The San Francisco call., 1908-12-13
VIEW WONDERS OF
IMPERIAL VALLEY
San Francisco Excursionists
Are Impressed With the I'm.
limited Possibilities
Keen Eyed Businessmen Ger.
tain to Take Hand in Fu-
ture Development
Especial Dispatch to The Call

IMPERIAL, Dec. 1.-THE chamber Of
commerce excursionists went wide eyed
and wonder stricken through the I'm
perial valley today. Stopping at the
principal towns from Imperial juno
tion to the Mexican line, the commercial
visitors had personal contact with the
men who have turned the wastes of
the Colorado desert into fields, orchards
and towns. So impressed were many
of the moneyed men of the party with
the quick development and the unlim-
tied possibilities of this new coun-
try that many investments of San Fran
cisco capital may be looked for.
That the keen eyed businessmen will
decide to take hand in the develop
ment of the Imperial valley after they
have thoroughly digestsd the informa-
tion which they have gathered at first
hand is almost certain. The men of the
valley have long sought the opportun-
ity to show the business captains of
San Francisco what they have done
during, the last two years, and they
made the most of the chance afforded
them today. Short stops were made at
Brawley, Imperial and Hoitville, and
at all three towns delegations of lead
ing citizens welcomed the visitors and
explained the resources Of the country.
RICHES OF Ell CENTRIC
The greater part of the day was
spent at the thriving county seat of
Imperial county, Ell Centre. Not yet
three years old, Ell Centre has a bust
ling, wide awake population of more
than 1000, substantial hotels. fine brick
stores and homes and a country behind
all this of amazing productiveness.
When the train stopped the visitors
were greeted by a brass band and a
delegation consisting of J. Stanley
Brown, Allen Kelly, DR.. S. p. Shepherd
Lewis Havermale. George A Carter
and John r. Baker. In addition to
| these, every man, woman and child be-
came committee of entertainment
and laid before the chamber of COM
| merce visitors details of the growth
| of their community that sounded like
| fairy tales, but were really recitals OF
unvarnished truth.
| To the recently organized chamber
| of commerce of Ell Centre President
| Moore extended in advance an invita-
| ton to visit the new chamber of COM
| merce building. which is to be under
course OF construction in San Fran
! cisco soon.
TRIBUTE TO HARTMAN
When Gavin McNab was called upon
for talk he paid a tribute to the
work done for the valley by Hartman
! as tne greatest genius the
world has ever known.
| After an informal reception in the
opera house the visitors sat down to q
sumptuous repast in the Masonic hall
prepared and served by the women's
auxiliary of the Ell Centre ten thousand
| club. The turkey for which the valley
| is famous formed part of this luncheon
and after partaking of it many of the
| party declared that they would order
| hair Christmas birds 10
valley.
| After luncheon the visitors took ir
the county fair, where the various
products of the valley. from stallion:
| to cotton and from oranges to turkeys
were ON exhibition. 1t was a gala
| day for Ell Centre and in honor of the
occasion Sheriff Mobley Meadows gave
an exhibition of broncho busting which
the city men pronounced superior tc
anything done under Buffalo Bills
| auspices.
IMPRESSES VISITORS
! 1t is doubtful if anything in the tri,
| through the south has so impressed
the visitors as this insight into tn,
wonderful achievements of the pioneer.
of Imperial.
| From Ell Centre the special ran t.
| CaleXico the boundary line. TIL,
visitors crossed the divide into Mexi
Gala and spent few minutes kidding
the Cocopah Indians, who struttet
about in full regalia. Calexico was tn,
southern terminus of the excursion an,
! toward sundown the special started
north again. Tomorrow morning stop
will be made at Guadalupe and SAINT;
Maria and after that the train will rul
to San Francisco without further de
lay. According to schedule the excur
sionists should reach Third and Towns
end streets by 1915 tomorrow night