Imperial Valley press., 1915-11-03
Mexicali Making Many
Improvements; Has No
Fear of Armed Attack

Mexican physician. So is the structure
which serves as the headquarters for
JudgeGuajardo, and many Of the mu.
nicipal buildings are painted in the
same color.
senor Grajeda pointed out an un-
pretentious house with cement foun-
dation standing in the yard a short
distance from the business section Of
MeXicali and said:
This is the Colonel's home The
papers are always asserting that we
are grafters. ! am proud to say that
the Colonel lives in such a humble
home.
This is my home" he continued.
pointing to smaller and less pre-
tentious building, and haven't even
carpet in the house
In some places differences exist
between the civil and military divis-
ions, but that is not the ease here.
The civil authorities are closely asso-
ciated with the military and each man
sleeps with loaded ritle and revolver
handy.
we are neutral" he declared in
discussing the present state of affairs
IN Mexico. when the Cararnza and
villa forces joined W. agreed to rec
ognize them, but after the split we
were forced To recognize one faction
and chose villa But since the reeog-
milton of Carranza by the United
states We have torn up the pact which
existed between us and villa and is
sued a manifesto telling all the world
that We are neutral" he continued
we are willing to recognize a Mex
lean head but not until he has been
elected by popular vote of the people
We do not intend to modest anyone
and will not go outside of our terri
tory"
Reports We're current recently that
Colonel Cantu intended to train his
artillery on CaleXico IT the suit insti-
tuted against him by the Carranza
faction for the possession of money
he deposited in the Calexico banks was
decided against him.
The old jail-a dilapidated. squalid-
looking adobe structure-will be re-
placed In a few days by new rein
forced concrete structure which cost
$4,000. Standing stones throw
from the Alamo waste and a coup,e
of yards from the levee thrown up
by the citizens Of the valley in the
fight against the Colorado river in
1906. the new jail Is more than a mile
from MeXicali, and a more strategic
point could hardly have been selected.
Extending far to the south. the leyee
is valuable protective work in case
of attack and ii is only a short dis
tance from this and possibly a hundred
feet from the international boundary
line that the structure stands
The fire wall Of the building Is SER
rated, making an ideal place to sta
tion snipe shooters in case of an at
tack and in the event that the in
vading army succeeded in crossing the
4O-foot fissure that the water had
carved in the earth.
The structure, with its 7 cells, OF
which are large, commodious rooms,
the third, the women's ward, slightly
smaller, bears the appellation Car
eel Municipal" one cell the width of
the building and possibly 10 feet ir
length, has no roof, only a series of
iron bars, close laid, preventing es
cape.
Adjoining this Is a row of cells.
each cell just wide enough for the oc.
cupant to turn around in and long
enough to permit his reposing at fu'
length. A. c. Vogt. the Calexieo con
tractor who is erecting the building
explained that this portion of the Jail
is reserved for incorrigibles.
The growth of Mexicali. like that of
the Imperial Valley. has been rapid
Five years ago there was not a tree
in the town and the only building
to which that term could be truthfully
applied was the bull ring. Today the
town Is scattered over a fair area and
as further inducement 10 build the
Nj oXicali officials Will give anyone a
lot who will put up building in CON
formity with certain restrictions.
The MeXieali officials apparently are
not in any great fear of an attack E
Replying TO Il question as to whether
he thought an attack on the town
would be made from the east or south,
Senior Grajeda said;
They cannot come any way with
out being seen"
Although closely associated with the
military activities of the MeXieali gar
rison, Senior Grajeda has no military
title.
II used to have a title in the army
a very high one" he said, but that
was a long time ago. came here
and now | am associated with the gov
ernor's civil staff"
Projected Improvements throughout
the town and Lower California are go
ing ahead just as If no change in the
national government of Mexico had
taken place. Engineers from MeXicali
have been surveying a right of way
from the town to the Gulf of Cali
rornia for the construction of Co
mile railroad and plans are being dis
eussed for the grading of the streets
and the construction of cement eurbs
and sidewalks
Governor Cantu came TO MeXicali in
January of this year and the municipal
Improvements of the town have been
CONTINUED ON PAGE TwO)