Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-06-25
WATER WARS.
How They Have Ragged at
AzuSa.
NOW QUIET REIGNS THERE.
All Issues Pooled, and, from this on,
Progress Will be the Watch
word of the Hour.
WATER WARS.
NOW QUIET REIGNs THERE.

Tie sun does not shine on a more
lovely bit of territory than that known
as the Azusa, in the eastern end of Les
Angeles county. For climate, soil, water
supply and landscape beauty, it has few
rivals and no superiors. But, time out of
mind, war after war has been waged
there, between the different interests,
over the water question. This was GER
tainly a strange episode in the history of
the valley. At its head lies the great
mouth of the San Gabriel caflon, where
the largest stream of the county de-
bouches from the mountain in a copious
current, clear as crystal. So abundant is
this supply OF water that although all the
lands of the Azusa and of the Duarte are
irrigated, thousands OF inches of water
must forever flow away, to be used on
lands further down the valley. Yet, with
all this water flowing past this beautiful
district, continuous warfare has been
more water, but to see who could be de-
pIlNCo Vi Allb blldAO Vi tllO plcClOuc Aulu
These contests took all sorts of shapes,
and when the belligerents had exhausted
their energies on one line of com bat they
foolish and fruitless disputes would fill
volumes. Away back in the pioneer
days there was war between the Azusa
and the Duarte. Then came fight be-
tween the Dalton ranch and the other
entfIaro nf of tho Nax,;no 6itnI
was constructed, and for seven or eight
years bitter fight has been carried on
over that affair. Last week there were
water disputes at the Azusa, and one be-
fore the Board of Supervisors. This last
one was fair specimen of the impracti-
cal way in which water affairs were con-
Quoted at the Azusa. A portion of the
formed under the Wright law would be
the best way to settle all disputes.
These citizens had an election ordered to
decide whether the will of the people
was in this direction. The law was voted
down, but the friends of Wright law did
not know they were beaten. They
asked for new election. This was al
lowed then, and for the second time an
appeal was made to the arbitrament of
the ballot box. Again the sovereign peo-
pie decided that they did not want
Wright District in the Azusa. This
ought to have decided the matter-but
the people of the Azusa have no end of
red blood in their veins. They are as
hard to beat as Tartars. Once more an
appeal was made to the Supervisors to
order an election OF the voters of the
district to see if it was their pleasure
to have district under the Wright bill,
to handle the water. Well, the millen-
ium has come at last for on Saturday
both parties came before the Board of
Supervisors, and agreed that the petition
be withdrawn and that the ghost of a
water row ct the Azusa should be laid
forever. On the same day the cases
pen ding in the courts were terminated,
and it is now said that all wars over wa
ter at the Azusa are at an end, and that
hereafter all will be quiet along the Up
per San Gabriel.
Mark that at El Monte, miles below
the Azusa, there never has been any diff
ficulty about water. At Los Nietos,
miles below Ell Monte again, the people
have all the water they need from the
San Gabriel. At Downey, and for miles
below, the river is still good stream,
and all riparian lands get plenty of
water.
The difficulty at the Azusa has not
been for lack of water. There is plenty
of it for all interests and "lashin's and
LAWNS" of it besides, ss they say in the
French. That is, the French spoken in
Galway. There never has been time
when the Azusa did not have all the
water it needed for irrigating, and some
left for drinking purposes, if any of the
good people of the district ever get thirsty
enough to use Adams ale as beverage.
Thus the sensible solution of the diff
Guilty has been reached at last. The good
people of one of the loveliest portions of
Gods green earth are to join hands here
after, and new progress will
be the order of the day. There
10 enough to flood all the country from
the base Of the mountains to the South
ern Pacific railway track. If the money
paid the lawyers is only put into bitches
and pipe lines,if peace is only maintained
SO that purchasers of bonds in the Azusa
will be sure that in buying an acre of
land they are not buying mile of law
suits, all will go merrily in
that lovely district, and the
time of "speed the plow" will
take the place of Marlborough has gone
to the wars" And that is to be here
after the order of the day. The Azusa is
to be congratulated, and with it the
entire county of Los Angeles. The Azusa
is among the best orange land in the
State. With peace supreme, and progress
to direct affairs there, in few short
years as many of the golden spheres, the
golden apples of this modern Hesperides,
will be shipped annually from the Azusa
as are now shipped from the whole of
Southern California