Imperial Valley press., June 05, 1909, Image 1

About Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current

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Imperial Valley Press.
VOL. IX.
REPORT ON HIGHWAYS
NEARLY COMPLETED
Surveyors Map Three Possible
Roules.Through Mountains
to San Diego.
■
Abundance of Good Material at Foot
of Mountains Suggests Plan For Im
proving Roads Throughout the Val
ley — Commissioners Will Report to
Supervisors Within Thirty Days.
Imperial County's proposed system
of highways, including the Imperial-
San Dfego inter- county boulevard
project, will soon be ready for pre
sentation tV) the Board of Supervisors
and general discussion by the public.
The County Highway Commission
met at El Centro on Tuesday, audited
bills and attended to routine business,
and received an informal report, from
Engineer C. N. Perry, whose survey
ing corps for several weeks has been
.working In the mountains to the west
ward of the valley, seeking the most
desirable route -for the highway to
San Diego.
Mr. Perry has about completed the
map showing the three routes survey
ed from Coyote Wells to Mountain
Springs. Until his data are all work
ed up, the members of the commission
will not decide as to which of these
routes will be recommended.
It has been found that ample ma
terial for first-class road-making may
be secured along the proposed high
way routes. Vast quantities of de
composed granite and of volcanic rock,
said to be first-class material for road
beds, are available, and can be open
ed up at slight cost. In fact the ease
with which first-class material can
be secured has brought up the ques
tion as to whether it would not be
wise to adopt a plan for graveled
highways throughout the valley In
stead of using the system *ot dividing
the road into two sections and irri
gating one side at a time in order
to secure firm drives.
It is. expected that all details of
the engineer's work necessary for a
general report will be completed with
in two weeks, and that the Highway
Commission will be enabled tV> make
Its general report to the Board of Su
pervisors within thirty days.
HEALTH OF THE VALLEY
Sanitary Conditions Good, But Health
Officer Urges Protection hi
Water Supply.
General sanitary conditions in Im
perial Valley are good. This is the
verdict of Dr. W. F. Snow, in charge
of the State Board of Health's sanl
talibn car, which spent a day in El
Centro last week. '*
Dr. Snow expressed bis gratification
in finding conditions of sanitation
so well looked after as they are in
Imperial County. He declared it his
belief that the large amount of silt
carried in the waters of the canals
which supply the only source ht drink
ing water is a benefit to the valley,
as in the settlement of the silt to the
bottom of the reservoirs it carries
with it germs and microbes that must
perish with lack of light aud air.
■ Dr. Snow held a conference while
here with, Dr. Virgil McCombs, Coun
ty Physician, and E. H. Sherman,
County Sanitary Inspector, and ar
ranged for the sending of sample bot
tles of water, taken from various parts
of the valley and under different condi
tions, to the State Board of Health
for analysis. He assured the local
of the desire of the State
Hoard to co-operate' with the county
officials |n the (preservation 'of a>
clean bill of health for Imperial Val
ley.
The particular danger point, ac
cording to Dr. Snow, is the point ion
4>f waters by camps of Mexicans, who
do not comprehend the seriousness
of allowing their camp drainage and
foreign matter to reach the canals.
He urged that these factors be
closely watched and that, if necessary,
an example be made of the offenders.
As to any polution of the waters \>f
the Colorado River at Yuma. ' and its
possible effects on Imperial Valley, Dr.
Snow is of the opinion that no fears
need be entertained on thnt ; scorel aa
the. distance the water is carried be
Official Paper* of Imperial County and City of HI Ccntro.
j Wore it reaches the valley canals, he
thinks, Is amply sufficient to purify
It, even though it were much con
taminated In receiving drainage from
Yuma.
County Sanitary Inspector Sherman
Htatea that general conditions along
the canals of the valley have greni
ly improved within the past three
months. Within that period the only
cases of trouble at this lAmrce have
been where stock has broken out of
corrals and taken to the ditches, aud
these offenses were speedily abated.
- He finds a general readiness to com
ply with the provisions for safeguard-
Ing the waterways against pollution
which denotes a wide grasp of the
situation among people w,ho • a year
ago were really careless as to these
matters. The co-operation of the zan
jeros of the varloun water compan
ies has been sought by the Sanitary
Inspector, and In most cases he has
found them ready to respond and their
services are of great value.
