Imperial Valley press., 1913-12-05

Los Angeles Examiner: One of the
biggest land deals of the year was
announced yesterday by John r.
Woodbridge of the California Land
and Water Company. 1t is the sale
by the Southern Pacific Land Com
pany of approximately $4,000 acres
in the Imperial valley at price
stated to be in the neighborhood of
$2,OOO,OO0.
For two years the syndicate acfuir
ing these holdings has been negotiat-
ing with the Southern Pacific Land
Company, through Luther G. Brown.
The option was secured about two
years ago, which accounts for the
favorable price, the value of Imperial
valley land having increased materi-
ally during the intervening time.
There were many complications rela-
tive to the water situation and the
demands of the creditors of the Cali
fornia Development Company, the
owners of the irrigating system. 1t
is understood that President Sproule
of the Southern Pacific Company and
Epes Randolph, president of the Mex
lean portion of the Southern Pacific
lines, made final arrangements with
the syndicate several days ago, when
the former gentlemen were here.
The land lies between Imperial
Junction and Brawley, both east and
west of the Imperial valley branch of
the Southern Pacific stretching from
Imperial Junction to the Mexican bor-
der. The land acquired is practically
bounded on the north by the main line
of the Southern Pacific and consists
of every alternate section in a region
that may be roughly described as
II miles long and IL miles wide. As
the valley is narrowest at this poim
the most outlying sections are not
more than eight miles from the rail
road.
During the last eighteen months the
extension Of the irrigating system of
the Imperial valley has been steadily
pushed. Travellers have noticed at I'M
perial Junction that the Imperial val
ley disclosed at that point was very
much like any other part of the So
called desert, and those travelling on
the branch have seen that this arid
ity extended for distance of twelve
miles south, both east and west, as
! far as the eye could reach. Suddenly,
a few miles north of Brawley, the
scene changes, green fields, sleek cat
tie and flourishing trees taking the
place of the sun baked plain. This
condition has been due to the fact that
the irrigation canals stopped near
Brawley.
The sale of this land means that
10000 acres of the most fertile and
best located land in the Imperial val
ley is to be reclaimed and developed
at once. The railroad land repre-
sented only alternate sections, with
government entrymen holding the
other $4,000 acres. These latter have
been unable to make any improve
ments, because they had no water
and by themselves were unable to or
ganize distributing water company.
AS result of the syndicate's nego-
tiations with the Southern Pacific
Land Company water company was
organized several months ago, new
company-mutual water company No.
3-to take up the work of Water
Company No. 5 and extend the east
high line ditch from the northern
boundaries of No. 5 district to Impe-
rial Junction. The ditch is now COM
pleted practically to the main line of
the Southern Pacific, and laterals will
be put in and the system will be
ready for the delivery of water with
in the next few weeks.
Much interest will attach to this
transaction because of the great in
fluence the development of the north
ern end of the valley will have upon
the valley itself, the Southern Pacific
Railroad Company and the populous
centers of Southern California.
Mr.. Woodbridge, in discussing the
matter yesterday, made the point that