Imperial Valley press., 1911-12-12
GIVES RESUME Of GREAT
GROWTH IN THIS VALLEY
The Melon Center.

From there they went by train to
Brawley, recognized as the melon
growing center of the valley, and Mr.
Phinney was surprised to see this
thrifty of the group in the valley The
growth there has been remarkable,
and the same excellent buildings, fine
stores and comfortable homes were
everywhere to be seen. Brawley has
one of the six cotton gins in the val
ley-and the Holton Power Company,
by the way, furnishes the power for
running most of them. In fact, the
power companys enterprises are all
of the most practical and substantial
character, and these utilities sell their
products so reasonably, and with so
much attention to the neds of the peo-
pie, that they are almost universally
used.
From there the party went to I'M
perial, and this place is also flourish
ing and growing. 1t has a splendid
high school, Carnegie library and
other buildings and enterprises which
would do credit to town much larg-
er, but which were built with real
ization that the future has much in
store for them
Seeley is the New Town
A new town is being established on
the west side, just on the bank of the
river, ON the Arizona & San Diego
railroad, and it has been named See-
ley. The men backing it expect it to
occupy the same place for the west
side that Holtville does for the east
side of the valley.
And the towns are all improving
rapidly in the growing of street trees
and in the building of sidewalks. The
one great need, as the Redlands Wis
itor saw it, for the comfort and econ
omy of the people, is better roads and
streets These will come in time-not
a great time, either. AS whole the
valley is most prosperous. The whole
aspect of the landscape has been
changed by the vast fields of alfalfa,
cotton and grains, and by the planting
of trees. Thousands Of head of beef
cattle are now being brought in from
Arizona and Texas for pasturage dur
ing the winter, and to feed upon the
cotton seed, or by-product thereof,
which has proved to be most nutri
tious and flesh building. In fact, the
industries of the valley are becoming
well diversified and the people self
sustaining. The lack of money from
which the settlers suffered in their
pioneer days has been largely over
come, and visit to the great valley
is an eye-opener to any observer.
The Redlands people who have gone
in the Imperial country are, generally
speaking, doing we'll, and are content
ed Mr. Phinney enjoyed meeting a
number of them, and in learning OF
their good fortune.
It Takes Big Figures.
There are now 225,OOO acres of land
in the valley under cultivation, with
about 100000 acres more to come lat
er. Cotton growing is exciting much
interest, the Imperial Valley product
having carried off the first prize for
short staple cotton at the New York
exposition recently, and Japan has
shown her interest by taking several
carloads. Probably half a million
dollars will come into the valley from
this one crop this year
The power company is just begin
ming the installation of a big steam
auxiliary plant, to be used in case OF
emergency, if anything should happen
to the water power plant. 1t is Of the
most substantial character, as are the
company's buildings and equipments
This auxiliary plant alone will cost
$150,O00. lt
The valley has a population now OF
at least 10000. The assessment roll
shows $13,000,000 worth of property
exclusive of the railroads, and as the
basis is about 25 cents on the dollar,
the real valuation is well over $50,000-
600 The railroad property is worth
$5,000,000.
Think of it, if you can grasp the
figures-over S55,000,000 of wealth
created in ten years; and twenty
thousand people subsisting in an ag-
ricultural section which decade ago
was a desert.