Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-02
The Price Of the City Water
Company's Property.
Two and Half Millions the
Amount Demanded.
Correspondence Between the Com
pany and the Water Committee.
The Result of Engineer Dockweiler's
Observation-Disclosures the Com
pany Claims to Own-The
Correspondence.

Some time ago the city engineer ad-
dressed series of questions to the water
companies of the city. The first reply was
from the City Water company and was
received by the council water committee
yesterday as follows:
Los ANGELES, January 10, 1892.
To the Special Committee of the Council of
the City of Los Angeles, appointed for the
purpose of ascertaining from the water com
panies of this city the prices asked for their
plants:
GENTLEMEN: At our interview in the
early part of this month you notified me
that you wished to know what the Los
Angeles City Water company would sell
all their property for, including all the
water plants and property owned and
controlled by it.
stated to you that we would have an
adjourned stockholders meeting of the
water company on the 18th, and that
would present the matter to the stock
holders and ask them to fix a price for
the works SO owned and controlled and
report the result to your committee.
Failing to have quorum at the meet
ing, and wishing to comply with your
request, sought the advice of the COM
pany's attorneys, who stated that be-
fore any proposition could be made to
your committee the written assent and
authority would have to be obtained
from the stockholders fixing the price
thereof, or special stockholders meet
ing called for that purpose.
To avoid the delay in calling stock
holders meeting, we at once commenced
to take the written assent, and hope in
few days we can present to you the
result. l notice that in the blank
schedule made out by your engineer to
be filled out by our company, that, per-
haps, by an oversight, he has omitted q
very valuable part of our properties ami
plant, which is all the property owned
and controlled by the Los Angeles City
Water company on the east side of the
river, viz: The right of water develop
ment OF 1925 acres OF land in the Arroyo
Seco, and lands adjoining with the
at its great elevation above the city, the
high hills on the east and west side OF
the river can be supplied, and which is
now supplying the high lands of East
Los Angeles and Boyle Heights by
gravity by the development from a
small portion of these lands. The water
from these lands ia brought into the city
through an eleven-inch pipe, and from it
distributed to consumers.
He also omitted in his schedule all
the property of the East Side Spring
Water company, which is leased to our
company, and which is now in an excel
lent condition, the company having en-
larged and cemented the reservoir on
the Florence Terrace hill, and laid new
and longer mains to and from the reser-
voir, have developed a flow of 700 900
gallons of spring water daily on the
company's property purchased from
Ling; also put in larger pumps, boilers,
etc.; also the connection with the Ar
royo Seco supply, which is furnished
the reservoir with gravity pressure.
These systems being supplied by grav-
ity at so great height without pump
ing makes them very valuable, and 1
have concluded that in proposition to
sell the water works you would certain
ly want us to include those two systems,
which are left out of the schedule.
The price at which we offer you the
plants will embrace all the property,
rights of way, tools and machinery be-
longing to the Los Angeles City Water
company, the Crystal Springs Land and
Water company, the Arroyo Seco system
and the East Side Spring Water COM
pany.
feel authorized to offer to the city of
Los Angeles the properties above men
toned at the price of $2,500,000. This
offer is made as hereinbefore stated
without regular meeting OF the stock
holders called for the purpose of con-
sidering the sale of the property,
but feel confident from assur-
ances given me by a large number of the
stockholders of the several corporations
above named that the whole properties
above mentioned can be purchased by
the city at the price above stated. This
offer shall not be deemed open for more
than twenty days from this date, as ex-
pensive improvements are being made
and further improvements contem-
plated, and an early answer is requirad
ct the price herein named. All ques-
tions as to the time and manner of pay
ment are left open for future negotia-
tions. Most respectfully submitted.
w. H. PERRY,
President Los Angeles City Water COM
pany.
Appended to the communication is the
following certificate:
1, S. HI. Mott, secretary of the Los
hukClCb OlbJ VdbCi COLuR Rdny, OIy bbdi
Springs Land and Water company, and
the East Side Spring Water company,
do hereby certify that the several prop
critics mentioned in the foregoing cor
porations have cost the present owners
thereof in purchase price and improve
ments q sum aggregating considerably
more than $2.500, 900.
In witness whereof l have hereunto
set my hand this 29th day of January,
1892. S. H. Mort, Secretary.
The reply framed by the committee
and forwarded to the company this
morning is as follows
Los Angeles City Water Company. W. H. Perry,
President:
DEAR SIR: The special water COM
mittee of the council is in receipt of
your favor of the 295h ult., and in reply
thereto beg leave to state that they are
desirous OF obtaining more complete
information in accordance with the
series of written questions sent you by
our city engineer.
The Importance of the question to the
people is Of such magnitude that we de-
sire the fullest detailed information in
order that the public and the council
may be able to analyze the matter, and
form an intelligent estimate as to the
value, aside from your offer.
If the questions propounded by our
engineer do not cover your entire plant,