Dr. Snow advises the use of sep
tic tanks for the sewage of all the
valley towns. He states that while
Calexico, H'oltvllle and Brawley have
the advantage of being located so
that their sewage may drain into the
rivers, these towns will find that, it
is a wise* precaution to have their sew
age treated in septic tanks before it
is thus discharged, as, otherwise it
will be only a matter of time until
trouble will arise for them from this
source.
Arrangements have been made ftor
the coming to the valley, next fall
and winter, of representatives of the
State Board of Health to work with
the local health officials in a series
of public meetings, at which lectures,
Illustrated with lantern slides, will be
given on subjects of health and sani
tation.
ONE GRADUATE FIRST YEAR
Central Union High School Commence
ment to Take Place Thursday
Night of Next Week.
The unusual condition of gradua
ting one student in the first year of
its history has come to the Central
Union High School, at El Centro. The
graduation exercises will occur on the
evening *of Thursday, June 10, at the
Holt Opera House, and the public is
invited to attend.
Miss Fern Dorothy Campbell, daugh
ter of Mr. and M(rs. Campbell, of
Commercial street, had her first three
years of high school at Escondido. She
has been able to complete her course
of study practically unbroken in the
Central Union High School, owing to
the number and character of the
courses offered by this institution.
Miss Campbell came to the local
schobl highly recommended as an
earnest, conscientious student which
reputation she has sustained in her
work here.
The student body. has arranged for
a reception in honor of the school's
first graduate, and this will be given
on Friday evening of next week, at
the home V>f Mr. and Mrs. M. W. Conk
ling, on Olive street.
VALLEY BAPTIST ACTIVITIES
Will Erect Temporary Houses of Wor
ship in El Centra, Imperial,
Holtville and Brawley.
As a result of a conference held at
Imperial last week, by members of
the Edifice Erection Hoard of the Bap
tist Association of Southern California
and Baptists located In Imperial Val
ley, a campaign was mapped out which
will give Baptist houses of worship
at El Centro, Imperial, Holtville and
Brawley.
Those present from qutslde points
at this ineetlng were Rev. H. Russell
Greaves, corresponding secretary and
general missionary for the Southern
California Baptist Association; Rev. A.
A. McLean, of Long Beach; Rev. J.
E. Watson, of Pomona; A. P. Griffith,
of Azusa.
It is proposed to erect bungalows
on lots acquired by the Baptists In
the various valley towns, and to use
these temporarily us places of wor
ship, but eventually as parsonages.
POSTMASTERS' BALARIEB RAISED
The salaries of postmasters in Im
perail Valley have been increased aa
follows: Drawley, $1300 to $1500; I'M
Centra, $1700 to $1800; Holtville. $1400
to $1500; Imperial, $1700 to $1800. :,
EL CENTRO, CALIFORNIA, SATURDAY, JUNE 5 ,1009.
PRODUCE EXCHANGE
FOR VALLEY FARMERS
Growers of Crops Organize to
Secure Better Market
Conditions,
Propose to Build Storage Warehouses
at Shipping Points and Employ a
Selling Agent at Los Angeles — De
tails of Importation to Be Worked
Out by Committee and Attorneys.
Farmers of Imperial Valley will or
ganize a Produce Exchange for the
purpose of securing better results, in
marketing their crops. ,
This is to be the outcome of the
meeting »of Imperial Valley ranchers
held in the Holt Opera House at El
Centro last Saturday afternoon. Many
parts of the valley were represented,
and the unanimous opinion was that
the only way in which the crop grow
ers of this valley may get the best
results from their labors is by a com
bination whereby they may be able to
house the crops when prices are low
and hold them for a more propitious
time for marketing.
William Stahl, of Brawley, was made
the temporary chairman, and Mr. Ver
melya served as temporary secretary.
After a general discussion of the
situation, a proposed plan of organiza
tion was read. It is proposed to havu
suborganizations with headquarters iv
each of the valley towns, and to erect
warehouses for Upholding of ranch
products at these points, and possi
bly at Los Angeles. The details will
probably include the placing of a sell
ing agent at Los Angeles.
Tt was finally decided to place the
details of organization in the hands
of a committee composed 'of I. May
field, D. D. Lawrence, Ira At en, W. F.
Gillett and E. E. Forrester, who are
to have the incorporation papers pre
pared. Eshleman & Swing were se
lected as the attorneys to prepare
these papers, and- as soon as they
are completed another meeting will
be called t\> perfect the organization.
TRYING EXPERIENCE
Widow Compelled to Leave Train With
Body of Husband and Bury it
Among Strangers.
