La Junta tribune., 1915-05-01
TRIP THROUGH THE
IMPERIAL VALLEY or
CALIFORNIA.
:: . i: /: g. :. I: :: :: :: :. :: ::
BY Walter Dubree.

ON April iith and l2th had the
pleasure Of being invited TO join a
party OF about one hundred boost
er" members OF the Yuma tAriz..)
Commercial Club. who we're making
a get acquainted trip through the
Imperial Valley OF California. e8
tending an invitation to the people
OF the various towns TO join in the
big celebration. soon to be held In
the new bridge across the Colorado
river at that point.
The party consisted OF twcnty-one
automobiles. We left at O'Clock
in the morning. being among the first
part OF the trip. for nearly fifty
miles, was across the desert country
and sand hills-miles and miles Of
the finest sand that continually shifts
with the wind. Just like hard, dry
snow. and curling over at the edges
In similar manner. The main por-
tion OF these sand hills are sixty
miles long and six miles wide and
they say 400 feet deep. Anyway.
there Is nothing but sand. sand. sand.
In every direction. as far as the eye
could reach. and with the sun shining
brightly at near the 100 degree mark
at this time In April. i, was easy
TO see how men and parties were
easily lost and never heard from
again on these great desert wastes.
II would seemto be simply a matter
OF luck II one ever got out alive II
once lost In such 4 place. However.
outside OF the sand hills the desert
was simply beautiful. being covered
like a carpet with very pretty pink
and white Wild flowers. The road
across these sand hills is q part OF
the Ocean to Ocean Hixhray." or
southern auto route. and In conse-
quence Is pretty well travelled, and
during the last year a plank road has
been laid across its entire distance.
making auto travel very easy. How
ever. II Is not a soft proposition for
a single auto TO travel any OF these
long desert roads because II any
thing goes wrong you may be thirty
or forty miles from help. I believe.
however. since the bridge eliminates
the ferry crossing OF the Colorado
river. and the plank road eliminates
the worst part of the desert trip.
that this southern trail IL the hest
all the year round trail for cross
country travel. II connects with the
Santa fe Trail. via Phoenix. socorro
and Albuquerque. and IL tn. only
route having a wagon bridge across
the Colorado river.
After crossing the sandhills and
the deser, ". emerged wher. ".
could look down on the great Im-
pcrial Valley and IL l. certainly a
sight TO behold. II il not "a case
where the desert can" be made to
bloom liz. rose. bu, II l. a cas-.
where IL has already been done.
Fifteen year, ago this great valley
vas nothing hut a great desert waste.
lying from thirty 10 isO fee, below
the level of the sea. and probably ona
time having been part OF tn. Saiton
sea. which lays at III. north end of
the valley, About th. aboS. dat.
some one realized that the soil OF
this valley, II Nat-r.d. would gros
almos, anything and proceeded TO
form a great irrigation company.
They soon placed water on the val.
ley from the Colorado river. which
runs about 2So feet above the IoN
portion Of H. The result IL that
thos" sho got IN the game early
mad" fortunes. and N" Nhol. valley
at prcscni very much resembles the
Afkansas Valley 10 its best part. aud
has the adyaniaE. Of longer sea.
son aud Is practically free from fros.,
They are now raising oranges. and
daies aud other citrus ffuits. They
haK. some great vineyards. but th.
impoFtan, crops are cotton. alfalfa.
wheat and cattle. They ar. noH
making the second cutting Of aifai.
IA. which was very rank In growth.
They claim ,o ship abou, 600 cars of
from ,h. valley each
year. beginning about June is,. Tn.
vines already haN. long runners on
them. Trees ar. quite numerous.
being mostly Eucalyptus. ootion~ God
aud several varieties Of acscias. With
a fev umbrella trees. The cotton.
woods max. sf.a, trees In five or
si, years because they have plenty Of
heat and water aud make growth al.
mos, continuously. summer and win.
Sec