Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-10

largely taken up with facts concerning
the remarkable development of the re-
sources of Southern California, especial
ly of those of San Bernardino county
and a portion Of Los Angeles county
which adjoins San Bernardino.
There has been something phenome-
nal in this movement in production,
population and wealth. The ratio of
increase there in all lines has never been
surpassed, if it has been approached, in
the United States. The causes for the
rapid growth Of the San Bernardino val
ley are not far from the seeker.
To begin with, the natural resources
OF this Incompatible region, which, for
convenience, we shall take to include
Riverside and South Riverside, are al
most illimitable. and made so by geo.
graphical position unique and admir-
able, by soil OF remarkable richness
and by water supplies that are practi-;
cally inexhaustible. In the cultivation
OF the citrus fruits water is, if not indis-
pensable, highly desirable, and in the
San Bernardino valley and at Pomona it
is poured out in unstinted abundance.
The watershed of the San Bernardino
valley is one of the most extensive in
the state. The immense mountain
ranges, comprising on one side Mount
San Bernardino and old Grayback, and
on the other the San Jacinto, discharge
many streams which make the
water supply of the San Ber-
nardino valley proper ever redun-
dant. Such streams as the Santa
Ana river, Mill creek, Plunge creek,
Warm creek and Lytle creek, render the
proposition of irrigation one of great
facility. The famous city of Riverside
is irrigated by water obtained from the
Santa Ana river, which is carried there
in great canals, aud which has
created a scene of magical beauty
from the point at which it enters the
settlement to and including South River
side. All OF these streams are peren-
nial, and their flowfof water fed from the
snow-clad mountains to the north and
east, never seems to know any diminu-
tion, however scant the Yainfall may be.
In addition to the running streams, the
San Bernardino valley is a great arte-
sian belt. Appreciating this fact,
Mr.. Mathew Gage, an enterprising
citizen, conceived the idea OF going up
into the San Bernardino valley proper
and sinking artesian wells there, and
conveying their waters, for purposes OF
irrigation, on an extensive tract to the
northeast of Riverside. The scheme
was aSDrilliant success, and the results
have been the Gage canal and the sale
of the tract to an English syndicate
who possess large means, and who are
operating on a scale of great magnitude,
availing themselves of the experiences
of the brilliant Riverside original.
Plans are on foot for the development
of water on every hand. A Cincinnati
company has made arrangements to
build an immense reservoir on Mt. San
Bernardino, whose waters will be carried,
by the aid of tunnel, from the north
to the south side of that mountain,
making them available for the irrigation
of immense tracts of valuable lands on
what was formerly known as the Cuca-
monga plain. Plans have also been
perfected to carry water from the San
Jacinto mountain to the plains lying
toward the south. ALI these projects
are in capable hands. They will be car
ried out with the energy and sagacity
which seem to characterize every pro-
ject in San Bernardino county, and their
success means an enormous addition to
the wealth, prosperity and population
of that whole section.
The San Bernardino valley is also ad-
mirably situated with regard to its rail
way advantages. Nature has been very
liberal to. it in the con6guration of the
country. The San Gorgonio Pass, which
is a great break in the Sierras- which
is. valley rather than a pass-and
which is led up to by the San Timoteo
canon, is the natural highway for any
railroad which shall seek to traverse
the country below the thirty par
allel of latitude. The Sunset route,
the branch OF the Southern Pacific rail
way between Los Angeles and New Or
leans, goes through this splendid open
ing in the majestic chain OF mountains
which hems in the Colorado desert.
Further to the south the great Cajon
Pass is another clearly defined national
highway leading up from the San Ber-
nardino valley, and the Atchison,
Topeka and Santa Fe railway have al
ready occupied it with their tracks, as
suring to this richly endowed land an
other transcontinental railway. A mo-
tor road which runs to Redlands on one
side and to Cotton and Riverside on the
other proves great convenience, and
the Santa Fe has in course of construc-
tion and in contemplation number OF
local roads, one OF them, partially built,
leading to the new insane asylum. 1t is
understood that the Southern Pacific
people design building into San Bernar-
dino and to construct line leading from
Pomona or some adjacent town to River