Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-13
CRIES PECCAVI.
DR.. Nichols Says He Is Very
Sorry.
The Latest from the Land War
at Pomona.
The Doctor Makes Long, Fervid
Explanation.
NE Claims His Only Object Was to
Protect the Water supply of the.
valley-Another Meeting
Saturday Night.


excited over the Tonner-Nichols affair.
Another mass meeting will be held ON
Saturday evening.
Yesterday DR.. Nichols published the
following statement in the Pomona
Progress:
To WHOM 1T MAY CONCERN Il wish to
state that several weeks since Mr.. Ton
ner came to me to talk about his claim
On the land OF several individuals in
Pomona valley, situated in what is
called Rancho San Jose, and said that
he had learned that they were getting
up purse to pay the expense of a suit
to quiet title to their lands. He con-
tended that he had vested in him good
title to an undivided two thirds OF these
lands and he intended to fix matters SO
that the action would have to be brought
in the courts of the United States,
where, he said, the case would be tried
on the law and the evidence, uninfiu-
enced by sympathy or popular feeling.
At first he proposed to deed his interest
to an alien in this state, SO that the for
eigner could demand that the trial be
had in the United States court. Later
he decided to have some one out OF the
state. | saw that he was determined on
this course. | saw at once that it was
important that he should deed the lands
to some one who would protect the in
terests of the valley in case he should
win the suit; for, in case he did win, it
was important that it should be in the
hands of some one who, in case settle
ment was not effected might not sell the
interest to some outside party who
would bore and tunnel for water in such
way and in such places as might ee-
riously ieopardize the interests of the Po-
mona Land and Water company, whose
president am, as well as the interests
of other parties obtaining water from
the same sources.
knew that Mr.. Grid, the owner of
the Chino ranch, had purchased the
right to bore and tunnel for water north
of San Bernardino avenue and had laid
large pipe line and was carrying a
large quantity OF water entirely away
from that part of Pomona valley in
which the Pomona Land and Water
had no quarrel with Mr.. Grid. l re-
gard him as useful and public-spirited
man, but / thought and still think that
that water belonged to this part of the
valley, and was much surprised that the
people of the neighborhood, and espe-
cially of the Kingsley tract, should SO
quietly acquiesce in his operations. 1t
was great mistake and one that they
could have prevented.
The Pomona Land and Water COM
pany had owned large amount of land
in that part of Rancho San jose and
east of the same, in what is known as
the San Antonio tract, the most of
which has been sold. The company
owns considerable body OF land east
of the San Antonio tract, and lying be-
tween Pomona and Ontario, known as
the Monte Vista tract. The San An
tonic tract has been supplied with
water from artesian wells located both
north and south OF the Santa Fe railroad
near Claremont, and the Monte Vista
tract is to be supplied with water from
those wells and other water-bearing
lands which the company owns. l be-
lieved that the several tracts of water
bearing lands were connected in their
underlying strata, and that the taking
OF water from one might affect the sup
ply flowing from others.
Wells have been bored on lands the
company did not own south and west of
the above mentioned wells, which had
to some extent interfered with the COM
pany's water supply. / was here in
charge of this valuable property of the
Pomona Land and Water company, and
I felt that it was my duty to protect its
interests in every way l honestly could.
1t was this consideration which induced
me to recommend to the directors OF
the company the purchase OF the 100
acres of Mr.. Loop and to pay him $780,
600 for it. This large sum is more than
T hot fyoo ofl land vuArth
aside from the protection of the COM
pany's wells, which was thus secured,
and the additional water supply we
hope to develop. We felt obliged to buy
that land.
Now, we do not want any more wells
bored where there is any possibility that
our water supply or that of our neigh
bors can be seriously diminished. Twas
afraid of the effect of boring more wells
on lots %, 33 and others adjacent
thereto. We certainly did not want to
develop water on any of the tracts
decided by Mr.. TOnner to Mr.. Burr, ex
cept the land of Mr.. Williams, and we
paid Mr.. Williams a good round price
for the right of boring and tunneling on
his land. Mr.. Williams certainly had
the right to bore and tunnel on the land
himself 1t was his land and the water
living under it was his water. 1t was of
value to him and he had the right to
make its value available to himself. We
bought the right and it belongs to the
company, and we stand only where MIR.
Williams stood, no more, no less. / also
wanted to secure the right of way
through lots 28, 38 and some others for a
pipe line from the Loop tract to the Pal
omares pipe line, of the situation of
which suppose most people know.
Now when | saw that Mr.. Tonner
showed fight and was determined to
deed his interest in those lands, l
deemed it only prudent to protect the
interest of the company OF which was
president. may have been too apprehen-
sive, others may think was. | acted
according to my best judgment, and so |
procured certain of the lands in which
Mr.. Tonner claimed he had two-thirds
interest, to be decided to Mr.. Burr, who, |
knew would not allow, if he could help
1T. the interest of the Pomona Land and
Water company to be prejudiced, he be-
ing stakeholder of the company. Mr..
Tonner, and other able lawyers whom
consulted, led me to fear that Mr.. Ton
ner's claim was valid in law. / had
offered one OF the ablest lawyers OF
Los Angeles county $1,000 if he would
guarantee to me that Mr.. Tonner's claim
was invalid. He declined to do it. So
paid Mr.. Tonner $40 per acre for his
interest in most of the lands that he
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