Mrs. Wallace Wilmont, whose hus
band died at Holtville of neuralgia
of the heart, on May 13, has had a
trying experience. The body of Wil
mot was embalmed and prepared for
shipment to the old family home at
Driftwood, Oklahoma, and Mrs. Wil
mont and infant child started on the
long journey with the body. At Almo
Gordo, New Mexico, the casket ex
ploded, due to accumulation of gases
from rapid decomposition of the body.
The casket was taken from the train,
with Mrs. Wilmont and her child and
was buried at midnight, by the light
of lanterns, in a hastily-made grave.
Mrs. Wilmont was prostrated by the
shock in addition to her bereavement,
but received the kindest of care from
the strangers among whom she was
forced to stop on this sad mission.
LAND CONFERENCES
Special Agent Sets Dates For Meeting
Entrymen and Claimants.
Raymond H. Satterwhlte, special
agent of the General Lund Office, glveß
notice that he has set June 12th, 1909,
for all persons Interested In the ac
quisition K>t Government Land in T. 15
S., R. 12 E., to meet him at El Centro.
June 14th, 1909, has been set aside
for conference with all persons, who
are Interested In T. 14 and 15 S., R.
13 X., and June llth has been Bet aside
to meet all persons Interested in T.
10 S.. 11. 12 E. and T 17 S., R. 1G E.
PROPOSED SEWER EXTENSION
The proposed extension of the sewer
system beyond the limits of the orig
inal plans calls for the laying of pipes
southward to the Central Hospital and
through the alleys bf the tract lying
caHt of the Southern Pad He Railroad
aud north of State street. It is es
timated that the cost of these exten
sions will not exceed $2000. - ■
DESERT BLOSSOMS
ON SOLDIERS' GRAVES
Services Held at Imperial In
Memory of Nation's
Dead Heroes,
Veterans of Civil and Spanish Wars
Observe Memorial Day and Take
Steps Toward Organization of Post
of the Grand- Army in Imperial Val
ley.
The first formal decoration of
graves of Civil and Spanish-American
War veterans in Imperial Valley was
that of Memorial day, the first of this
week. It marks the beginning of an
•organization of veterans of the Imper
ial Valley which will result in the es
tablishment of a valley post of the
Grand Army of the Republic and a
Woman's Relief Corps.
Union services were held in the
Methodist Church at Imperial at 11
o'clock on Sunday forenoon. These
services were attended by people rep
resenting all parts of Imperial Val
ley. The interior of thechurch was
beautifully draped with largo Ameri
can flags, and a profusion of flowers
had been brought to the church to
be used later at the Imperial'ceme
tery lii the decoration of graves. The
flower:; were massed on the platform
before ili« pulpit;
Services 'opened with the singing of
Kipling's "RecesoAmal"' hymn by a
chorus choir, followed by prayer by
the pastor and an anthem, "Fear Not,
O Land." V. Rapp, of El Centro, gave
an address, in which he paid tributes
to the veterans, living and dead, and
urged that all honors be paid the liv
ing veterans in their declining years.
Rev. Mott Mitchell sang as a solo
"Heaven is Not Far Away," and im
mediately thereafter gave an address
in which he set forth a vivid picture
•jf the great, conflict. He dwelt on
the valiant services of the volunteers,
and maintained that America has in
her loyal citizenship a bulwark of de
fence against any oppression or inva
sion, an army invincible because of
its intelligent love of country and its
stand for liberty and justice.
The services cloesd with the con
gregational singing 'jf "America."
Grouped in the first pews of the
auditorium was a company of veterans
which Included:
William Kelly, 184 th New York Vol
unteers, Imperial; E. H. Turk, Co. B,
47th lowa Volunteers, El Centro; Geo.
H. Wheelock, Co. D, 6th Michigan
Volunteers, Imperial; Charles Ort, Co.
D, 149 th New York Volunteers, El
Centro; E. H. Loomis, Co. X, 29th
Ohio Volunteers, El Centro; .1. J. Tut
tle, Co. B, 13th Main Volunteers, Im
perial; F. H. Wales, Co. I, 42nd Mass
achusetts Volunteers, Imperial; Wil
liam Durvall, Co. D, 138 th Illinois Vol
unteers, Imperial; J. H. Goodrich, M!o.
D, 14th Vermont Volunteers, El Cen
tro; John Strunk, Co. I, 44th Wiscon
sin Volunteers, El Centro; D. D. Blake
man, Co. H, 134 th Indiana Volunteers,
Imperial; Arthur D. Latlubp, Co. G.
9th Michigan Volunteers.
