Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-05-22

Some Practical Suggestions About
Water bitches and Other Matters.


Editor Los angeles Herald DEAR SIR
In prosperity provide for adversely i
an old adage applicable to all conditions
of life, aud especially to the common
wealth of Los Angeles in the matter O
leservoiring and distributing the wateri
so bountifully bestowed upon us by ma
ture in her unequal distribution Of Thu
priceless BON. When we consider what
other communities in this our sun-kissed
land and future paradise Of this might,
realm would accomplish with tenth
part of our water facilities, and wha
they are building up with hundredth
part Of our aqueous resources, we should
not boast of being citizens Of Los Ange
les. but yield the palm Of greatest en-
ergy, foresight and thriftiness to such
communities as Pasadena and Ontario
where an inch of water to hundred
acres of land accomplishes more than Q
hundred inches of water to one acre Of
land did twenty Year, ago In Los Ange'
les; and. though our system, under pres
ent efficient management, has accom-
pi'hed much, yet we compare unfavora
bly, Will the above named communities
to-day, as our present irrigating system,
covering six to eight thousand acres o.
land. does with that of twenty years ago,
when hardly FIVE hundred acres were
irrigated. We hear some Of our enter.
prising men express the hope that they
will live to see the water Of Los Angelo.
river supply the domestic wants Of a city
Of one hundred thousand inhabitants.
and irrigating the lands between Loa
Angeles and the ocean, comprising a
hundred thousand acres. II the system
and waters were owned and managed as
private property, no d Jubt five years,
at most ten, would see this accomplished.
As it is, il radical and efficient steps are
not taken, the youngest child will not
live to see it done, and even il he
fall asleep in maturity as Rip Van Win
kle, and return half century later, he
might still fnd open diiehes water flow
ing down stream in an average winters
season. Why Is THAT, where all elseis
taking giant strides in improving and
treasnring all resources, the Los An
geles water system IL going its snail's
pace, aids by side with the locomoti 70
aud elsctric light Of the present day
fhree thousand years ago Babylon and
Nineveh. and two thousand years ante.
redsnt to that EIypt Of old had water
aId irr eating systems compared to which
ours is common mule cart Lkened to Q
swenty-ton locomotive. SJuthsra Cali
fornia may and must have population
exceeding that II Assyria and Egypt.
out We doubt that its capital will rival
n hangin g gardens. terraces and public
aud private buildings those ,mous cities
Of old, uoless we do something to draw
people to our city and make our lands
arabic In continuous hue - far as the
last drop Of our wster will reach with
the utmost care against seepage and evap.
grafton.
Bat we are continually improving, We
are told, aud it is true that our present
eticisnt xanjero has managed TO save
about seven thousand dollars within the
last two seasons, where formerly the sys-
tenn was only self-supporting. and it is
not many years ago when there was an
uaal de6cien y. About five thousand
dollars have been spent the last few
m ,nths ia building brick conduit and
piping the upper end oil some of the
main bitches with result so satisfaoto.
y and astonishing that all are at q loss
to know " by such work was not done at
the outset, and query why not pipe all
the bitches immediately We will do it
little by little. the old timers say. as the
money accumulates. Why not build q
city hall, court house, pos; Office. a
business block, etc., as fast AS the rent
from few "'dobe sheds :"
adjoining that belonging to the proper
tys Ii so, how many years will it take'
To pipe the system will cost about two
thousand dollars. as follows:
CENTRAL SYSTEM.
Zanja Madre brick conduit COCO It at