Williams news., 1906-04-07
THAT TABLED
 PEGLEG MINE
RainboWChasers Return Home---NOtes of
 the Trip

AS IHere are great many ln- qniries regarding the Imperial coun- try and other parts we passed through, 1 will try to give them a brief description of that section.
 Starting along the Santa Fe rail- road cutoff west from Wickenburg to Parker on the Colorado river, you pass through several valleys that in time will be some of the best farming country in Arizona. It is only matter of water. which the Colorado river will furnish as soon as dams are put in.
 We crossed the river at Ehren- burg and went out on the old But terfield stage line to Mecca on the s. P. railroad, north of the Salton sea. There they are irrigating from artisan wells and are making quite a success.
 From there we went to Brawley, Imperial and Holtville. These places are in what is known as the Imperial valley. This valley ex- tends from the Salton sea to Old Mexico, and is from twenty to twenty-five miles wide. At the present time the whole Colorado river is flowing into the Salton sea. It cuts out of the old channel about ten miles southwest from Yuma and runs northwest into the sea ]; but before reaching California from Old Mexico it divides, one river being called the Alamo and the other New river. The Alamo passes along about eight miles east of I'm perial and New river about five miles west, and they empty into the Salton sea about one mile apart. Imperial is about eighteen miles southeast from Salton sea and ten from Old Mexico.
 This without doubt will be the greatest farming country on earth. There is still over half of this land to be taken up. The land can be taken as homestead or desert claims. Anyone can take up 32O acres un- der the desert act, providing he has not used his homestead right, and, if married, his wife can locate the same under the desert act. You have to pay 25c per acre when loca- ting and $1 when proving up. It costs from $1O to $2O per share for water. One share covers one acre. and the entire location must be covered before yol can prove up on the desert claim. They ship canta. loupes and other melons out of there in train load lots a month or more earlier than any other place in the United States and-,thereby get the very best prices. When we left that country in February they were planting their cantaloupes and other crops. Alfalfa they cut from seven to eight times each year. In two years time there won't be any land left for location, and there would not be now if it had not have been for the Colorado river break ing there. This will be changed back to it's old channel to the gulf before the end of this year, and if the present floods are not too high it will be turned this month. They are putting in a steel head gate, which I cannot explain without showing on a map, which is sure to do the work
 From Imperial we went to Yuma. About fourteen miles north of there the government is putting in dam on the Colorado river for the irri- gating of all the lands in Arizona. This will make another fine farm ing country, and Yuma will make one of the best towns in the coun- try in the course of few years. I understand the dam will not be completed for two years yet, altho'