Imperial Valley press., 1910-03-12

Fl Centro, the seat of the Imperial County government, is the youngest Of the five valley towns that are in corporated as cities of the sixth class. It's rapid growth is due partly to ad- vantageous location but chiefly to the success of it's founders in inducing capital to establish substantial manu- featuring and commercial enterprises within it's limits. It is the point of junction of the Southern Pacific's In ter-California branch with the Holton Inter- Urban and the San Diego & Arizona, the latter new railroad in course of construction that will place San Diego in direct connection with the East. Work is in progress at both ends of the new railroad. Twen- ty miles or more have been built out from San Diego and nine miles are being built west from El Centro to New River. The mountain and desert section between probably will be con- pieted in about three years. Heavy steel is being laid on the Inter Cali fornia, replacing the original rails, and through trains between Fl Paso and Los Angeles will soon be travers- ing the valley from north to south. Eventually the San Diego & Arizona may be extended eastward through Holtville in a direct line to the river, but for the present, and probably for many years to come, Ell Centro will be the eastern end of the new road.
 The city of Fl Centro was founded in 1906 by w. F. Holt, who built a two- story brick hotel, an opera house and office building, an electric light and power plant and an ice factory, and then invited people to settle on the new townsite.
 In August, 1907, the town had only 125 inhabitants, but because of it's central location and it's railway con- nections it was made the county seat when Imperial County was created out of the eastern half of San Diego County.
 Settlement was rapid during the fall of 1907 and the following winter, and in April, 1908, Fl Centro was in corporated as city of the sixth class, with a population of 125O.
 Fl Centro is especially proud of it's public schools. It has two public school buildings, one of them being the lar gest grammar school building in 1m- perial Valley, costing $25,O00. Cram mar schools have six teachers. High school, six teachers and excellent equipment. The city has free pub lie library and reading room, which will soon be housed in $10,000 build ing provided by Andrew Carnegie.
 The Catholics, Methodists and Pres byterians have substantial church edi- fees, and the Baptists, Christian Church and Christian Scientists have strong congregations, which soon will have their own places of worship.
 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.
 The municipality has recently com pleted a septic sewer system at a cost of $35, 900, and is about to install a municipal water system, for which bonds to the amount of $69,000 have been authorized by unanimous vote Provision for drilling artesian wells has been made. A fire department Is maintained by the city,
 The El Centro Postoffice is of the third class. For the year ending June 30, 1909, 1t issued 5,695 money orders amounting to $81 ,O26, and paid IFS! orders amounting to $22,570. StamI sales for the year amounted to $6,l77
 El Centro has two national banks an abstract title and trust company two large department stores, hardware and agricultural implement houses clothing, shoe, grocery, provision an' other shops, two drug stores, printini offices, jewellers and watchmakers an' all the usual places of trade and com merce. There are two large brick ho tels in the business district and seV eral frame hotels outside the fir limits.
 Among the industrial establishment in active operation are; Light am