At 2 o'clock the people again as
sembled at the Methodist Church, and
vehicles were provided for their trans
portation to the Imperial cemetery.
Automobiles were waiting for the vet
erans, who headed the procession, and
pi'jbably 200 people went to the cem
etery.
With veterans lined on either side
of a grave of the unknown dead, brief
services were held, Prof! G. A. Ragan,
of El Centro, offering the invocation.
Rev. Mott Mitchell making a brief ad
dress, and the Imperial Male Quar
tette singing several selections.
A firing squad of Spanish-American
War veterans fired , salutes, and then
the veterans and school children, fol-
Ajwod by citizens, visited each veter
an's grave, the bugler sounded taps,
salutes were fired and the graves
wcro covered with flowers.
After the services in the Methodist
Church, a conference of veterans and
women Interested In Relief Corps work
was held, and it was decided to un
dertake the formation of a valley Post
and Relief Corps in the fall, as siAm
as the people have (returned from
their summer vacations. ;i
Miss Fern Campbell, who has been
seriously ill with threatened appendi
citis, is recovering. Her sister was
called bere from the State Univer
sity by Miss Campbell's llluess. .
PROCTOR MURDER TRIAL
The cii.Ko of Jose Cahera, charged
with the murder of John R. Proctor,
at ll'oltvillo, on April 4, has been on
trial before the Imperial County Su
perior Court this week. Ouernlo Ne
grete, who was under arrest on the
same charge, was dismissed from cus
tody on motion of the District Attor
ney. This is probably the last Jury
trial before the summer vacation for
the Superior Court. Fourteen wit
nesses were summoned. The defense,
represented by Conkling & Brown,
submitted the case without introduc
ing a single witness, and on Wednes
day afternoon the jury brought In a
verdlce of manslaughter, with recom
mendation that full penalty be im
posed. Sentence will be pronounced
this forenoon.
RAPP APPEALS
V. Rapp, who was arrested, tried
and fined $25 for practicing his pro
fession as an attorney without pay
ing his occupation tax, has appealed
from the judgment of City Recorder
Havens to the Superior Court. Hi*
appeal was filed yesterday.
ANOTHER FINAL CERTIFICATE
The United States Land Office has
issued a final certificate to John F.
White, assignee of Carl H. Wagner,
for the east half of the southwest
quarter and the southeast quarter of
Ejection 29, township 15 south, range
rlfi east.
PUBLIC DRINKING FOUNTAIN
The El Centro Woman's Christian
Temperance Union has plans for the
erection on Main street of a sanitary
public drinking fountain to be sup
plied with filtered ice water.
SIZES UP AN AUTHOR
Desert-Tanned Man Didn't Lcfok Like
a "Lit'ry Feller" to Traveler
From Missouri.
E. W. Reynolds Is the Chicago pub
lisher who offered Harold Bell Wright
$50,000 for all rights in his latest
novel, "The Calling of Dan Matthews."
Wright met Reynolds on the Golden
State Limited at Imperial Junction
and went with him to Los Angeles.
The author has been living on the
desert for two years and spends much
time out of doors, and he has a fine
coating of Imperial Valley tan upon
his skin in place of the pallor that
is supposed to be the hall-mark tof the
student and the man of letters. His
keen, gray eyes need no glasses, and
his lean, aquiline face is that of the
man of action. He looks more like
Davy Crockett or Natty Bumpo than
like the conventional "lit'ry feller."
Reynolds lives hi Chicago, mostly
in one of the caves that they caM
offices, wears spectacles, is pallid, and
looks like a bookish man. He stoops
a little in the shoulders. Wright is
as straight and supple as an Indian.
The author and the publisher be
came absorbed in discussion of their
affairs, leaving Mrs. Reynolds to be
entertained by a fellow traveller. Mrs.
Reynolds told the traveller — a man
from Kansas City — that the man talk
ing to her husband was the author of
"The Shepherd of the Hills." The
man from Kansas City looked crlti-'
cally at Wright and said: "Huh! He
don't look as if he could write a book.
I never- saw an author that looked
like that. I'll bet you what you please,
Mrs. Reynolds, that your husband
could write a .better book than the
other man can. He just looks like
it, and I'm betting on him every time."
As Reynolds believes Harold Bell
Wright to be the greatest American
writer of fiction, the opinion of the
man from Kansas City flattered him
half to death.
