Imperial Valley press., 1908-03-07
ANGELENOS ASTOUNDED
lContinned from nage 1.l

UO0ay.
 e. w. Schlichten told about the ramie plant and the profits to be de- rived from it's cultivation The fibre, he said, is superior to flax, making a cloth better than linen, and closely resembling silk He believed it pos sible to grow from four to six crops a year in imperial Valley and to get net returns of S1OO to SIPS per acre.
 Things Worth While.
 Harold Bell Wright who is allowed to run over the ranch that Dr. Shep- herd runs, and who has been convicted twice of writing novels and suspected of painting pictures, was directed to talk about art, but contumaciously dis obeyed orders and talked about some thing else. He said, to begin with, that he wondered if men interested in business would give attention to the real things of life, and then he went on to tell them about the new civiliza- tion that is growing here in the South west and the sort of people the desert is destined to produce.
 A land moulds it's people and fash ions their character, he said, and the sunshine, color, beauty and tranquility of this land would find expression, in the years to come, in the lives of its people. He predicted great achieve ments in art and literature. The spirit of the people counted for more than dollars, and the finest, best product of Imperial Valley would be men and women.
 Frank Wiggins gave a short talk about the big things he had seen and the big stories he had heard, but being a doer rather than an orator, he did not try to make a speech.
 Dreams Come True.
 w. F. Holt, who had tried to keep out of sight, was detected in the back rows and ordered to the stage. He supplied the Los Angeles men with the cold facts and figures they were in search of, and he told them that in few years Imperial Valley would be the greatest asset of their city. Three years ago there were 4000 peo- pie in the valley; now there are more than 15,0OO. The population had in creased, as shown by the railroads record of arrivals and departures, 5000 since last October The net value of valley products last year was a million and half; this year it would be from two to three millions. In a few years the population would be e hundred thousand and the value or products would be tens of millions. The visitors seemed to be amazed at what they had seen, but they had only begun to see the valley and they would see only a small part of it on their whole trip. The valley had exceeded every estimate he ever made, although he was considered an optimistic dreamer. He had to coax men to COIuS III uSlC LWO OI yCdlo dSOS and it was hard to get them in. Some of them, who came reiuctantly with a capital of $500, now had $15,OO0. Farmers, who came with nothing but their teams, were worth five, ten, fifty thousands dollars Number was set tied by men without capital. He bought large tract of land and in duced farmers to settle on it by sell ing it to them on seven years time, nothing down, and advancing money for water rights. They had paid off the loan and become prosperous, and he considered the purchase of that tract the most profitable investment he ever made.
 An incident of the reception was the presentation of flowers to President Stewart of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce by Rev. s. l. Ward on behalf of the w. c. T. U.
 The Fl Centro orchestra added to the gayety of the occasion with an excellent musical program, and the affair was in every particular joyous success.
 Reached Their Hearts.