contents

A HISTORY OF IMPERIAL VALLEY 7
told reason for all existence for that matter. Imperial
Valley, being so very productive, has been able to
compete with other produce raising regions because
the "overhead" or cost of operation is low. Then it
is able to raise things when other gardens are under
snow or not producing. Lettuce is a good example
of this. Planted in September and harvested from
December until April this crop is sent under ice to
die four corners of the nation. Statistics on this
crop are interesting as are the statistics on all other
crops, numbering more than sixty, found in the latter
part of this history. The story of the Valley's
commerce is simple. It raises food and sells it where
people are hungry for it. The increase in population
in the Los Angeles area during the last few years
has created an increasing demand for this produce
and it will continue to increase. 'The threads of this
story can be traced throughout this entire volume.
The last two chapters refer especially to the "Imperial
Valley of Today" wherein crops and commerce
are discussed in detaiL
USE THE INDICES
The reader is urged to study the arrangement of
the book in order to get the best use of it. The
Table of Contents will acquaint him with the chapter
titles and the contents of each chapter. Here he may
select a subject and turn to the chapter which treats
of it. The use of the index in the back of the
volume is important. In the Index to Names will
be found a comprehensive list of men and women
who have had a part in the Valley's history. The
figure after the name indicate the page on which the
name appears. The Index to Subjects will be
found useful in tracing facts related to any subject
such as the river break. He will also find in this index
the names of all organizations, churches, lodges,
etc., and will thereby be able to turn directly to the
page where the subject is mentioned. Then the Index
to Illustrations will be a useful guide to the
reader.
COMPILING A HISTORY
The publisher estimated in the beginning that he,
with the assistance of his good wife, could compile
a history of Imperial Valley in five months. We
figured that, having lived some seventeen of the
earlier years in the Valley we could sail right along
with the preparation of copy. We also figured that,
having spent nearly all these seventeen years in the
newspaper business here, it would be somewhat of an
easy task. But when we got into the work in earnest
we were appalled at our ignorance of subject mat·
ter and detail. It was dig, dig, dig. We read almost
every file of every newspaper in the Valiey, all the
minute books of the Irrigation District, many of
the county's records; we enlisted the aid of friends
and acquaintances, requested information from the
secretaries of nearly two hundred organizations, interviewed
hundreds of pioneers and found, at the
end of five months, the job but half w:npleted. It
has taken more than ten months to complete the
work.
The publisher wishes to here express his gratitude
to the people of the Valley who subscribed in advance
for copies of the "First Thirty Years." Every order
was an expression of faith in the quality of a book
that at the time was nothing but a promise. The
fact that these good people are securing their copies
at less than half the retail price of today is more than
offset in the faith and good will their advance subscriptions
indicated.
In compiling the work more than 22,000 miles
were covered by auto.
MRS. TOUTS HELP
The publisher wishes to publicly acknowledge the
fact that most of the hard work in connection with
this history has been done by his wife. She took the
field to secure advance orders and shot the list up to
nearly 2000 before it was discovered the costs were
mounting and the advance price was far too low.
She worked a bit too fast on that job. Then she
helped wade through the file papers of every city;
took dictation hours at a time directly on the typewriter
from her husband-which is rather remarkable
in this day of independence. She gathered
many pioneer stories, business sketches and looked
after the pictures. In compiling the index she
shouldered most of that burden. Did you ever compile
an index? You have to read every page of
your book, set down every name, place, picture and
subject on slips of paper-there were more than 7000
slips for this volume-and then you classify alpba:_. ___ .
betically by throwing the slips into file boxes and
rethrowing them three times for proper order. Then
you eliminate duplicate slips by putting all page nU1l1-
bers on one slip and that is pasted on a long sheet for
the printer. Without Mrs. Tout's help this book
would still be on the press at Christmas time.
For some unknown reason the tradition of history
publishing requires the picture of the historian to
appear in this part of the volume. Inasmuch as Mrs.
Tout did most of the real work her picture appears
as welL
THANKS TO MANY
The cheerful help of a great many friends is gratefully
acknowledged by the publisher. While this
list is not complete thanks should be especially extended
to:
Mrs. Jessie Hoyt Hatch for unearthing 1901-1904
files of the lmperial Press.
Me. Andrew Chaffey for access to original documents
relating to the old California Development
Company.
Mr. H. T. Cory for permission to use matter from
his book, "Imperial Valley and the Salton Sink."
Miss Estella Falla for her contribution on the Val·
ley's missions.
Mrs. \'V. A. Edgar for her story of the early days.
Mr. Frank H. McIver, secretary, and every official
and employee of the Imperial Irrigation District for
their uniform courtesy and innumerable accommodations
extended, including office space.
Mr. Hugh Osborne for access to the Wozencraft
original scrap book.