Imperial press and farmer., April 26, 1902, Page 5, Image 5

About Imperial press and farmer. (Imperial, San Diego County, Cal.) 1901-1903

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
WORK AGAIN IN PROGRESS
EAST OF CARTER RIVER
A very important Case has just been
decided by the Superior Court of this
county, in which the Imperial Settle
ments are vitally interested and each
settler has a vital interest in the con
clusions reached.
The California Development Com
pany undertook the task of reclaiming
a large tract of worthless desert
worthless only for want of water.
This entire country belonged to the
Government, and under the law the
company had a right of way for its
canals and ditches by tiling maps.
The work progressed so rapidly that it
was not feasible to tile these maps in
advance of work.
In the course of events the Califor
nia Development Company made a
contract with the Sunset Commercial
Company agreeing that the last
named company might have the ex
clussive right to sell the water stock
of Imperial Water Company No. 5 for
the irrigation of lands on the east
side of Carter river, and under that
contract about 16,000 shares of stock
were sold to persons who took up that
number of acres of land.
Differences arose between the two
companies as to the work to be done
under that contract and as a result no
work was being done by the Sunset
Commercial Company in the construc
tion of the canal system as provided
for in that contract, and the settlers
were thus left without any immediate
prospect of getting water on their
lands.
At this juncture the California De
velopment Company stepped into the
breach and agreed to build the canal
system so the settlers could get water
and then settle its differences with the
Sunset Commercial Company ill the
courts.
This was satisfactory to the settlers
and to everybody else except to (J. W.
Judge Mugford's Escape
Judge W. B. Mug-ford had a very
narrow escape from a serious accident
Sunday afternoon. He was driving in
from Calexico in the afternoon and
was getting close to town when one of
the horses reared and overturned the
buggy. The Judge was struck in some
way behind the ear and rendered un
conscious. The accident happened
about 3 o'clock, and it was not until
about 7 o'clock that he regained con
sciousness. Still somewhat dazed, he
started east, going in the wrong di
rection. But fortunately he did not
go far before coming to his team.
After righting the buggy, the horses
brought him in, getting here about
7:30.
Irrigating by Contour
So far as work of irrigation in the
valley has gone, it is apparent that
making the lands conform to the con
tour of the farm is growing greatly in
favor. Contour lands are of irregular
shape and may not be so attractive to
the eye, but they enable the irri gator
to handle a much larger head of water
and to keep it under control. With
contour irrigation there is no necessity
for having waste water or paying for
water which is not used. In the sav
ing of labor and water, and in having
no unirrigated spots, contour irriga
tion seems to be a great improvement
over the old method of making oblong
lands without regard to contour.
New Corporation
Articles of incorporation have been
riled for the Imperial Light. Water
and Power Company, the object of
IMTKKIAI. PRESS
Bothwell, the President of the Sunset
Commercial Company.
11l order to prevent this work from
being done, and apparently to force
the California Development Company
to a compromise, Frank Bothwell, a
brother of tl. W. Bothwell, who had
acted as a representative of the
Sunset Commercial Company in the
desert, went to a point selected as a
heading for the canal that was to irri
gate the Kastside country and tiled a
homestead on a quarter section of land,
and then commenced suit against the
California Development Company
asking for an injunction to prevent
any further work on the canal system,
and also damages to the extent of
52, (XH).
The case was tried before Judge
Torrance of San Diego, and in the
trial it appeared that Mr. Bothwell
would not be damaged to any extent,
for his land was worthless without ir
rigation, and wiilnut this canal s\ s
tem he could have no irrigation.
On the other hand, it the injunction
was issued stopping work, settlers on
lb.ooo acres of land would be seriously
damaged, besides the door would be
opened for others to squat on laud and
levy blackmail against Ihe company,
thus stopping :ili further developments
and the reclaimed land must thus go
back to the desert again.
The court denied the injunction,
thus virtually declaring that such
tactics as this could not be allowed to
stop a great public Improvement, such
as the reclamation of a great country
as that included under the Imperial
Canal System.
