Imperial Valley press., 1909-10-16

school, six teachers and excellent equipment. The city has free pub lie library and reading room, which will soon be housed in $10,00O build ing provided by Andrew Carnegie.
 The Catholics, Methodists and Pres byterians have substantial church ed ifices, and the Baptists, Christian Church and Christian Scientists have strong congregations, which soon win have their own places of worship
 Public Utilities
 The city has electric lights, power and water, supplied by private enter prise, and a gas plant to supply fuel gas to El Centro and other cities, is in process of construction.
 The municipality has recently com peted septic sewer system at cost of $35,00O, and is about to install a municipal water system, for which bonds will be issued. A fire depart ment is maintained by the city.
 The Fl Centro postoffice is of the third class. For the year ending June 30, 1909, it issued 5695 money orders, amounting to $S1 ,O26, and paid 17S9 orders amounting to $22,570. Stamp sales for the year amounted to $6,177.
 Mercantile
 El Centro has two National banks, an abstract, title and trust company, two large department stores, hard ware and agricultural implement houses, clothing, shoe, grocery, pro- vision and other shops, two drug stores, printing offices, jewellers and watchmakers and all the usual places of trade and commerce. There are two large brick hotels in the business district and several frame hotels out side the fire limits.
 Industrial District
 Among the industrial establishments in active operation are: Light and power plant, ice and cold storage plant, steam laundry, creamery, ma chine shop equipped to rebuild loco motives if necessary, blacksmith shops brick yard, lumber yards, blaming mlll, fruit and vegetable packing sheds, produce warehouses. In course of in stallation: Gas works, cotton gin and press, tile works, alfalfa meal mill. El Centro is the center of the cotton district and headquarters of the Am erican Nile Cotton Company. More than 1900 acres of cotton have been planted this year, and yield of two bales to the acre is estimated confi dently by experts from Texas, who pronounce this the best cotton grow ing region In the world.
 Civic and Social
 The El Centro Chamber of Con- merce is an active body with 100 members, devoted to municipal com- mercial, industrial and civic advance ment. The women of Fl Centro do all of their share of the work of pub lie improv ement through their civic organization, the Ten Thousand Club There are !odges of Masons, Od,i Fellows, Eagle;, Woodmen, and fr;t- ternal Brotherhood Eastern Star arl l Women of Woodcrafl, besides guilds and church auxiliary societies and q womans' culture cluD.
 Financial
 The assessed valuation of the city in 1908 was $453,7S5, and the tax rate was 75 cents on $100. The valuation fixed by the city assessor for 1909 is $9S2,519, subject to increase by the board of equalization. The tax rate has not been less than that of last year The city has taken preliminary steps toward planting shade trees and paving the main streets under acts providing for assessments of cost to property benefited.
 General
 The city supports three physicians and a few lawyers, has a perfectly equipped private hospital, no ceme- tery, no city jail, no saloons, no | slumS and only one policeman, who