Imperial Valley press., 1908-10-24
Largest and Most Representa- tive Gathering in History
 of Valley Listens to Good
 Speeches and Hears for First Time Good News of End of Legal Contentious

Hotel oregon, El Centros handsome made that it excells in convenience and luxuriousness every hotel in Southeastern California, was formally opened to the public on Thursday night.
 Amidst the flashing of hundreds of electric lights, and setting of potted palms and jardineres of blooming plants in beautifully furnished lobby, corridors, parlors and guest-rooms, the opening took place. The most brilliant .assemblage of men and women ever gathered in Imperial Valley-members and guests of the Fl Centro Ten Thousand Club-gladly participated in the affair, and expressed their hearty good wishes for this enterprise which is destined to be of such great bene- fit, not only to Fl Centro but to the entire Imperial Valley.
 Inspection of building, participation in the banquet. and enjoyment of the post-prandial exercises formed the evenings programme. The event was one of note alike for the hotel and flor the Ten Thousand Club.
 The Building.
 On February 20, Messrs. A. D. Helms and M. l.. Pellett, capital ists of Ashland, Oregon, came to I'm perial Valley to view the land of won ders of which they had heard. Natur, ally their steps were directed at once to the central point of the valley, Ell tCentro. It was case of coming, see ing and being conquered-for within two days Messrs Helms and Pellett had become the owners of seven city lots, the present hotel site, at the southeast corner of Fifth street and Broadway.
 Two days later, excavation was be- gun for the big hotel block, and while the laborers were hauling away the earth, preparatory for the foundation, architects were busy on the palms for the supeFstructure. Brick laying be- gan within thirty days from the time the land was purchased, and all through the summer the place was a busy hive of workmen, hastening the building, so that it might be ready for the influx of fall and winter visit ors. It was completed October l..
 As the Hotel oregon stands today, including it's elegant equipment, it represents an expenditure, of about $100,0O0.
 The building is three stories in height, with the heaviest brick walls of any building in Imperial Valley. Eighty guest rooms occupy the second and third floors, and they are sup piled with thirty baths. Corridors eight feet in width run the fuli length of each floor, both to the north and south and the east and west.
 The lobby and dining room occupy the major portion of the first floor space. Five store rooms occupy a part of the Fifth street frontage. All of these are occupied.
 Each guest room is connected with the hotel office by electric bells and by telephones. An abundance of cleo tric lights have been placed, They have been freely used in the orna. mentation of both lobby and dining room.
 The interior finish of the hotel is of Oregon pine in cherry colored colonial style. The walls are tinted in deep tones of green with Interesting of deep red for a height of three and a half feet A large amount of stucco work has been used in the friezes for lobby and dining room and for the ornamental archways above the main portals of the hotel.
 The building itself Is undoubtedly the best constructed in Imperial Val ley. Its foundations are of concrete,