On receipt of the news of the decis
ion plans were at once made forresum*
ing work work oil llie Kastside system,
and the delay of about two weeks in
the work will not seriously delay the
completion of the sys'em.
which is to put in an electric light and
power plant and pump water for do
mestic use to Imperial and Silsbee,
besides establishing an ice factory at
Imperial. The company's capitaliza
tion is 10,(XX) shares at $10 each, of
which 2,025 shares have been issued as
follows: W. F. Holt. 500; F. C. Paulin,
500; J. W. Oakley, 500; H. C. Oakley,
500, and A. H. Kemper, 25.
W. F. Holt is now negotiating for
the purchase of an ice plant, and it is
expected to have the water and ice
plant in operation before July 1.
Desert Automobile
Samuel Joiner, a well-known mer
chant and mining man of the Dale
camp, will have the distinction of op
erating in regular service, the Hrst
automobile on the great Colorado des
ert. Recently Joiner was awarded the
contract for carrying the mail twice a
week between Walters on the Southern
Pacific railroad and the mining camp
of Dale. The distance is eighty miles
and it is a two days' trip by wagon.
Joiner has been in San Bernardino
several days and left yesterday for Los
Angeles for the purpose of purchasing
a six-seated automobile. Los Angeles
Herald.
Severe Wind Storm
The worst wind storm in the history
of Imperial was experienced Sunday,
the wind carrying a great amount of
dust. The roof of the rear porch of
the hotel was blown off. and Carter's
lumber shed was partially unroofed.
Three tents and a number of others
through the valley were blown down,
the temporary nature of all structures
making them especially liable to such
damage.
USSONS fROM Tt\4S
Application to Imperial Valle > of I \
perience Use* here
It so happens that in Imperial there
are three crops under contemplation
which are being successfully grown Oil
a large scale in Texas, and evidently
with considerable profit. Those are
cotton, SUgar cane and rice. It is not
demonstrated that any of these crops
will thrive in this country, but there is
reason to believe that they will do so,
and they will certainly be given thor
ough tests. Whether it is worth while
to attempt to gfDW these crops here
depends on the profit with which they
are grown elsewhere.
So far as the cotton of the Southern
States la concerned, it is not expected
tli.it it will thrive here, as it seems to
need a more humid climate than we
have. Hut on the other hand, the
long'fibre and more valuable cotton ot
Egypt cannot bo grown in the South
ern States, because it will not stand
huinitli'v. and it seems particularly
adapted <>> this dry climate.
In a recent issue Farm and Kanch,
of Dallas, Texas, gives an interesting
series of articles on sugar cane ami
rice growing in that State, portions of
which quoted bolow are of interest
here:
"The tirst thing in cane growing is
seeding the land. The cost of this the
tir.M year is so great that a man with
out capital has no businoss fooling
with it. It is not a renter's crop, as
low renters can afford to invest $\0
per aero in seeding once in ihroe or
lour years. When this is averaged up
it costs only $2.50 or $3 per aero per
year. The seeding is done in the
spring by opening furrows about six
to seven feet apart and laying two
stalks of cane parallel in those fur
rows. Every joint ot these seed stalks
sprout, and thus a good stand is
started. Then the cultivation begins.
This is done largely by using plows
more on the order of a large sweep or
middle-burster, while the team is
worked double between the rows,
throwing the soil both ways toward
thecano. When the cane is about
waist high it is laid by, by ridging it
up. When it is matured the leaves are
stripped, the tops cut off and then the
stalk itself is cut and laid in wind
rows, from which it is taken in largo
wagons and carried to the cars and
from there it is run into the sugar
house where the manufacturing pro
cess begins.
"The cane will yield on an average
about 185 pounds ot sugar per ton.
The cane is bought at the mills on a
sliding scale, the latter and the man
ufacturer alike, being dependent upon
the market price of sugar to determine
what the business can safely pay.
This year the planter realized about
52.60 per ton for his cane after deduct
ing freight charges. Estimating
about eighteen to twenty tons per
acre this is about $6J per acre. Aside
from the seeding the cost of cultivat
ing and gathering the crop of cane is
about the same as a crop of cotton.
