Imperial Valley press., 1913-12-05
AS Great Land Deal is Seen
From the City View Point

the value of the Imperial valley had
been sharply called to the attention
of the entire Pacific coast during the
last six months. He said that the Inn
perial valley, with its production of
feed, had saved the lives Of tens of
thousands of cattle that on account
of the dryness of the season were
starving on the cattle ranges of north
ern and central California. He said
that train load after train load of
cattle, unable TO find food on their
accustomed ranges, had been shipped
by their owners to the Imperial val
ley for fattening purposes. The great
success of the cantaloupe growing,
due to the intelligent handling of the
crop; the constantly increasing grain
crops, the tremendous strides taken
in cotton growing in the last eighteen
months, Mr.. Woodbridge said, gave
peculiar significance and value to this
transaction.
"Any move that results in the cut
ting up of large unproductive acreage
into highly productive small FARMS ~
said Mr.. Woodbridge, is of inestima-
BILE value to Southern California.
"This country must be prepared for
the influx of immigrants certain to
occur as soon as the Panama canal
is opened. Imperial valley offers at
tractive opportunities for the inten-
sive farmer of both this country and
abroad, and it is fortunate for South
ern California that just at this time
steps have been taken to throw this
vast acreage into the market for utiI-
ization by agriculturists.
"The cost of living in Los Angeles
and the other cities of this region
should be materially reduced when
this newly watered acreage begins to
furnish millions of tons of feed, grain
and food stuff that are being con-
sumed in ever increasing quantities
in Southern California and the prices
of which are now so high.
GAS a matter of fact, l understand
that the gentlemen who acquired this
land did so largely with an eye to the
benefit to accrue to the entire popu-
lation of Southern California certain
to result from this purchase.
"The transaction is also an inter-
esting commentary on the confidence
celt in the future by the conservative
men who constitute this purchasing
syndicate"
Mr.. Woodbridge further said that
various town sites would be estab-
.ished and that he believed in a COM
paratively few months the northern
end of the Imperial valley, which
has hitherto been so desolate on ac-
count of the lack of water, would be
as smiling and as green as the region
now is from Brawley south.
The syndicate making the purchase
is said to consist of about 100 citi-
zens Of Southern California, Los An
geles, San Diego and the Imperial
valley being represented in the men,
bership. Conspicuous in the list are
Stoddard Jess, Gen. M. H. Sherman,
Arthur E. Hull, John D. Reavis, John
R. Woodbridge, Herbert L. Cornish,
Robert A. Rowan, Robert Marsh,
Walter X. Bowker and Luther G.
Brown.
/ The influence of the purchase on
the fortunes of the Southern Pacific
IS expected to be considerable. The
freight tonnage from Imperial val
ley has been growing by leaps and
bounds, and this newly watered region
when in a state of cultivation is ex-
pected to add to the annual revenues
of the road by hundreds Of thousands
of dollars. 1t is said that one 800
acre tract in the valley paid during
the last shipping season $4,000
freight charges to the Southern Pa
cific railroad.
The syndicate's intention, it is re-
ported, is to dispose of the LAND
promptly in comparatively small lots
and at no great increase over the price
paid per acre for the entire tract.
Messrs. Brown, Reavis and Cornish
left for Imperial valley Tuesday night
to arrange for the appraisal of the
land through Messrs. Wills, Edmonds
and McHarg, well known in the val
ley as entirely familiar with condi