The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-05-27
ANOTHER ENTERTAINING
J. e. PHILLIPS LETTER

J. E. PHILLIPS LETTER
mir. Editor: ' --''''
Roaming over the country as one
does who lives in California and is
fortunate enough to own a car to
take advantage of the splendid roads,
pulled in to Coachella, in Coachella
Valley, the other day. Who do you
think l found living there? None
other than our esteemed former fell
low townsman of Crested Butte, Mr..
v. E. Metzler and family. Her is
nicely located on fertile and produc-
tive ranch, growing cotton, onions,
dates, figs, grapes and other crops
suitable to the soil and climate.
1 must tell you where this valley
is located. 1t is in Riverside county,
on the main line of the Southern Pa
cific railroad from Los Angeles to
New Orleans and about 100 miles
east of the first named city. 1t is
really an arm of the great Imperial
Valley, about 80 miles long, ten or
twelve miles wide, fringed on both
sides with great high snow capped
mountain ranges, reaching an alti-
tude of 5000 to 5000 feet high, while
the floor of the valley is below sea-
level. Picture your Black canon of
the Gunnison widened out to twelve
miles wide with the mountains rising
abruptly, almost perpendicular and
then you have counterpart of this
valley. The rainfall is only about
three inches year, with no running
streams. Water is obtained by sink
ing wells, anywhere from 200 to 1900
feet deep when 100 to 200 inches of
water can be pumped for irrigation
purposes. The water is very pure
and in some parts of the valley they
have artesian wells. OF the 10000
acres of land about half of it is free
from alkai, but only about 1919 OF
the valley is occupied by settlers.
The land that is cultivated yields
immense crops as the soil, once you
get water on it, is very rich.
Mamie Metzler told me he received
S5, 300 from the sale of onions on five
acres of ground. That is just 5000
short of $1,000 per acre. Last year
seven acres of cotton paid him So, 100
or $500 per acre. This will give you
an idea of the profits of ranching in
Coachella Valley This year there are
270O acres planted to onions, while
cotton will yield from one to two
bales to the acre.
Coache1la Vallev is the home of the
finest figs and Malaga grapes. 1t
also has the proud distinction of be-
ing the only place in the United
States where dates are successfully
grown. All dates used in this coun-
try are imported from Northern Al
rica or Persia 1t is the fruit men,
toned in the bible that the patriarchs
in the days of Abraham lived ON. 1t
grows and thrives on the desert Of
Northern Africa, Persia and Arabia,
but nowhere in this country has this
fruit successfully matured until
Coachella Valley was discovered. 1t
is destined to be a very profitable
fruit crop for this valley. When date
palms get to be ten or twelve, years
old they will yield from 200 to 400
pounds to the palm and one acre will
support at least 40, so with dates
selling from 10 cents to 60 cents a
pound, according to the quality, one
can figure out the profits. They bear
forever, at least so far as SHOWN they
do, so that an owner of ten acres of
date palms is assured of a life in
come large enough to keep any
family.
Mr.. and Mrs. Metzler are happy in
their new home. Mrs. Metzler, al
ways useful wherever she lives, is a
member of the school board. Their
son and daughter, Victor and Alberta,
products of Crested Butte where they
were born, have blossomed out into
beautiful young lady and attractive
young man, the center and life of all
of the social events of the valley.
DIR. Rockefeller and George Light
ley with their wives stopped there
for day on their way home to Gun
nison, after spending the winter in
Long Beach. Should anyone doubt
some of my statements just let them
call on the Doctor who will defend
my veracity. They tell some wonder
full stories about vegetable growth
in the valley. One man raising sweet
potatoes found one hill little
crowded, so took out four potatoes
that had grown to weigh a pound
each and when he was ready to dig
the hill month later the yield was
IA pounds. If you do not believe it
call on the Doctor.
o yes, the climate. You want to
know something about the climate.
The least said about it the better.
The citizens claim that it gets from
100 to 120 degrees of heat. Just as
well be million so far as l am con-
cerned for l do not think it could be
any hotter However any young man
who wishes to sacrifice personal CON-
for+ ,op Gonna hara with q littla mon