Imperial Valley press., 1913-11-15

interest:
/ [The opening of good highway all
the way from San Diego to Yuma on
january /, 1914, is the announce
ment of the supervisors Of Imperial
county, who are making extraordinary
efforts in completing their lap from
Holtville to Yuma, with Indian Agent
Odel of the Yuma reservation rushing
work in putting his roads in shape,
The completion will assure the south
ern national highway.
The Imperial supervisors already
have practically completed their high
way through the lesser sand dunes,
and will soon tackle the main dunes,
At each bad place they are sinking
wells in order to do the road work and
provide water for travellers for al.
time.
Stoutly favoring San Diego as the
ocean terminus for their HIGHWAY, the
Imperial boosters are rushing their
work in order to be able to announce
to Los Angeles and other partisans of
the Brawley- Mammoth Wash route,
when they meet November 25, in Ell
Centro, that the San Diego route will
be open January 1.
And in order to facilitate the early
completion, San Diego is asked to rush
: shipment of $4,000 pieces of planking
to bridge the worst of the sand dunes.
The whole scheme is outlined in
form to cause joy to San Diego
hearts in the following letter from
Supervisor Ed Boyd, of Holtville, to
Col. Ed Fletcher:
Col. Ed Fletcher, President San Di-
ego-Arizona Highway Association,
San Diego, Calf.
"My Dear Col: l am just back
from Yuma; people there are GER
tainly with US to get our Holtville
Yuma road completed. Our work is
progressing nicely from this end; we
can get you across to the foot of the
sand hills by the 25th, and l believe
the auto stage will be ready to make
regular trips clear through to Yuma
by the first of JANUARY, 1914. The
high line canal now carries water;
this is built out into the first sands
about five miles east of Holtville
The bridge is completed across the
high line canal and we have the road
built and irrigated.
"Our next trouble is five miles east
of the high line canal; at this point
we have a we'll with plenty of water
at "a feet. This assures US of a first
class road to the main sand dunes.
We now have bunch of stock at
work on about mile and a quarter
of low sand dunes. Our we'll outfit
has moved to the next sand, which is
about six miles east. We are now
down fifteen or twenty feet; when this
we'll is completed, we will put the
teams right there and within three
days can finish that trouble. This
will take US to the foot of the main
sand hills where we drilled the we'll
last year. This well is still in good
shape, and plenty of good water.
"Now for the lumber across the
sand dunes. If you can get for US
1900 pieces Of Oregon pine 2x12x12
on the cars, and do this within the
next thirty days, we will pay the
freight and get our road strung across
the sand dunes inside of another
thirty days. | will put up the ex-
penses of all the work; we will wire
the plank together, and | am satisfied
this is the solution of all our troubles
over the sand dunes. The Indian
agent at Yuma is with US; he has the
handling of the reservation roads en-
tirely.
"But it does look like San Diego is
going to get the most actual benefit
through the construction of our road,
unless it is Holtville and FL Centro,
and ] do hope you will be able TO send
US the lumber. The Los Angeles
crowd, who are working for the Braw-
Mammoth Wash-North Pole route,
are going to have convention in Ell
Centre November 25, and | understand
they are going TO try and get behind
and boost that route. At that meeting
we will inform them that the road
from Holtville to Yuma is under
course Of instruction and will be ready
for travel Janaury l, 1914, with the
kindly assistance of San Diego.
"Please get the lumber to help US,
and tell the people of San Diego this:
First, it is forty-fve miles shorter to
Yuma via Holtville than via Barwley
and Mammoth Wash; second, it is the
direct route that for all time means
the national highway from Arizona
and the least direct to San Diego;
third, that if it is built via Brawley
and Mammoth Wash, San Diego will
:, lYya,7e ba in dan0er of having the