Imperial Valley press., 1920-04-17

on our map as the New and Alamo
rivers.
When we came to California, some
thirty years ago, the Imperial VAL
ley was not so named and was only
known as a portion of the Colorado
desert. One season, a good many
years ago, the waters of the Colora-
, do rose to an unusual height and over
flowed into the basin, forming at it's
lowest point what now appears as the
Salton Sea. Several miles of the
Southern Pacific Railroad were inun-
dated at that time, so that the road
had to be moved to higher land and
now skirts the shores of the sea. AS
the surplus waters from the irriga-
ton Of the valley are drained to this
point through the two river channels
already mentioned, it is likely the
Salton Sea will persist. Indeed it is
desirable that it should because of
its beneficial effect on the climate.
We will remember the great interest
that was aroused over tn appearance
of this new body of fresh water in the
desert country.
Harold Bell Wright, in his book,
"The Winning of Barbara WORTH"
has given the best description in print
of the Imperial Valley before it was r.
claimed. 1t is "The Kings Basin" of
his story. His account Of the great
work of reclamation is correct mar
rative in it's protrayal of the stupend-
Gus obstacles that had to be overcome
and in the methods adopted; and al
though he used fictitious characters
they have their counterpart in several
men of heroic mould who attacked
the gigantic task and carried it
through. successfully.
It's Reclamation
We are all inclined to be hero wor-
shippers, and there are surely none
familiar with the story of this con-
version of valley of death into one
of the richest and most prosperous
sections of Uncle Sans domains who
will cease to admire those men of
great courage and vision who actually
did the work. C. r. lockwood, the
engineer who is doubtless 'the Seer"
in the story referred to, was employed
as chief engineer by he Colorado
River Irrigation Company, organized
in 1892. After repeated failures to
interest capital and solve other diff
culties of a physical character which
lay chiefly in the nature and behavior
of the river, and without salary, al
though it was due him, he still hung
on with unshakable faith in the feast
bility of his plans. The only pay he
received, after several years of the
hardest kind of work ending in appar-
ent failure, was a judgment of court
which turned over to him great mass
of engineering data which he himself
had collected. But success finally
came and water was first turned into
the main canal in the spring of 1902.
Through the good work of colonial
tino company that had been formed
about one thousand settlers had been
to the valley by that time.
The engineering difficulties that
had to be overcome were some OF them
The Colorado for several
hundreds Of miles in its lower
stretches is little better than river
of red mud, as indeed it's name indl-
Gates, so heavily loaded is it with silt.
To this is added in the freshet season
great quantities of the trunks and
branches of trees and other debris, all
of which if not properly taken care
of would choke up the intake and
son put the entire irrigation system
out of commission. The nature of the
soil and the contour of the country
bordering the river where it has been
tapped by the main canal, presents an
other set of difficulties. But the peo-
pie interested in the enterprise. un-
aided by the government and with no
outside help excepting that given by
the Southern Pacific Company, have
overcome these and other troubles that
were sufficient to kill any project OF
less feasible and promise. ii
With Rockwood's name we should
couple that of Leroy Holt, one of the
first settlers, who was formerly a
country banker in Missouri, and came
to where the town of Imperial now
stands in 1901. The kind of place IN
which he decided to stake out a mouse
is shown in one Of our cuts-a forbid
ding waste of shifting sand, marked
here and there by the bleaching bones
of some human or other animal that
had met it's death in this grim, thirsty
solitude under the relentness, blister
ing rays of the sun. Such venture
must have required dauntless cour-
age. 1t was indeed a bold magma,
ton that could cover this parched land
whose only vegetation was scattered
clumps of salt-bush, greaseWood ana
other stunted desert growth, with
broad fields of alfalfa and waving|
grain, with fruitful orchards, vine
Yards and gardens; that could stock
this home of horned toads, lizards
and rattlesnakes which contented
flocks and herds, and made the boot
ing of owls and the unearthly, yelping
and shouting of happy children. But
such are the transformations that Mr..
Holt has seen. Deserved prosperity
has come to him and thousands OF
other settlers. He is now the presi-
dent of three banks in the valley, is
interested in a variety of other sue
cessful enterprises, and will hand ms
name down to posterity in Holtville,