Imperial Valley press., 1920-08-02
DEVELOP PME:NT
Of VALLEY DUE:
TO JAPSC[A|N
Of OFSTATENE:NT
Protest of Hiroshima Prov
ince Against Antt-Japan-
ese Legislation Containing
Strange Claim Brings Out
Early Settlers Ire.

The Press prints below paragraph
from the memorial issued to citizens
of California by citizens Of the prov
ince of Hiroshima, Japan, protesting
the proposed anti-Japanese legisla-
ton:
"Now it is long since the people of
the prefecture first went to your state
as emigrants and thus formed init
mate relationship with your people
and soil. Although their present fav-
orable condition is no doubt largely
due to the facilities provided by your
state, it cannot be denied that they
have done much in their way toward
the cultivation of the land. Let US
give some instances of the favorable
results of their industry-The marsh
.of San Okin (Joaquin) which was
once overgrown with reeds has now
become a very famous potato grow
ing region; the wilderness of Fresno
which was in days gone by abandoned
to squirrels and other wild creatures
is now d noted place Of raisins that
have become renowned all over the
world; the desert of Imperial Valley.
once called the Gate of Death" on ac-
count of its high temperature of 1870
degrees is now become famous melon
growing district, the produce of which
is supplied to every state. All these
are the fruits of the industrious labor
of our overseas brethred as have been
publicly recognized in your country.
AS it has been in the past, will it not
be in the future. Indeed there IS un-
queStionably no reason to doubt that
your countrymen and our brethren in
your state can continue to help each
ther for the promotion of their mutual
interests. This, we believe, must have
been quite understood by the wise and
judicious inhabitants of your state"
The Press quotes below a short his
tory of the Imperial Valley, as it is
given by old settlers here.
In 1898 c. r. lockwood conceived
lthe plan Of irrigating the Imperial
Valley. In 1900 he succeeded in inter
eSting Andrew Chaffey in his proposal
and money was raised in Los Angeles
to carry out the project In 1901 the
first water from the Colorado river
was lead into the valley, and a big
celebration was held at Sharp's Head
ing over the event. In the same year
several thousand acres of desert were
put under cultivation, some of them
containing melon plots, although at
that TINT there was not Japanese III
the valley.
In 1902, 5000 acres had been planted
and in 1908, $4,000 acres had been
made productive. In 1904 the first
calamity hit the valley, when the head
gate on the Colorado from which water
was being taken 'silted up" 1t was
then that the reclamation service.
which had been created in 1902, at
tempted to get control Of the reclama
tion work here.
Whtn the head gate "silted up" A. II.
Heber, president of the California De-
velopment company, which was doing
the reclamation work, attempted TO
get bill through congress declaring
the Colorado river more valuable for
irrigation than for navigation. The
old settltrs declare that it was due to
the disapproval of the reclamation
service that the bill was not passed.
The failnre of the bill destroyed Heb
er'S credit and left him unable to build
a new headgate. He cut an opening in
the river below the silted gate and
IuiISu lIlc waste NdlGl IlilO JIt tpdlNpt
| Sea. That winter was the winter Of
heavy transforms and the ordinarily
peaceful Colorado became a raging tor
rent. The entire river was diverted
into the valley and was destroying all
the work Of the California Develop
ment company. AS the company was
in bankrupt condition the Southern
Pacific undertook to return the river to
it's course.
Colonel Epes Randolph undertook to
close the river, and finally succeeded
in doing so, at an eXptnse of several
million dollars The California Devel-
opment company went into the hands
of a receiver in 1909, Judge Cole hand
ling the case. In 1912 the Imperial
/ Irrigation district was formed and in
1916 took over the work Since then
lit has been in the hands of that or
lganization. No Japanese were ever
officials of this organization or were
Ileve, rim any way connected with il or
spent dollar for either reclamation
or river works according to men who
know.
From, tha saNy, ;pce s;Ia Tho NAM, syLa