Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-13
GOVERNMENT MAY
CLOSE RIVER GAP
ROOSEVELT URGES CONGRESS
TO ACT
Sends Special Message Asking for
Federal Funds to BE Appropri-
sted TO Close Breach in
Colorado
CONTINUED from Page One,

Continued from Page onel
would quickly get beyond control.
Finally, after many trials, the Califor-
MIA Development company actively un-
dertoolS the work. To insure the safety
of Imperial valley the head of the canal
on the river was first placed on United
States territory near where the river
was bounded by hills. The canal then
swung southwest and west away from
the river through Mexican territory 10
connect with the natural depressious
leading to the valley and back into the
/ United States. The organizers of this
company, in order to carry on the
work in Mexico, acted under Mexican
laws.
Mexico Granted Concessions
Concessions were granted to this
company by the Mexican government
and provision was made for the employ.
ment of a Mexican engineer to be APP
pointed by the Mexican government to
see that the project was properly car
ried out. The dangerous character of
the attempt was thus recognized in this
concession.
"The California Development COM
pany began its work by making repre-
sentations to possible settlers of the
great profits to be derived by them by
the taking up of this land. The claims
were not only eXtraVagant, but in many
cases 1t appears that willful misrepre-
sentations were made. Many of the
operations of this company tended to
mislead uniformed settlers. At first
the success of the company was great
and it disposed of water rights to set
tiers at prices sufficiently large to OBJ
tain fair revenue either in cash or in
securities of value.
The money thus obtained from set
tiers was not used in permanent de-
velopment but apparently disap-
peared, either in profits to the prin-
clpal promoters or in the numerous
subsidiary companies which to a GER
tain extent fed upon the parent COM
pany or served to obscure its opera
tions. The history of those deals is
so complicated that it would require
careful research extending through
many months to unravel the various
ways by which the money and secur-
tiles have disappeared. In brief, it
is sufficient to state that the valuable
considerations which were received
from water rights We're obviously not
used in providing necessary and per-
manent works for furnishing water
to the settlers.
Enterprise Was Visionary
THE whole enterprise and the spirit
of those promoting it, as we'll as of
the numerous small spectators at
tracted to the subsidiary companies,
were of the most visionary character.
Actual investments have been small
compared to estimates of wealth which
seemed possible of realization. The
company entered upon its construction
work with large plans, but with in
adequate capital. All of it's structures
for the control and distribution of
oh, .tfa,,
being built of wood and of the smallest
possible dimensions. Through the eff
forts thus made a large amount of
land was brought under cultivation
and at one time it was reported that
over 100000 acres were being more or
less irrigated.
THE first heading of the canal of
the California Development company
was made in the United States imme
diately north of the Mexican border.
1t was found after a time that the
heading on the American side of the
line did not give a grade to furnish
sufficient flow of water and after head
ings had been opened at other points
without successful results a cut in the
river bank was made four miles far
ther down in Mexican territory. This
gave the water a shorter and sleeper
course toward the valley The max
ing of this cut in a bank composed
of light soil above depression such
as this. without controlling devices,
was criminal negligence. This short
cut on Mexican soil was made in the
fall of 1904. 1t was gradually eroded
by the passage Of the water and i'll
the spring of 1905 the floods of the
Colorado river entering the artificial
cut rapidly widened and deepened it
until the entire flow of the river was
turned west down the relatively steep
81 into the imperial valley.
1T has been stated that the CalifOr-
MIA Development company has not the
financial strength to repair the break
and to restore the bank of the Colorado
river to such permanent condition tnat
a similar occurrence cannot happen. 1t
is further understood that the Southern
Pacific company, having expended 81,
O0O, 900 or more for the protection of it's
interests. declines to furnish more
money to the California Development
cornpany to save the Imperial valley
beyond controlling the present break in
the river bank. The ownership of the
property in Imperial valley, both far
mers and toWnspeope together with
the Southern Pacific company and the
California Development company, have
combined to call upon the government
to assist the California Development
company to the extent of erecting per-
manent works to insure protection in
the future.
Will Cause Tremendous Damage
IF the river is not put back and per-
manently maintained in its natural bed
the progressive back-cutting in the
course of year or two will extend up
stream to Yuma, and finally to the La
guna dam, now being built by the gov
ernment, thus wiping out millions of
dollars of property belonging to the
government and to the citizens. Con-
tinuing further, it win deprive all the
valley lands along the Colorado river
of the possibility of obtaining a new
supply of water by gravity canals.
'The great Yuma bridge will go out
and approximately 100000 acres OF land
as fertile as the Nile valley will be left
I'm a desert condition. What this means
may be understood when we remem-
ber that the entire producing area of
Southern California Is about 100000
acres A conservative estimate for full