Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1916-07-29
A GOOD LETTER
FROM THE BORDER
Tells Of Camp and Con-
ditions at Calexico
Howell Gibson, Mountain Home
Boy, Serving With Washington
Regiment Writes Interestingly

We are now well established il
camp and the routine OF camp lif
is the order of each day, except Sat
urday we have inspection and Sun
day some change OF program.
II you will look at the map O
southern California you will s.,
the location of a Jorge lake callet
Salton Sea. 1t is located in The
famous Imperial Valley which is be
low sea level, the lowest point being
about 320 feet lower than the ocean
Calexico, where We are stationed, ID
at the lower end Of the valley an(
is about sea level.
The valley is irrigated from the
Colorado river and here are pro
duced bananas and dates. Practi
cally all OF these fruits produced in
the U. S. come from this valley.
Most OF the early canteloupes and
water melons are also grown here
Alfalfa produces four and five cut.
ings annually.
There is considerable cotton raised
here, one plantation near the camp
has over 1000 acres. The cotton is
OF a fine quality and longer fiber than
much OF that grown in the southern
states. The cotton is now in bloom.
l shall be interested in watching
the handling of the cotton There is
a cotton gin located here.
Salton Sea is a product of the
Colorado river which oVerfloWed In
1906 and filled a large portion OF
the Imperial Valley. At that time
the tracks Of the s. Z. r. r. ran
across the valley where it became a
lake and the telegraph poles are
emerging from the surface of the
lake as the water recede. There was
town of some 1000 people and a
salt works submerged at the time OF
the overflow. The town OF Calexico
Is really but one half of the com.
munity, the other half is Mexicali.
The International boundary lime di-
vides the town into two parts Ca
lexico Is quiet little town without
saloons and with that sleepy ap.
pearance which characterize south
em climes, while Mexicali Is that
type OF town you read of in the
western novels, where the bad man
enters the saloon and gambling joint
and shoots his sixshooter while all
others beat hasty retreat. On the
only street which is opened through
the two towns are located the Gus
tom houses of the U. S. and Mexi.
co. In the day time Mexicali is ratherI
quiet but as soon as the sun sets it'll
Is different town. Great throngsl
appear on the streets, saloons send
forth sounds OF merriment and rev.
elry. All classes OF people from the
Ob'iNVlo VI thS Val ldlAd SdlllSOuj Az
Gated here, to the poorest peon,
mingle in the saloon, dance halls
and gambling houses.
United States soldiers are not per
mitted to cross the border under
penalty of $50 fine and ninety days
In the guardhouse.
Just back of the town the Mexi- |
can government has a garrison. Re-
ports differ as to the number OIL
men but there are not as many as in
our camp which now comprises about
$500 men. Our camp is within sight |
of the Mexican garrison and we can
see the sentinel who is drawn to the
top Of a tall pole taking observations
Of us and reporting to the officers. |
We can also hear the bugle calls of
the Mexican garrison.
The weather is sitting during the
heat of the day, reaching 12S degrees
in the shade, and NO shade.
Our company was on guard duty
yesterday and it was rather warm
on beat However, the nights are
cool and seldom do our blankets feel
uncomfortable at night. Our worst
troubles are the fleas during the
day and mosquitoes at night. We
now have netting issued to us which
affords some protection from the mo-
squtoes at night. / am feeling fine
as can be expected under the cir
cumstances, but some of the boys |
are about overcome with the heat.
Our water IS carried through an open
ditch for 60 miles from the Colorado
river and is rather warm. Ice melts
almost instantly In it and the Ice Is
limited at that. An egg will cook
if placed In the sand for short '