Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1913-04-24

4
a wonderful valley. II isn't the lack
of water that holds the valley down
but lack of management in allow
ing the bitches to become filled up.
The soil is silt and 1t must be quite
depth as the river banks where
1t is washed out 10 to 10 feet, show
the soil the same color from top to
bottom. 1t very seldom rains in the
valley. To prevent the roads from
becoming dusty two parallel roads
are built, just the reverse from the
way we build roads at home. The
roads are made lower in the center.
The ditch water is turned into one
road, then allowed to become al
most dry. 1t is then dragged to I'LL
up the chuck holes. When 1t Is dry
water is then turned into the other
road BY this method they have
fine roads Just as smooth and solid
as can be. 1t is a great valley for
stock. They raise oats, barley and
alfalfa and keep mostly dairy cattle
although you will find large herds
of beef cattle which are finished on
milo maize. One party said his cows
average $1S a head per month the
year round. He COTS % cents a
gallon and 1t was then shipped out
and retailed at 40 cents. You can see
for yourself that his cows were real
ly no milch cows after all. For all
the big crops land is cheap. 1t isn't
everyone who can live In the valley.
We stayed Just as long as we could
which was week. The valley Is
below sea level. 1t seemed to me
that the air was dead. 1t reminded
me of going into a crowded hall
where the ventilation is very poor.
could hardly lie down and sleep
for then could scarcely breathe.
So I spent most of the last night sit
ting in the doorway. 1t gets very
hot there in summer, 100 degrees
being more common than 100 is with
us. Most Of the people who can
leave go to the beaches or mountains
for summer. Almost all the houses
are built with double roofs. Or in
| other words they build a small
house, then build large porch over
it, making the porch extend all
around the house. The first one /
saw l wondered why they built the
house under a shed but when / was
told how hot is got then knew why.
The barns are built with roofs
and that is all.
The town of Brawley is laid out
very peculiarly. The town itself
is laid out in square, the principal
streets running angling from the
fartherest corners to the center of
town, then the cross streets run par
allel with the boundaries of town
ending each time at the angling
street. The farther from the center
of town you get the longer are the
streets. 1t also makes little three
cornered lots at the intersections.
The town expects some day to make
these into little parks or rather
flower beds. 1t will then be beau
tiful town.
Cotton is raised on small scale
but labor is too high to make it
profitable. Cantaloupes are also
raised to large extent. If some
thing would happen so as to force
the San Diego and Arizona railroad
now under construction to be finish
ed it would mean much to both the
Imperial valley and to San Diego.
But like all such enterprises few
have more to say than the many.
So the Southern Pacific says we have
a railroad that runs to Los Angeles
and then back to San Diego and we
would just as soon haul you and
your products four miles to one, the
short way through. And you, San
! Diego, if you want the Imperial VAL
ley products will have to overbid
| the Los Angeles market and they
pay the freight from Los Angeles to-
San Diego besides, not getting the
products as fresh as you could if
the railroad was built.
We left the Imperial valley one
afternoon and run out to Coyote
Wells. Coyote Wells is on a bar
rem, sandy waste. There used to
be store there but the owner was
confined at home more than he wish
ed. He closed out his stock of goods.
And as he termed 1t he had nothing
now but good we'll OF water and
a camping ground to offer to pas