Imperial Valley press., 1929-07-27
MOUNTAIN TOP
SELLERS ACTIVE
IN MIDDLE WEST

Activities of realty dealers sell
ing worthless lands in the Chocolate
Mountains area, under the rcpresen-
talion that such lands lie in Impe-
rial valley and will receive water
from irrigation works to be con
structed on the Colorado river, are
on the increase in Illinois, and par
ticularly in the region of Chicago,
according to Secretary Rober; Hays,
of the FL Centre Chamber OF Com
merce. Through the local realty
board Hays has been handed an in
quiry from the Danville, Illinois,
Real Estate Association, inquiring
into the value of lands being offer
ed Vhere by the T. A. Mcmillan or
ganization. Upon investigation
Secretary Hays found that the lands
being offered by Mcmillan are in
Township 8 South, Range 10 East,
! along the northerly line of Imperial
county and ON the gravelly mesa
east of thes Chocolate mountain
range. They are, like other acre
age of the kind being offered in
the east, practically valueless for
agriculture, and have no possibility
of ever Obtaining water. The Dan.
Vile board reports that the land is
offered in 10 acre tracts at $50 per
acre, under the representation that
,,here is no water presently availa
able, but that it is expected water
will be obtainable from Boulder
dam, when completed, and the land
will then be worth probably $500
to $3.50 per acre.
+ The chamber of commerce replied
20 the Danyille realty president, .giv-
ing him the facts and description
of tie land, and asking that body
TO do everything possible to prevent
the activi,ies of the Mcmillan or
ganization and similar concerns. Sec
! rotary Hays also sent letters to J.
i. Haynes, secretary of the Chicago
: Association of Commerce, and to
Carlc5on q. Ferris, secretary of the
Illinois State Chamber of Com
mercc, advising that the activities
tof these sellers of ValucleSs lands
appear to be concentrating around
the vicinity of Chicago, and urging
those civic associations to try.
through publicity and other means
= TO prevent these fraudulcn, sales of
California land. He also notified
the state Real Estate Commissions
er. as the chamber has done in all
Ohc numerous similar cases. in the
hope that the concern can be reach
ed and stopped by that official.
l The chamber of commerce is be
sieged with, requests for mans, Ii
: craturC, booklets, etc, descrip i've
of Imperial valley. and its produc-
ton, from the east and especially
FROM Illinois and Indiana. Upon
investigation, it invariably develops
that such reques1s come from the
sellers of this worthless arid noun
tainsidc land, who wish to use the
! story of Imperial valleys wonder
full development as an incentive to
the sale of Ghoir unwatered and
rocky acres. The literature is new
er sent, and the realty boards,
chambers of. commerce and corpora
ton commissioner in the locality,
are notified.
! California newspapers are doing
much to prevent che sales Of such
acreage to people of this state, but
they are unable to reach the entire
country. The $ ate real estate de-
partment has also accomplished
much good in stopping sales in Los
Angeles. However, it remained for
the local chamber of commerce to
call attention of the real esta @
commissioner to the activities and
advertising of the Imperial Land
Sales Company as recently as q
month ago. This company Was opc-
rating on East Fifth street, within
stones throw of the real estate
lmmissioner Los Angeles office,
offering to a lnisinformed public 'he
last of their Chocolate mountain
holI;cue