Imperial Valley press., 1909-03-20
HARTMAN VISITS IMPERIAL VALLEY
Man Who Tucked the Colorado Back Into Its Bed Says This Country Was Worth SavngWears Button of Ten ThouS- and Club and Becomes Booster for American Nile VaIey- Interested In People Who Are Retaining the Desert

( * X * * < < X * * * < * X < X X < * * railroads, came to Imperial Valley * nday. He saw a part of the region x ne of its people at stations along the < of the Southern Pacific and the Cali < 9 tell of the progress of their work X he future, and put into three words * the development of Imperial Valley. < Centro on the way through the Val * ard trip, Sunday morning, Mir. Harri- * at the station. A citizen of Fl Cen * ave seen this country, do you think *
 * hatic. "Yes; do yov2" * ; person. * < * < < < X x * * * * * X X X X X k * * cisely on what they told him. A citi- zen said to him. "The people of the valley tbink your company should be repaid by the government for closing the break of the Colorado
 Up to Congress.
 "Of Course it should, as a matter of business honesty. But it is for Con- gress to decide, and if Congress does not want to do business fairly, it can go to- well, you know where" And Mir. Hartman came as near to grin ming ironically as he ever does.
 The man of many railroads was told that his train was expected at noon and that a great many people from the country roundabout had come in to meet him, but had gone home disappointed.
 q am very sorry" he responded earnestly. q would have liked to see them. We were delayed. Stopped at many stations and did a lot of fool things"
 Have you been down to the head ing to see where the river was tamed?"
 'Yes, that was one thing that de- layed us. I wanted to see that work. It is a good job Went to Laguna Dam too I wanted to assure my self that you people are going to have all the water you need-not too much you know"
 After a stop of ten or fifteen min utes the party boarded the train. Mir. Hartman said he would not keep the people away from their homes any longer, and bade all goodbye as the train moved south.
 At Calexico.
 The Hartman special remained at Calexico overnight, and MT. Harri- man received and heard reports from the officers of the c. D. Co.,, and doubt less gave them general instructions regarding work on the canal system. At S:3O o'clock Sunday morning, the train stopped again at Fl Centro on it's way north, and MT. Hartman alighted and looked at the town by daylight. The train waited for two or three members of the party, who had been left at CaleYico and were coming up in an automobile. Col 1 Randolph was one of the marooned ones, and MT. Hartman appeared to be amused at the missing of train ! by railroad man. We had to back up for a porter who got left at one station" he said, but who ever heard of a railroad president getting left by his own car"
 The auto soon appeared in cloud of dust, and Col Randolph and Othe man Stevens, of the Hearst papers jumped from their seats and hurried to the train.
 Mir. Hartman was wearing the but ton of the Ten Thousand Club, anC he examined the lapels of two ol three citizens to see if they were properly decorated. When he found the button, he said: That's right"
 Accompanying MT. Hartman ant his family party were Julius Krutt schnitt Director of Maintenance ant Operation of the Hartman system Col Epes Randolph, president of tho Mexican lines of the Southern Paci fc and of the California Development Company; Gen. supt. H. V, Platti Division Supt. Averlll; pr, George Goodiellow and other officers of thu system.
 MT. Hartman was on his way tC Los Angeles, where conference O the powers in the railroad world wa to be held on Monday. Among thos, whose private cars were parked a the Arcade depot. awaiting the con ference( were: J. T. Harahan presi dent of the Illinois Central; J. F O'Brienl of the Oregon River Navaga