Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-09-01
KERN COUNTY LANDS.
Senators Making a Personal Examination
into the Water Question.

Senators Making Personal examination
| into the Water Question.
A representative of the RECORD UNION
| came up from Bakersfield yesterday, where
! on Monday he visited the ranches of Haggin
& Carr and the canals that are so much
talked of in the extra session of the Legis
lature. Kern river, just above the town of
Bakersfield, is quite a large stream of pure'
clear water Within five miles above and
below the town it is tapped by score of
canals that lead the water off upon what
were once arid, treeiess and barren plains,
but which today by systematic irrigation
is the most productive soil in the State,
producing the most abundant crops Tequir
ing the slightest amount of filling. Haggin
Il Carr own some 500 0U0 acres of this land,
and their immense canal system has re-
claimed nearly or quite all of it. You can
| form some idea Of
THE IMMENSE SIZE OF THIS ESTATE
When YOU are told you can ride twenty
five miles in a straight line without getting
off their holding. As might be supposed
this sandy soil absoIbs a vast amount of
water, and the canal system must accord
ingly be large in proportion. The size of
some of them is that of small rivers. The
Galloway, the largest, is 100 feet wide upon
the bottom, and when full is twelve feet in
depth This on Monday had only about
| two feet of water in it, but the Pioneer
and other smaller canals were almost
| full The river at the bridge, just north of
the town, is a couple of hundred feet in
| width, and looked from the bridge to be on
an average two feet in depth. Eight miles
below we crossed the bed of the river,
which was entirely dry, every particle of
the water having been taken out in the
canals or else sunk in the sands. Cars
people claim that if the waters in the can
ais were all turned into the river channel,
or if, in other words, their head-gates
were shut down. none of the water would
reach Miller & Lux's land at the point they
claim is suffering from drought. They
claim that it would all sink before going
half the distance. They also claim that all
the water taken out in the
CANALS SOUTH OF THE RIVER
Finds its way into the lakes that supply
large portion of the Miller & Lux tract.
They claim, therefore, that Miller is not in
the least injured, but on the contrary belie-
fitted, by the Carr appropriation.
On the other side. Miller claims an oppo-
site state of affairs, and in order to convince
the Senate of his position he had the fol-
lowing named Senators to inspect the
| country and take in the situation on Mon
day: Messrs. Cross, Whitney, Steele, Chan
der and DAYS. They arrived at Bakers
field Sunday evening, put up at the French
Hotel, and on Monday morning were driven
over seventy miles of the country in ques-
ton IN carriages
UNDER THE DIRECTION OF Mr.. MILLER.
The riparian side of the question was
thus presented in very forcible manner.
Mr.. Miller said seeing was believing, and
proposed to prove the truth of his position
by an ocular demonstration. The Sena-
torial party returned to Bakersfield about
P. NJ. Messrs. Hudnot, Carr Jr., and Others
representing the appropriations side called
upon them at the hotel and asked the priv
ilege of showing them their side of the
question also. The Senators said they were
hunting "for light" and agreed to stop
over for two days end take in the entire sit
uation. They will be shown one of the
finest agricultural sections in the State.
Haggin Il Carr have some twelve or fifteen
| improved places, while the entire estate is
under fence. The larger portion of it is
used in grazing, and
THE IMMENSE ALFALFA FIELDS
Make it quite valuable for stock raising.
| The Bellevue farm, eight miles west of
Bakersfield, is one OF the best improved
and the headquarters. Here Mr.. Carr and
his family reside, and here are located
their store, workshops, etc. They employ
| from fifteen to twenty superintendent and
| quite a number of laborers their pay roll
footing up to over $20,0 600 per month. After
visiting this fine place the reporter drove to
| Stockdale, Livermore, Buena Vista, Nc
| Clung's and other of their improved places.
Mr.. Carr says that as soon as some irriga-
ton plan is adopted by the Legislature the
land, together with water sufficient to
make it productive, will be offered at bar
gains to settlers. They wish to dispose of
| it to small farmers, and if the plan they
suggest should succeed, Bakersfield will
| have a boom second only to that of Los
Angeles.