Imperial Valley press., 1922-06-07
! Manager Peoples Abstract g. Title Co.

Shall Imperial county lock the stable
after the horse is stolen? Twice in the
last year an alarm of fire has sounded
each of which had far more sinister
meaning to the citizens and taxpayers
of Imperial county than 900 out of 1000
of those citi&ens and taxpayers realized
Each of those alarms was for a fire
in the block on south side 81 Main
street between Sixth and Seventh
streets.
Once fire started in the grocery
store adjoining the county building
and another time the flames began de-
structiOn in the restaurant only a few
doors west of the present courthouse.
Every member Of the FL Centre fire
department and fully half of the pop
ulation of the city rushed to both these
fires. The firemen and few citizens
realized what really was at stake, and
never were fires fought more valiant
ly.
Saved by Superhuman Effort
The first fire in the grocery store
was burning fiercely on the other side
almost priceless in their value to all
the people of the county. For a time
it seemed that it would be impossible
to control its destructive headway, and
the firemen made almost superhuman
efforts to conquer it. They won, and
few people knew how narrowly the
county escaped a real catastrophe.
The second fire in the restaurant had
a good start before the firemen ar
rived. 1t was only few doors from
the building filled with priceless rec
ords. Again every fireman realized
that he must make a fight against
heavy odds for the big thing that was
at stake only a few feet away from the
flames. They fought, and again they
won.
Now, is it possible that this same
good fortune will pursue us Indefinite
ly9
The most optimistic gambler in the
country could not possibly be so foolish
as to believe that we can go right along
blindly playing with fate in this man
ner.
The firemen will always be willing;
they will always be on the job, ready
to do all that humans can do to prevent
such q calamity as the loss of our pub
lie records would be.
But sometime the alarm might not
be sounded in time; sometime the wires
that convey the alarm to the fire house
might fail; sometime the fire fighting
apparatus might fail, or the water
service be low or out of commission
entirely. Then all our foolish optimism,
our pinch penny economy will bring
upon us calamity that no one is wise
enough to estimate in advance.
Loss Cost Beyond Estimate
The writer has been asked his opin-
ion of what would be the total cost of
reproducing public records capable of
reproduction. / have never really been
able to even grasp the magnitude of
such proposition, so I just shrugged
my shoulders and answered "milliOns.
After all the public records and prop
erty capable of restoration are again
in the county archives, such catas-
trophe would mean millions more in
additional expense to individual real
property holder, and many, many
years of expensive litigation in order
to quiet property titles so that any
purchaser WOuld ne warranted Ill pay
ing his money for our lands and city
properties.
The writer has been in the business
of abstracting and insuring titles to
real property for many years. One in
that business probably is brought closer
to the question we are to decide in the
special county election next Monday
than any other citizen of the county,
unless it be our public officials. 1t is
my opinion that if the county had to
vote bonds and expend money to an
amount many times greater than the
proposed 100000 issue for court
house, our people would be justified in
going to the poles and voting unani-
mously for the proposition. One of the
greatest needs Imperial county ever
will experience is the present need of
a county building, safe and adequate
for all immediate public purposes.
Courthouse Pays for Self
Our public officials in touch with
possibilities of the situation have told
us that we can construct a new court
house practically without any addi
tional taxation; that the savings viii
! just about balance the cost of carry