Imperial Valley press., 1914-03-06
WONDERS OF VALLEY
AS TOLD UP NORTH

One of many articles on Imperial
Valley now being published by the
newspaper men who recently visited
this section is given below. 1t is from
the pen of Harold Mcpherson and is
clipped from the Santa Cruz Sem
! tinel:
Great is the Imperial Valley, great
er even that Californians realize. Ell
/ Centre, its county seat and largest
city, has some 5000 population, where
/ thirteen years ago it was barren
desert. dry and fruitless w. F. Holt,
\ the jefferson Worth of the Imperial
/ Valley" made the statement to the
/ California Press Association at a BAN
| Masonic temple in Ell Centre, that
where thirteen years ago the valley
was devoid of property value and
I permanent poulation, now it had a
population of from 10000 to 10000
people, and a property valuation of
| $75,000,0 600. Six years ago this coun-
! ty of Imperial was started as an inte
eral whole. separated from San Diego
county Today it has excellent
buildings and doesn't owe a cent.
Around Ell Centre is a rich country,
quite generally developed for twenty
miles in every direction. The editors
were taken by automobile to visit such
towns as Imperial, Brawley, Holtville,
I4eber, CaleXico, MeXicai. Seeley, Dix
leland, each the nucleus of a much
larger town that is soon to be- While
most of these towns are yet a lit
tie crude because of their youth, Ell
Centre appears already to be almost
in full bloom. And great was the won
der at this fact.
e. Centre has as metropolitan a
population as Riverside or Santa Cruz,
we'll dressed, cultured, progressive
people, quite free from loafers and
any undesirable class. 1t possesses a
magnificent opera house, several mod
ern moving picture theatres, one of
them offering an orchestra of five
pieces. Its Carnegie free library is
not to be surpassed by the one in
Santa Cruz in any respect. Its hotel
accommodations are excellent. A new
four story hotel, called the Barbara
Worth" is now in the course of erec-
ton. Its school facilities are today
as good. in proportion to the popula-
ton, as those of Santa Cruz will be
even after passing our proposed bond
issue. Its stores are modern and fully
equipped. One of its drug stores, for
instance. is as richly appointed as
any in Los Angeles. Its newspapers
are wonders in enterprise. Ell Cen
tro already possesses most of the
comforts of a much larger and long
established California city. Yes, such
older cities as Santa Cruz are not
entirely free from moss.
FL Centre is counting on great
growth 1t expects soon to be a sec
entirely disappointed. 1t has laid out
broad streets, parks and public at
fractions. Great alfalfa fields spread
out in every direction. Cattle and
hogs are abundant. Cotton is an i'm
mense crop, as also is that of melons.
Dates are a growing industry. Vine
yards are frequent. Orchards are
being planted. The Imperial Valley
is a hothouse out in the open where
the rapidity of growth is almost
magic. It's elevation is from to 127
feet below sea level.
The inhabitants are enthusiastically
loyal to their valley, even to its eli
mate. which they say is equal to that
Of most of the other Southern Califor-
nia towns.
The moral tone of the Imperial val
ley is unusually high. Churches are
abundant and saloons are almost a
minus quantity. Of all the towns I'M
perial City is the only one at the pres
ent time permitting saloons, and its
growth is said to be the slowest of
them all Naturally in such a new
country, where rough work had to be
done. and is still being done, one
would expect to see a rough pioneer
class of cowboys who delight in shoot
ing up the town and shooting down
the alcoholic stimulant. The fact is
that this valley is practically free
from pitfalls of any nature, although
to be sure, if you cross the Mexican
line to MeXicala you are offered riot
Of dissipation. AT one time Imperial
was the largest city, and expected to
be the country seat. but FL Centre has
already far surpassed it in size, and
gained the county leadership.
The soil in the central portion of
this great valley is as fine and rich
as the dust on our local mountain
roads in summer. It's depth is almost
without limit. The water from the
Colorado river brings a sediment
which will continually renew the soil.
Those waters are as life giving as the
waters of the Nile Dust storms at
various times Of the year, and uncom
Portable heat in summer are the two
unpleasant features.
The Imperial valley is already be-
coming one of the richest and most
prosperous sections on the entire Pa
cifc coast, a place that is even at
tractive for residential purposes. 1t
is a revelation.
Read 3. Salomon & Co. "White