The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-12-08
Desert Basin of Sal
ton Sink Has Been
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Continued from page one)

made possible through years Of
struggle by Il small band Of engi-
neers who saw in the turbulent and
unruly Colorado river Il great force
to promote the arts Of peace and
plenty.
Probably the most imposing places
are India, Brawl,y, FL Centre and
CaleXico. At the later place Alfred
Blalsdcil, former secretary of state
of North Dakota, is engaged in the
practice of law. The writer missed
the pleasure of seeing him as he was
in Los Angeles. There is consider
able rivalry between Calexico and FL
Centre for supremacy, both claiming
to be the metropolis. With Mexicali
taleXlco has more people than FL
Centre. Eliminating the Mexican
town. which is a continuation Of
CaleXico, FL Centre is probably
larger and 4 much more progressive
looking city.
MeXicali typical border town
Mexicali is more typically Mexican
than Tia Juana. Strict immigration
laws put into effect by the Mexican
government have driven many Of the
American entertainers out of both
the Mexicali and Tia Juana dives.
Conditions had become so bad that
the "bunko" man and the bandits
were running this corner Of Mexico.
A pitched battle with bandits south
of Tia Juana the other day ended
in victory for the Mexican govern
ment forces. Many vicious charac-
ters were rounded up and notice
served on scores of places to clean
up.
Prairics Easier to Farm
A North Dakotan who observes
carefully the plight of the agricul-
turist in this country must feel that
the dairy and wheat farmer back on
the rolling prairies is better off.
Despite the breaks OF the farming
game, whether it is in California or
North Dakota, the man who tills the
soil in the middle west has the ad-
vantage. Here it is the game Of the
capitalist. If a man has money
enough to secure large plot Of this
land, pay for the water and hire all
the work done he may make big re-
turns. The ideal home for the farm
er of limited means in the Imperial
Valley consists of some forty acres,
but it means hard gruelling work.
In fact farming in all sections Of Cal
ifornia is as hard if not harder than
on the plains Of North Dakota. The
only advantage as far as personal
comfort goes is the climate.
The California rancher is fighting
frost in the winter months and in
the summer he has the drought, in
sects and other forms of blight to
contend with. He is farming on
$500 an acre land with water none ia
cheap and not always available.
Water Chief Problem
The whole of Southern California;
future now rests upon the Boulder
Dam project on the Colorado river
in Arizona: Arizona fears the di-
verting of the waters may injure the
supply Of her people. Conferences
are now in progress to bring the
states Of Nevada, California and
Arizona into complete agreement
Water in greater quantities must be
found if this section is to continue
to support the people already here
That is the vital problem that con.
fronts California. Its rainfall the
last year or two has been insult
ficient, and to insure an adequate
supply the Colorado river must be
tapped. The dam at the Boulder
canyon will also ease the flood situa-
ton in the Imperial Valley. When
the Colorado river goes. on a ram
page the valley suffers loss Of life
and great property damage. The
courageous people who have gone
into this great Salton Sink know
that in the spring great flood may
sweep through the valley and carry
them all to destruction. To date
the dykes and other means of flood
control have worked reasonably we'll
Desert Always Interesting
That part of the desert not brought
into cultivation is the chief interest
of the tourist. 1t forms the back
ground for the great desert dramas
Of the films. 1t is Il vast dun plain
with shifting lights and shades; wells
of purple and curtains of rosy hue
But the desert is not always calm
Great sand fences have to be erect
ed to protect the concrete highway
from the storms that vent THEN
fury. So strong does the sand beat
on automobiles that the paint is
marred and even removed. The SAND
whirls and eddies like snow in &
North Dakota blizzard.
In the daytime transportation Is
practically suspended during the
summer months. Most Of the driv
! ing through the desert in the hotties
season is done at night. Great mo
tor caravans move between Los An
geles and Phoenix, Arizona. and or
! to Texas and other points. Til