Reynolds published "That Printer of |
Udell's" and "The Shepherd of the I
Hills" and made a comfortable bit of
money for the author and for him- 1
self. Wright's third book is so much !
stronger than his earlier work that
Reynolds has no doubt of its tremen
dous success and is Investing a lot of
money In its publication. A first edi
tion of 100,000 copies will bo put out
on Aug. 25, and already advance or
dera for half the. edition have beeu giv
en. McClurg atone takes 10,000 copies
for a starter. All throo of the Ozarkj
stories will bo published in a uulform
edition, haudsoniely bound and Veil
illustrated. The publishers have paid
$1000 to Keller for four. drawings for;
"Pan ' Matthews," and the "Shepherd ofj
tho Hflls" will have new illustrations. !
FLYING DUTCHMAN
OF MT. SAN JACINTO
"Is Things What They Seem
Or Is Visions About?"
— — ■ — —
Many Persons Think They Have Seeing
a Mysterious Airship Cruising at
Dusk Over Salton Sea— Theory, That,-
There Is Secret Flying Machine
Factory In Wilds of Sag Jaclnto.
Ten or a dozen years ago thous
ands of persons In California Imag
ined they saw an airship flying^ about
at night, and the delusion spread un-'
til it affected ordinarily rationarrpeo-j
pie and caused them to stand 1 on the
streets and gape at the Dog ' Stajvfj
which they imagined ta be the alr^f
ship's light and which they swore^
they could see moving rapidly. ;ThatJ
airship was a psychological freakjl
having no existence 'outside of thef
minds of the people who thought ; they/
saw it. . ■'.■" '■■;*•[
For the past few days persons '; In*
the northern part of Imperial' Valle ys
have been seeing things at dusk,; and|
dozens of them are willing to , make!
affidavit, that an airship has been
hovering "over Salton Sea. As no air-5
ship inventor is known to be injthlsl
region and no flying machine is mis-fj
sing from Los Angeles, someone '? has |
offered the theory that the mysterK
ious aviator built the machine ! secret-^
ly in the wilds of San Jacinto ; m'oun-l
tain and is making furtive ex*peri%
mental trips in the twilight.' ''Thei
sweet reasonableness of the .the7>ry|
jis plain to the feeblest intellect~|
and to no other.
There are pelicans on Salton; Seajf
j and they cruise the air at nightfailff
Also it is whispered that Imperial';
has not been painfully dry of late:;
■ One of the Los Angeles papers '', hasf
been wiring excitedly for a ,'"bl*^
story" of the flying Dutchman~{ofvSaKy
ton Sea "with good photographs ; a&f'
full details." There are some mechan^
leal difficulties about taking : good!
| photographs of airships In the dusk^
I at a distance of twenty ; miles.
GAS FOR TWO CITIES
'
W. F. Holt Orders Five Carloads of
Pipe for Imperial and Five for ;
El Centro — Contracts ftor ..-■:
Plant Awarded
W^. F. Holt, who has been spending'
the present week in Imperial tValleyA
says El Centro and Imperial will have
domestic gas service simultaneously^
He has ordered ten carloads of; ser-1
vice pipe, five for Imperial and 1' five';
for El Centro, and these are to be
shipped at once from Pittsburgh Pen'n^
sylvania. ...
Contracts for the entire gas-making
plant have been awarded, and" the ma
chinery will soon begin to arrive iln ;
the valley. It is probable that; the:
erection of the plant at El Centre "will '■
not be started until the first of Sep
tember, as the summer heat is ;•; too;
great for best results from . workmen';
who will come Worn the East to equip'
the plant. In the meantime material
will be assembled and the concrete
foundations will be laid, so that rapid;
progress may be made whenv^tj^
structural work Is once started.
Mr. Holt expects to be ready, jto|
serve gas to residents of El Centro*
and Imperial by December 1. later s
he will make arrangements to put* in j
gas at liWtville, Brawley and Calex
■ lco.
DAIRYMEN WILL MEET.
The Imperial Valley Dairymen's ABrj
sociatiou will meet at the Court Houße ',
j in El Centra at 10 o'clock on. Tues-J
! day, June 8, and all persons interested o
in dairying In this county are urgeji
to be present at this meeting. S.'B;
Robinson, of Holtville, a graduate '[of &j
the lowa Agricultural College. , will *
present the subject of "Feeding," andi:
Dr. J. H. Patton, of Holtville, wlllreidj
a paper.
VINEYARD'B FIRBT CROP.
The eighty-acre vineyard of V, ( H,
Azhderlan cornea into bearing /this
year. The vines are set with v hear]'
crop, which will be ready for ship -
inent the latter part of this tnoutt*.
No. ft.,