Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1882-02-07
r.. rru.n Of ,ss matter.

While we elsewhere express
grave misgivings as to the rainfall
-misgivings which we look to see
jispslled-we cannot too often re.
iterate the fact that Los Angeles
county lie, by long odds, that coun.
ty of the State which 10 absolutely
independent of the natural rain
fall. as respects fully two-thirds of
her people. When dry year is
imminent We are really more
scared than hurt as respects our
substantial interests. OF course,
in q dry year, we have a profound
sympathy with those Of our farm
ers who cannot command zaDja
water. Ditches are then King,
and the man who cannot inundate
his lands is helpless for the time
being. But the number of this
class Of our farmers is greatly ex-
aggerated, and we desire to empha-
size that point right here. Most Of
the farmers on dry lands are men
like the Lankershims, Van Mugs,
the Porters, Maclay & Moff1tt,
Newhall, D. Freeman, and so on
men who farm on an extensive
scale-men of means who can af.
ford to do their farming on the av-
erage Of q series OF years. Many
Of these gentlemen handle tracts of
from twenty to forty thousand
acres. While 1t Is unfortunate
that, this year, their labors and ex-
penditures may count for nothing,
nevertheless they are able to stand
the loss and are assured Of profits
in the long run. The other class
who will suffsr II we shall have
dry year are the heavy owners of
sheep. Their sufferlngs will have
bsen mitigated by their prodigious
profits In the past. The emolu-
ments of the sheep owner dwarf all
the profits which have been record.
Cd Of politicians, fro M Boss Tweed
and Boss Shepherd down, because
the gains of the latter have taFen
to themselves wings, in most cases,
while our sheep men are enduring
~ rich. Waving the sheep men
and the mesa farmers, Los Angeles
county would enter upon o dry
year under unprecedentedly favor.
able circumstances.
To begin with, the banks of this
city are unique on the American
continent In their solidity and con.
sentative management. Those
who peruse their latest state ments
will see that there are few finan-
cial Institutions In the world that
can hold q candle to them, consid-
ering the volume of their transac.
tons. On the other hand, the dry
season of 1876-77 WAS ushered in
by the disastrous failure of the
bank of Temple & Workman-a
failure involving 81, 100, 900, and by
> small-pex epidemic. Yet we sur.
vived 1t all, have seen the county
steadily settled up, our local and
transcontinental railway system
expanded and our irrigating sys.
TEN measurably perfected and ex-
tended.
This brings us to the kernel of
the matter. II We shall prove to
have dry year here we shall have
1t all ever the State OF California,
no matter what the rainfall may
be reported to be, for time, In
any other portion Of this State. 1t
is principally in q dry year that
our unrivaled resources for irriga-
ton will show themselves at their
best. We shall rejoice in product
i've vineyards, nineteen acres out
of twenty of which are irrigated,
cornfields which will supply
three-fifths of all the corn raised In
California, immense alfalfa fields
and system OF farming. independ.
emit Of anything but irrigating
bitches, which will embrace not
only two.thirds but q far larger
number Of our farmers. In addi-
tion, we shall already have mar
keted an excellent crop of oranges,
lines and lemons. A dry year has
no terrors for the people Of Los An.
geles. because 1t will leave gaps
which can be most profitably
filled. Even the sheep interests,
which are questionable benefit
to section of such a precious soil
aud sun as ours, will revive with
unlimited opportunities Of profit,
repairing the damages which may
be incurred. Take 1t for all in all,
a. far as the money outcome goes,
Los Angeles, II she were selfish,
could well afford to welcome q
year of drouth, which would EN-.
brace the whole State OF Califor-
MIA. As = result, her farmers
would simply get doubled and
trebled prices for the products
which her people would raise by
irrigation In prodigal abundance.
TAKING our cue from certain
controversies which are lust now