The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-08-01


$50 miles long by only few miles wide
hourished for fifty years a dozen mission
airy colonies, and for fifty years longer
returned and remained in its primeval
state OF cactus, flowers and wild honey.
The surface, level along the coast, quickly
rises to the foothills and within a dozen
miles TO the mountains. From the noun
talns to the sea run numerous aTroyas,
forming narrow valleys between which
are the mesa lands. There are 100 acres of
mesa to one of valley. The soil of the
mesa is chiefly adobe, with a sprinkling Of
red land adobe is considered poor soil
for fruit, excepting the olive. The red
land and drift sandy loam of the valleys
have the only soil adapted TO fruit Gull
ture. Nothing can be raised without irri-
cation, and the mesa cannot be irrigated.
If water could be brought over il, the
mesa being composed largely OF decom-
posed lime rock, would be the most pro-
life. The valleys can be irrigated
where sufficient water can be
had. insufficient water supply
is the only obstacle to the development of
this country. There is not a stream in the
whole Southern California that would
bear the name of river east of the Mis-
sissippi. Only two are fed by the melting
SHOWS of the mountains. The others are
dry, except sometimes during the winter
months when the rain will pour down in
torrents Tor few hours, the surface being
net work of gullies and arroyas, with a
hundred feet fall per mile to the ocean;
the water instead of penetrating the soil
beats and packs it down and rushes
through the arroyas with tremendous
force tearing up banks and carrying along
gravel and sand, and in few hours it is
q n "a nj l,. al-e H.
ever. San Diego and San Bernardino
counties, together as large as Ohio, have
not available water to irrigate 100,
600 acres, and not one-fourth
OF 1t is now under irrigation,
with over hundred years of settlement.
In Los Angeles county, with the only two
living streams in Southern California, the
Sta. Ana and san Gabriel, irrigation is
carried on on quite an extensive scale.
The water in the streams is all utilized,
and water is brought from the mountains
with expensive bitches. Artesian wells
form a great source OF water supply in this
county as well rs in the city OF san Ber-
nardlno, in the county of the same name.
Many manage to exc out living on few
acres devoted to small fruit, irrigated by
wind pumps, and some enthusiasts think
the wind pump will solve the question of
be reached only at great depth, and only
ID the small valleys, where the water is near
the surface, can the wind pump farming be
put in operation. Much has been heard
in the East OF the gigantic irrigaung
schemes in California, but they are con-
fined 10 the San Goaquire valley, and not
to Southern California-except on maps,
for when it comes to do anything on pa
per there is nothing impossible here.
Three years ago San Diego was dead
town OF 5000 on one OF the best harbors
in the world and the terminus OF the
Santa Fe railroad Los Angeles a railroad
center in the midst OF an agricultural
region, on a small scale, was plodding city
of 1900; PASADENA, a village; Sta. Barbara
still bore the stamp of the mission days;
Cotton, a railroad crossing; San Bernar-
dino, sleeping ever since the Nor
side, a colony of Orange-growers-
the only successful orange culturists
in California. The other towns were
not dreamed of even by embryo boomers.
The Mexican land grants had long ago
passed from the greasers' hands TO Amer
leans, who used them for grazing. Two
years ago capitalists from Boston, Chicago,
etc, who were closely related to the
Santa Fe system, organized syndlcates,
purchased land grants and ali the land
adjoining Los Angeles, San Diego, Pasa-
dena and other towns, laid il out into adj
dition and put the lots on market. The
grants were cut up into small tracts OF one,
five and ten acres, for "orange groves" -
always laying out in each grant a town
with broad avenues, parks, hotels, thea
tiers, etc.-all on paper, of course. lrrl-
eating canals were located ton maps) de-
oraA
water-rights went with the purchase OF
every lotand acre OF property. Lots in these
new towns were all sold by the proprie-
tors for no less than 500 each and acre
property brought no less than $50 per
acre, no matter how stony or cut up by
gulches. The advertising scheme had
been so well planned and executed that it
succeeded beyond anticipation. Every
thing was soon taken off the original
boomers hands at fabulous prices. From
second hands the lots passed TO third,
fourth, fifth, etc, adding 30, 70 and 100
per cent TO the price every change of
hands. No one bought to keep and i'm
prove, but always to sell to some one else
before the second installment matured,
and double his money. But there was to
be an end TO this gambling and some had
to be caught with worthless real
estate uIlaDle 10 uLlbdu bA
some one else-with only the
first installment paid, the second due and
no funds to meet it. The syndicate man
was not caught for he unloaded in the
beginning. The real estate shark was not
caught he sold on commission, and Is
now plying his avocation in salt Lake
CITY and other new fields. The Cali
fornian was not caught; knowing the in
trinsic value of the property, to his credit
be never dealt in it, This disreputable
boom was engendered, engineered and
profited by strangers. The old timer got
rid of his "white elephant" his grants,
at good figures, that's all. But the con-
fiding newcomer of small means, the
widow with her all, the Yankee
school teacher with her little saw
ings, the mechanic with all his
wages were caught with real estate
in their hands that shrunk 70 per cent.
and left the dupes of veteran land sharks
who received their training in Kansas
and Dakota and who are now booming
other glorious climates"
Everything has resumed the lazy air Of
anti-boom DAYS, but the great boom left
its mark behind. Los Angeles has more
than doubled its population, and its cor
porate limits would take in New Yorh
and Brooklyn without squeezing. Pasa-
dena is a city of 10000. The orange
groves about it and Los Angeles have
been cut down TO make streets and lots
and weeds grow where orange trees flour