Ifmperial flbreee
AND FARMER.
VOL. 1.
Rock island's t xtension.
A tew days ago much Interest was
aroused by a special dispatch from
Chicago, telling of the departure of the
president and other officials of the
Hock Island railroad far El Paso and
the Pacific Coast, and giving n
ium ut in Chicago about plans of
t'e.at system to extend its lines to San
Diego. The information given in that
dispatch cam.- from the Chicago Rec
ord-Herald of Feb. 18, which has just
come to hand. It contains in addition
to the matter already published in
these columns the following Interest-
Ing statement:
••The Rock Island may not have the
remotest intention of building to the
Coast, but if se> business men gener
ally in the- Southwest are- greatly fle
e-« Ived. Jt is stated that all the sur
veys have hevn maele> and that the line
Of <he> new road will tap some of the
1 idlest mining territory in the South
west and take- the' heart out of a great
deal of Southern Pacific territory, in
;;elditietn te> this, it will run thnmgii
portions of the Oils and Salt River
Valleys, which the government has
determined to reclaim by irrigation."
If building to the Coast were a great
undertaking, there 1 might perhaps be
reason to supi>e>se that the Rock lslanel
will not soem do so. Hut with the>
road already at El Paso, an extension
to San Diego is comparatively easy.
In fact by taking advantage of the
branch lines, built or actively building
in New Mexico and Arizona, the 1 gap
to be> filled between El Paso and Vuma
is a small one. The surveys made by
the San Diego- Kastern show that the
extension of the line from Yuma tei
this city would not be a serious matter.
Of course the real plans of a railroad
are positively known only when the
few highest officials choose to divulge
them. But bearing in mind the fact
that the trade of the Orient is the
prize for which railroads are now
leaching out, it certainly seems very
improbable that the Rock Island will
extend its lines to within a few miles
of the nearest port for that trade and
go no further. — San Diego Union.
Alfalfa.
Alfalfa was formerly called in Span
ish "alfalfez," but in Arabic it was
"alfacfacah," which means "the best
kind of fodder." The Latin name for
alfalfa is Medioago sativa. while the
French call it luc( r ie, by which it is
still known among the Canadians and
the Mormons, and the South Ameri
cans are content to call it Chilean
clover.
Strange as it may appear. Webster's
dictionary contains, but does not el"
fine, the word, although the more mod
ern lexicographers are kind enough to
tike it up and speak of it as •the best
kind of fodder." — Phoenix. Arizona,
Stockman.
Correct.
If the people of the thriving town
of Imperial are to be believed, the
political agriculturists from Washing
ton who recently reported on the soil
of that section came nearer to being
extinguished than distinguished. —
Pasadena Star.
A Good Melon.
A "Rockyford" canteloupe, when
ripe, has silver-colored lace-like net
ting, weighs about I] 41 ] 4 pounds, has
small yellow seed cavity, solid flesh,
and tastes like a combination of all
the good eanteloupes yon ever knew.
— Los Angeles Fruit World.
"Water is King—Here is its Kingdom/
IMPtRUL. CAU SATURDAY. MARCH «, 1902.
LEADING MEN OF THE IMPE=
RIAL CANAL SYSTEM.
No num in America has spent so much time studying
the Colorado Delta and tin* Colorado River and an irri
gation system to be formed by bringing together the two
elements of laml and water there found, as lias i\ R.
R« ickwood.
li was in iS«)d thai Mr. Rockwood t'irst became con
nected with a proposition t<> irrigate the IV-ltu desert
lands. He \\a> chief engineer »>t" the Compan) then
fanned to take water out <>f tlie Colorado River at the
Potholes above VTuma, carry the canal in a southwestly
direction past Pilot Knob Station, irrigating several
thousand acres oi the Yuma Indian Reservation, and then
crossing the International Boundary Line near the Hanlon
Ferry, and after dropping the water for twenty feet or
more forming a magnificient water power, the canal was to
C. R. ROCKWOOD, C. E.
CHIKF KNUINKKK AND SCI'KKINTKNDKNT OF CAI.IKOKNI A DKYHI-OI'MKNT CO.
be extended around through [*ower California and back
again into the United States to irrigate what then was
supposed to be the Colorado Desert, but which is now
known to be a vast tract of fertile land needing water only
to make it very productive, and now recognized by the
name of Imperial Settlements.
The financial storm of [892 swept that Company out
of existance. It struggled to save itself for a time, but
finally the attempt was abandoned, and in [896, through
the efforts of Mr. Rockwood, The California Develop
ment Company was incorporated under a better plan of
operations and under a better management.
Muring the period of financial depression, running
from iS»)_> to about (899, there was very little use of try
ing to float any great enterprise which required money
and nerve to make it a success. However, in the Spring
of 1000 the Company was partially reorganized, new blood
and BOH life was infused into it. and
the work of con- .nut ion was pushed
forward practically on the lines laid
down by Mr. RockWOOd when tin 1 Cal
ifornia Development Company was or
ganlsed in 1896, 'Phis plan was to
take the water out of the river at the
Hanlon Heading, instead of going
further up the riVW and making tin 1
diversion at the I'otholos.
The wisdom of his plan of opera
tions has been fully demonstrated.
The people were simply waiting for
that country to be supplied with water
ill order that the) might take up the
Governmi nt land in a wholesale way
and convert a detert into a garden in
a Very short space of time.
Mr. RockWOOd is again in his old
position aa chief Engineer of this — the
greatest Irrigation system in arid
America. lie has earned that position
by years of toil and waiting. He is an
experienced civil and hydraulic en
gineer, and his twelve years of labor
in this one direction is now crowned
with success. Not only is the outer
prite a sue cess, but his friends who
stood by him through so many dark
days, and sustained his efforts finan-
Halh and otherwise, have the satis
faction of knowing that his plans were
built on a solid foundation, and that
their contribution! to the work will
i" the end yield them handsome re
turns.
Small Leaks.
Milking streams of milk outside the
pail.
Allowing the bread to burn while
baking it.
Breaking the glassware by pouring
hot water on it.
Patching old clothes that should go
into the rag bag.
Overturning the ink bottle on the
table-spread.
Throwing pieces of new cloth into
the paper and rags.
Occasionally throwing out a tea
spoon in the dish-water.
l T sing napkittS for holders, dish
cloths or wijiing towels.
Nti&lecting to keep the potatoes
where they will not freeze.
Spending time in thinking what to
do next Instead of doing it
Using every small board about the
premises for kindling the tire.
Letting the suckers grow upon the
apple trees year after year.
Spattering water on the hot lamp
chimneys ami thus breaking them.
Neglecting to drive th»> one nail that
will save the fence from falling.
Cutting in too deep when taking the
rind from off the slices of pork.
Not attending t;) the hogs' heads
after butchering, before they spoil.
Throwing the clothes-pins upon the
ground to become moldy ami decayed.
Leaving: the Implements in the field
all winter where they were last used
Scraping iron kettles with silver
Knives, or toasting bread on silver
forks.
Leaving pleC6B of hard soap in the
tnlis of wash water lo he thrown away.
Not squeezing the .crease well out of
tin' hot scraps when trying out tin
lard.
Letting the apples fall from the tree
and lie upon the .ground until they are
spoiled.
Making more ten or coffee at each
meal than is used and throwing away
what is left.
Allowing the lammock to hang in
the sun and rain until it becomes faded
and weakened in texture.- Farm Jour
nal.
No. 47