Imperial Valley press., 1908-02-29

One hundred and fifty business men of Los Angeles are in Imperial Val ley, seeing what has been done by pioneers of the new breed to reclaim the desert and build cities, and get ting acquainted with the people that they may establish close and mutually advantageous trade relations. They came down in a special train of ten Pullman cars on an excursion pro- noted by the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. The committee managing affairs for them is composed of Willis M. Booth, J. E. Coffin, E. P. Bosby- shell, Lee A. Mcconnell and Frank Wiggins Wiggins has mad so much experience in taking care of other people and is so ubiquitous that he is a dozen committees concentrated
 The excursion committee prepared the travellers for what they would see by distributing on the train pam phlet in which the committee said:
 w lIlIll SlA yGdlO . Jucil b 4ucil ter million acres of the once barren desert lands of eastern San Diego county have been transformed into a green garden by the magic of money, brains and water, and great county has been created, which is furnishing employment for many thousands of men, and happy and prosperous homes for twenty thousand people. Miles upon miles of land are now in corn, alfalfa and barley; great orchards of fruit trees and immense vineyards are being planted, and more than sixty thousand head of horses, cattle and hogs are growing and fattening on the fields of luscious grasses and grains of the valley. Cantaloupes and early vegetables are being shipped out of the valley by the hundreds of carloads, and the annual output of yellow cream and rich butter is enor- nous.
 "The commercial life of the valley is strikingly progressive. A daily newspaper, with Associated Press dis patches, and number of lively weekly papers furnish news; high-grade Ma tional and State banks take care of the finances, and the business houses carry immense stocks of the most modern supplies. The towns are all we'll built, with brick and stone busi- ness blocks, cement sidewalks, well graded streets and comfortable resi- dences.
 AS a whole, the Imperial Valley is a significant object lesson of what can be done in this wonderful State, where the soil and climate are right, and water can be had in abundance and the valley has the safest water supply in the great Southwest-and the business men of Los Angeles who make the trip will find a country teem- ing with the richness of life in plain which was only few years ago 2 voiceless desert"
 The reception committee appointed by President Geo. H. Stewart to help the excursion committee and introduce the visitors to business men in the valley, consisted of James Slauson, Percy H. Clark, Chas. w. Fleming, L. Kimble, w. M. Hamaker, J. c. Rays, D. J, Brownstein, A. P, Griffith, Carl Steinlein, M. Eshman. District Pas senger Agent N, R. Martin has charge of the train.
 Seeing the Valley.
 The excursion train left Los Ange- les Thursday evening and arrived ear ly Friday morning at Brawley, where the local Chamber of Commerce had carriages waiting to GrIve the visitors over one of the most productive irri- gated regions in the world. At Inn perial, another drive through thriv- ing farming district had been ar ranged, and the excursionists spent the afternoon in sightseeing.
 In the evening, the special train