"A valuable addition to the cane
planter's crop is to have a good herd of
cattle to consume the leaves and tops
of the cane.
"There are more sugar mills and re
fineries needed in the Texas cane belt
and the opportunity for the investment
of capital in these manufactories were
never better, but if they do not come,
another year may find the cattle breed
ers here in their stead, taking up the
crop and forcing the sugar maker to
to pay for what he gets*
"Another opportunity that the sugar
industry offers for the investment of
capital is the erection of paper mills.
as the refuse of the cane can readily
be made into an excellent quality of
wrapping paper at a cost of l.'i cents
pei pound, which finds .1 ready market
at from 2)4 to 3 centa per pound."
Southern Texas is engaging exteti
sivoiv in rice growing for Ihe first
1 1 mt> in it >. history, last year having
produced a rice crop valued at i 2,500»"
(HHv Level land that will hold watei
above grouud i> the first requisite,
and that about Imperial aeetna t>> bo
ideal rice laud. Farm and Ranch says
"Besides making a»i excellent food
tor the family, the hulls, the bran, the
polish and the straw .no valuable as
food for stock, while the polish makes
an excellent broad. As a food for
stock, rice straw is said to surpass
prairie hay. This year, owing to lack
ot food in the coast country, there
would have been much suffering among
stock, but for this straw. This straw
likewiae makes the host quality of pa
per and an excellent opportunity is ot
fered for the erection of paper mills.
■A* one searches the history of
other agricultural products, he is lost
in amazement to find I hat HOt our i«.
equal to rice when it comes to a single
crop building up and maintaining a
city in a prosperous condition! Ami
yd that is wli.it rice has done tor
CtOwley, La. That section of the
country is practically unflt for ally
other crop except rice, and that is the
only crop mown in that vacinitv as .1
money crop. While ih'e work of rice
farming is generally considered un
pleasant, it brings together in a com
munity the better class of farmers ami
citizens. The lazy and shiftless farmer
will never make a success as a rice
farmer, and the man who is looking
for a soft snap is given fair warning
that it is not to be found on a rice
plantation, as • ere is plenty of hard
work, and disagreeable work to he
done ill Con motion with it. Hut the
returns are generally sufficient u» jus
tify the hardships.
"Last year, B. W. Camp of Houston,
had his Hrst acreage of rice planted.
He says he was j^reen at t lie business
and it was not to be expected that he
would make anything like an extra
success. He was late in getting his
plimpitlg machinery in Working order
and did not expect to make enough to
pay for the cultivation. However, he
managed to save a part of his crop by
Hooding it and where he had water he
made a yield of 87 bushels per acre.
This rice he sold at 51 per bushel.
making 987 per acre. At Hay City last
year, the farmers were generally
upon the subject of rice-j,'rowinn. ami
yet in some instances a yield of 112
bushels to the acre was made. The
average yield per acre was twelve
sacks, or forty-elghl bushels. Borne
of this rice was cut too f«reen. causing
the grain to be light, and consequently
in such instances the rice did not bring
|1 per bushel. There is also danger < f
letting the rice stand in the field* too
lOllg, until it becomes so ripe as to
cause the heads to droop and fall to
the ground. Then when the binder
passes that way the heads are cut ofl"
and drop to the ground, while only t lu
st raw without the grain is bound."
Death at f lowingwell
Dr. Blake was summoned to Plow
ingwell Saturday to attend a Mexican
named Cedro who had boon taken sick
suddenly Saturday. The man was
then unconscious, but lived until Sun
day. It is thought the causo of death
was spinal meningitis.
Yuma Incorporated
The town of Ytuna has boon incor
porated as a city, the county supervis
ors having appointed the first board of
city trustees, who elected K. S. Pat
terson as mayor.
Fydgar Brothers are adding steadily
to their line of all kinds of farm ma
chinery, and can furnish anything
needed by Imperial farmers for the
cultivation of soil or harvesting of
crops. *
5