Imperial Valley press., 1913-05-23
DATE TREES ARE BROUGHT
TO DESERT AFTER TRIALS

Los Angeles Tribune: The Glalnor
Of romance surrounds shipment OF
5000 young date palms, which arrived
i'll Coachella valley after 12,O0O-mlle
tourney from Turkish Arabia, where
5000 Arab troops of the sultan Of Oman
We're dispatched to rescue two Altadena
boys. Paul b. Popenoe and his brother.
F. w. Popenoe, who We're bringing the
date trees by camel caravan to Busreh,
on the Persian gulf. made famous in
the Arabic tales of "Sinbad the
Sailor"
In Il Southern Pacific refrigerator
cars, iced to prevent the trees from
Sprouting. the shipment was hurried
from Galveston to Thermal in record
time. according to freight traffic ofli-
cials, as the trees were desired by
various owners for immediate planting.
At the Southern Pacific Office F. o.
Popenoe, president and manager of the
West India gardens, which is import
ng The date palms, expressed Satisfac-
ton at the success Of their long jour
ney.
The palms will be set out around
Arabia, new town, which is to be
entirely built in the Arabian archi-
lecture, on the site Of Durbrow siding.
Arthur B. Benton. the architect of the
Mission Inn at Riverside, has been
engaged to lay out the townsite and
m5ke the plans for all the buildings.
Every store and house in Arabia will
be Arabic i'll each detail Of c0nstruc
ton, although Americans, many of
them Angelenos, will people the town.
In July. 1912. F. 0. POpenoe Of Alta
dena sent his two sons, Paul, aged %,
and F. W.. aged q, to the Persian
gulf to study date culture and to bring
back choice offshootS. They made a
caravan trip into the interior of Oman,
back Of Muscat, where the Fard date
is grown. The sultan Of Oman took
fancy to Paul Popenoe, loaned his best
riding camel to him and gave the boys
an escort. Paul secured splendid lot
Of offshoots, wrapped them in wet palm
fiber and burlap, and started back
toward the coast few weeks later.
1t was a tedious and dangerous trip.
The season had changed The wind
whirled clouds Of sand upon them, and
at times they seemed likely to be buried
alive. Trails We're obliterated and much
time lost in finding their way. The
Arab escort displayed the stoicism of
their race. No hardship wearied them
into complaint. Much Of the travelling
was done by starlight as the sun was
binding hot.
A lion among the palms Of tiny
oasis, whittier they went TO drink;
dagger flashing in the hand Of a hostile
camel driver in tiny village, and sun
dry incidents were the chief features
OF the trip until the caravan was with
in four nights ride Of the sultan Of
Oman's palace. Then his enemies
struck at him through an attack on
his guests, the young Americans.
These uncOnquered tribesmen. with
The memory Of past wars still fresh.
made an attempt to capture Popenoe
as hostage. They twice laid in am
bush and fired suddenly upon his es-
cort. Fierce fighting resulted both
times, for the sutan's men were ac-
customed to dominate the entire re-
9lon. powerful Sheik sent bands to
help the sultan's enemies. 1t looked
as If young Popenoe and escort would
be cut off and massacred or made can
tives. On swift camel a messenger
was sent to the sultan after moondown.
The escort then fortified itself in an
oasis to stand siege
Sultan Abdul Ajax Mulfid in mighty
rage sent 5000 troops to the rescue of
ms guests and men. He had guaran-
iced safety-hiS honor was at stake.
Mounted on the fleetest type Of horses
In the world and on fast drOmedaries
the sultans Arabs rode steadily for
two days without pause. They rout-
ed the bandits. The boys and the 5000
date trees were saved. A general war
nearly ensued.