260 THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



The country between Salton river on the east anl New river on 

 the west was surveyed, as most of the stakes and mounds of the orig- 

 nal government survey had been lost. 



Imperial water Company No 1 was incorporated as a mutual water 

 company to secure water for its stockholders from the California De- 

 velopment Company. This company was intended to irrigate 103,000 

 acres of land located between the two rivers mentioned. 



Imperial Water Company No, 2 was incorporated to irrigate about 

 90,000 acres of land north of No. 1. 



Imperial Water Company No. 3 was incorporated to irrigate about 

 25,000 acres of land near the boundary line. 



Imperial Water Company No. 4 was incorporated to irrigate 12, 500 

 acres of .land originally included in the territory of No. 2 company. 



Recently Imperial Water Company. No. 5 has been incorporated to 

 irrigate 100,000 acres of land on the east side of the Salton river, 

 which tract is now known as Eastside. 



All of these companies are mutual in character, having been incor- 

 porated to furnish water to their stockholders only at cost, so that no 

 one could get water from any of these companies except by purchas- 

 ing stock in one of them at the rate of one share to each acre of land. 

 A contract between each company and the California Development 

 Company provides for a perpetual water supply delivered at the inter- 

 national boundary line at a cost of fifty cents per acre foot, or about 

 two cents per inch for a twenty-four hours' flow. 



The stock of these companies was to be sold for the benefit of the 

 California Development Company and for the creation of a fund to 

 construct the distributing system of canals and ditches for the several 

 mutual companies. 



The water stock of the various companies is being sold at $11.25 

 per share. 



Under this program for cheap land and cheap water rights, and 

 cheap water rights perpetually, people began to flock to the desert and 

 secure lands and purchase water stock. 



During the past year over two hundred persons have secured land 

 under the desert act and taken water stock for the same in the various 

 companies. 



A number have also taken up homesteads and purchased the water 

 stock. Some have taken school lands and others have located Forest 

 Reserve scrip. In all over 100,000 acres of land have been secured by 

 those who have purchased water stock for the same. 



The town of Imperial has been established about twenty eight 

 miles south from Flowingweli, between the Salton and New rivers, on 

 the road to Blue Lake. Here a general merchandise store has been 

 established by W. F 1 . Holt; a hotel has been opened for accommodation 



