Imperial press., 1901-04-20
TO INDIAN WELLS VIA BLUE LAKE

hearted, COlQ-DlOOQeQ, ana CdlluS, Dul beneath the vest of Willard F. Hudson the geniel manager of the Hotel I'm perial, there beats big, warm heart
 We arrived in the town of Imperial Sunday, March ?, and registered al the hotel for a week, and, although the facilities for accommodating guests in the new town are limited, we were made to feel ourselves perfectly "at home," and were indeed very comfor. table. The morning of the following Tuesday MT. Hudson harnessed Bill and Dick to a vehicle and invited a party, of which we were happy mem, bers, to go for drive over some of the country. He took great pains to ex' plain everything of interest, which made the trip all instructive as well as entertaining one. The following is an account of the the days outing by one of the number:
 One lovely morning late ill march a party of six started from the new town of Imperial, on the Colorado desert, for trip to Blue lake. For a distance of several miles we drove on over level, unbroken country, with little vegetation save all occasional Greasewood bush with its bright yell low blossoms. Before us the mirage pictured a lake. Beyond the lake Sig nal mountain, across which the Inter national Boundry Line between two countries runs, looned up in its beauty and grandeur, seemingly so near, yet miles away. Over lake and noun tain fingered the beautiful blue light characteristic of this country. Of to our right were one or two small tracts of blown out lands. As we drew near the lake four tents came to our view, one we had been told was saloon, but if any one of the party felt in- clined to stop for glass ot beer the temptation was resisted, and we pro- ceeded on our way through a grove of mesquit trees of the loveiiest foliage. We reached the lake, which is about eight miles from town, at 1O:3O. This lake, three quarters ot mile i'll length and half mile in width, bordered with mesquit trees, which hang gracefully over it's banks, alive with fish of different varieties, sea gulls, ducks, and other fowls swimming over it's surface, was a body of water very pleasant to the eye. Blue lake is one of series of lakes along the New river, which are filled with water through the year, though only getting their supply of water periodically from the Colorado river during the June high water. Notwithstanding their beauty, their remotenesS from the beaten path has made them unknown to the present population of Southern California, tho they were probably well known to the older generation, for they are on the line of the old Butterfield stage route from Los An geles to Yuma. Two miles from Blue lake, on this stage route just men tioned, and on the west side of New river, are the ruins of Indian Wells, a stage station, at one time good sized adobe house. Numerous names carved in the walls showed it to be a picnicing place. AS we found no water for our horses there, we drove back to the lake and stopped near butchers camp, the large collection of beet hides spread about showed that he had carried on a flourishing business. We settled ourselves in the shade, and did ample justice to the lunch Charlie, the excellent cook at the hotel, had given us. About two o'clock we turned our faces homeward, making good pro gress, as the wind, which commenced blowing about the time we started