Imperial Valley press., 1914-03-14
To the Strangers in the Valley

The opening of the townste of inland today is the
occasion for your coming to Imperial valley, and this
event is significant to the residents of the valley well
as to yourselves for it implies carrying the great rr
cation system the point urthes north which Will ever
be attained, in all probability
What you are to witness today, however, must be
taken partial conSummatiOn OF grand project for
reclamng the desert toward which have been work
ing for fourteen years. snce under the management of
George Chaffey there was begun actual construction of
the series of canals which has reached the point
which your thought is centered.
AS this is not the first it will not be the last of the
great steps in the building of the Imperial valley 1t is
big factor in the developments of this year. during which
nearly 10000 acres of land are brought under irrigation
water for the first time. But it is to the final
consummaton of the great reclamation project that prob
ably not than 100000 additional will be
nexed to the reclaimed valley and that is uncertainty
for the future to develop until greater project is
ried out for storing the waters of the Colorado
During the nearly fourteen years in which the forces
have been at work on their great project they have
brought the rrgabe land of the valley to total of about
100000 acres which is almost twice much land is
irrigated in all Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles San
Bernardino Riverside, Orange and San Diego counties
combined
The extent of this development is difficult to compre
hend It is possible however, for those who know South
ern California we'll to form conception of country
which has, in compact body twice much irrigated
land as all the seven counties named.
Occasionally some person is met who, without stop
ling to make comparisons, expresses the opinion that
TOO many towns being built in the valley There
started about to be started in the valley dozen
towns, and with half the irrigated the other
ties of Southern California have the following dozen
towns, and many others Los Angeles San Diego Long
Beach, Pasadena Santa Barbara Ventura, Pomona San
Bernardno Riverside Redlands Ontario and Santa Ana.
Dividing the irrigated of all the counties
among simply the cities named there would be $4,000
for EACH but with haf-million in this val
ley there would be 40O0 for each of the dozen
towns.
You may say eyes, but the other districts under
intense cultivation; they have and manufac
lures, and great winter resorts because of their
climate.
But let tell you that there single in this
valley which producing from $500 to 900
year, and that the steady trend of affairs toward
intense cultivation and this valley will produce for
acre, valuable products any portion of the Pacific
coast that is certain develop it's manufacturing lines
in connection with the dairy and fruit industries; and
that for eight months in the year this valley has climate
superior to Los Angeles the Los Angeles climate is
superior to that of Chicago and this valley will eventually
be noted winter resort any place earth.
The making of the towns of the valley is not
cden but of the direction of inevitable forces and the
that here welcome the towns because
everybody familiar with the valley knows that here there
is an abundance of room for all.