Imperial Valley press., 1913-12-09
Shares Taken Up
In a Twinkle

pie living here have unbounded con-
fidence in the resources and future
growth of Southern California was
strikingly manifested when the deal
for the $4,000 acres Of the Imperial
Valley Farm Lands Association, val
ued at $2,000,000, was subscribed
three days after being placed on the
market. Last Thursday the govern-
ing board of the association complet-
ed it's plans and subscription lists and
early Saturday evening every share
had been pledged. One-third of the
entire amount was subscribed in one
day by the ranchmen and merchants
of Imperial valley itself, thus demon
strating their faith in the land which
has already brought them such abun-
dant prosperity.
The remaining two-thirds of the
shares were purchased by residents
of Los Angeles, San Diego and other
places south of the Tehachepi
Luther G. Brown, secretary of the
syndicate, declared last night that if
an opportunity had been given every
share would have been purchased in
Imperial valley. The allotment for
Los Angeles was insufficient to meet
the applications, according to Brown.
"Nearly two years ago when l
first obtained an option on these
lands" said Brown, "and began the
work of solving the problems neces-
sary to open this district to the men
with the plow and the hoe, l was ad-
vised that it would be impossible to
finance so gigantic an undertaking
without going to New York or Lon
don and securing foreign aid. But
three days ago we placed the sub
scription lists before the public and
in three days every share had been
pledged.
81 am not stating these facts to
boost the market, for no shares of
our association will ever be listed for
sale-but l think the people of Los
Angeles and of Southern California
should know and should be proud of
the fact that not dollar of this
money was subscribed by non-resi-
dent of Southern California. Deeds
speak louder than words and South
ern California has again demonstrated
its faith in itself and in it's glorious
future
On Saturday night, when the board
of managers met and compared notes
it found an subscription had oc-
Cured. By long distance telephone
they notified the business men of I'M
perial valley and San Diego, who were
interested, that the subscription list
was closed.
! "More than 100 persons have Wis
tied my office during the past few
days, all anxious to buy land. have
told them all to view the lands in
person in order to make their selec
tions pending the completion of the
appraisal, which will be completed
in about ten days. Water is now
available for $4,000 acres and the ir-
rigation system is being rapidly COM
pleted so that the entire district will
Je in shape to produce crops during
the coming year.
, "There will be two towns laid out,
their location not yet definitely de-
t. l'red and as yet unnamed. There
IS much interest among Imperial
valley business men in the proposed
towns, fifteen persons having indi-
Gated their intention of buying lots
and erecting business buildings. So
not only will the desert blossom like
the rose, but two brand new towns
will flourish where the horned toad
and lizard held sway for centuries.
"The enterprise means the opening
up and development Of the norther
and last quarter of the Imperial val
ley and rounds out and completes the
available irrigable lands of the val
ley. The main line of the Southern
Pacific runs through the northern
portion of our lands. The home
seeker of the east, having heard of
the wonderful land of Imperial,
queen of the western valleys, looks
with disappointment upon our ap-
parently forbidding waste, and passes
on. He does not know that only two
miles south a great canal is being dug
as fast as men and teams can work
that in a few days it will cross the
railroad in its northward course and
that possibly when he next passes
that way within another six months
marvel will have been wrought; the
lands watered and planted to trees and
alfalfa, homes everywhere and town
built.
"The syndicate wants to empha-
Siza tho fact tbat this doaI ;c rrono,