The Parker post. (Parker, Ariz.) 1910-1918, 1911-09-16
COLORADO DESERT
TO FEED MILLIONS
George Wharton James, Well Known
Magazine Writer, Forecasts Bright
Future For Colorado River Coun-
try.
By George Wharton James, in Tween
tieth Century Magazine.
Continued from Last Week.

There are so many determined,
sensible, level-headed practical bust
ness men interested in the lands (the
Land Office records show that in less
than two years over six hundred
claims Of three hundred and twenty
acres each have been taken up in the
Palo Verde Mesa and Chucawalla Val
ley), that if it were known that the
whole financing of the affair were
left to themselves a call would issue
In three days and in seven more a
popular subscription to lands would
be made by the actual filters on the
lands which would supply all the mon
ey needed to carry the development
of the canal system to a satisfactory
completion.
Most of the entrymen are success
full Orange-growers and agricultural
lists, familiar with conditions reuui-
site for success, who have gone into
this project after carefully studying
the existent facts. Their Judgment
upon the possibilities therefore
should have great weight. They claim
that the land will produce dates, or
anges, lemons, cotton, figs, apricots,
and the earliest fruits and vegetables.
The soil is pronounced exceptionally
fine, for the raising of oranges 1t
is composed of decomposed granite,
So, iron, limestone and gypsum 1t
is generally of a reddish cast and
looks similar to the soil of Redlands
Fruit trees bear fully a year or two
earlier than on the coast or in the in
terror valleys of the state, and oran-
ges ripen earlier than in any portion
of the United States, so that when
the Panama Canal is completed oran-
ges can be shipped to London and
Berlin in time for the American resi-
dents there to enjoy them on Thanks
giving Day.
Another remarkable fact that should
not be overlooked, and that is that
the oranges grown in the so-called
desert regions of the Southwest, az
Palm Springs, Yuma, P enix,
Mesa, ETC., are similar to the Florida
oranges in their thinness of skin,
sweetness, flavor and juiciness, with
the added advantage of a high and
pleasing color They will thus bring
the highest possible prices on account
of their early harvesting and superior
quality.
What then is reasonable Tor one
to expect of this valley? Forty years
ago men laughed, sneered and scoffed
at Judge North and his co-workers
when they proposed to do at River
side what it is proposed to do in the
Chucawalla Valley. Today Riverside
is one of the richest fruit-growing
sections of the world There are no
poor here, for every orchardist has
grown rich in the years, that have
passed and Riverside has become
one of the ''show cities" of the south
ern portion of California.
Less than forty years ago the same
kind of doubling Thomas laughed at
Frank Brown when he proposed to
bring the water from a dam he would
build in the Bear Valley of the San
Bernardino range, and make the town
of Redlands; but to-day Redlands is
one of the 'paradises" of the world.
It's Smiley Heights" is a king of
''show places" in a state full of show
places, yet the barrenness and DESC
lation of it's original appearance was
worse than any part of the Chuca-
Walla Valley. The valley of Red
lands has become proverb, for, look
ing over the valley from it's heights,
long rows of orange trees radiate in
every direction until they converge
into a distant blur 1t is a deep
green sea, which during the period of
blossoming is dashed in creamy, foam
crested waves of Odorous flowers. In
the time of harvest it is the verita-
BILE land of Hesperides, for the golden
orange is a ball of rich and delicious
nectar fit for the gods. Figures will
give little idea as to what Redlands
means to the United States. Last
year it's crop of oranges tOtaled
enough to give to every man, woman
and child of the hundred millions of
the country four oranges apiece. From
November twenty-third to Septem-
Der eleventh, 4721 carloads, contain
ing 1,6S0,986 boxes, were shipped of
oranges and lemons from her pack
ing houses Forty years ago the