Imperial Valley press., 1908-02-15

that lO turn oflVe tnc WheeiS Ot cuLci- prise and industry m all the valley towns
 BustIine County Seat.
 To all who had not been at El Centro for even a short time, the wonderful strides made by that bus ting little rlty, the metropolis and county seat of Imperial county, the substantial foundation upon which the people of that place are erecting their city, was marvel indeed. Tn fact, there were many who remarked upon the remarkable early history of Fl Centro as being much like that of RedIands. The buildings are substan- tial There are no "shacks" in the business section. Everywhere the business blocks are of brick, and it seems simply marvellous to see in a spot where twenty-six months ago there was nothing but desert sand, a thriving town, with fine brick hotel laige brick opera house, brick stores, by the dozen, temporary court house being erected of hollow tile, and last but by no means least, brick jail which the offenders against the law cannot break out of.
 Leader of Progress.
 In the evening the members of the excursion party were present at the formal opening of the Holt Opera House, pretty little play house with a seating capacity of 800, nicely fur nished, we'll lighted, and, in fact, form ing theatre building of which any city of five times the size might well be proud.
 Probably on this occasion was shown most plainly the great esteem in which w. F. Holt of Redlands, the head of the Holton Power Company, and the man who has been foremost in bring ing the valley to the front. MT. Holt has from the first led in the great battle to redeem this desert and give to the country new farming district, supporting thousands of families in comfort. At El Centro he established the industrial enterprises of his great project, and he has put up most of the business blocks there. So it is not to be wondered at that there is no one in the hearts of the people there as is w. F. Holt, and those who know his modesty, his open-handedness, can best realize the affection of the people of this section for him.
 One of the most enjoyable parts of the trip, from a sightseeing stand point, was the journey down to Calexi- co, the little city on the border line between California and Mexico. From El Centro to Calexico as far as the eye could reach, stretch beautiful farms, largely of alfalfa, the crop that has been termed 'the mortgage litter" bus also in and around Calexico are to be seen more trees than any other place in the valley, this being one of the older sections as to settlement.
 When Courage Was Needed.
 The great gorge that was cut in the earth at Calexico was an extremely interesting thing and brought vividly to mind the dark days of the valley, when the water was pouring into the Salton Sea through the Alamo and New River channels, and eating back day by day this giant gorge that threat ened the ruination of the entire count ry by shutting off the supply of irri- gating water. And it was in these dark days that the Holton Power Com pany, largely through it's president, MT. Holt, was the mainstay of the valley, keeping up the courage of others through never losing heart it. self, even when the outlook was most dismal. The great abyss cut through the silt-like soil is couple of hundred feet deep and those of the party Who had not before realized the danger from which this great section and the immense capital in it was rescued by the action of the Southern Pacific Company in stepping to the front and handling the operations that resulted