The herald., 1893-09-03


irrigation congress in September, 1891,
but took no active part therein, as I was
on the verge OF a severe attack of mala-
rial fever, which put me to bed on my
arrival home, and did not feel like do
ing anything at that time that was not
necessary.
''The Salt Lake congress was largely
attended by able representatives from
all the arid states and territories of the
United States. The representatives at
that time did not come from beyond our
own country. The presidency of that
convention was given to California, and
Hon. g. @. Wright, author of the Wright
irrigation law, was called to preside.
This was done as recognition OF the
great services rendered this state and
the irrigation interests of the country by
that gentleman. l had the honor to
propose his name for that position in a
caucus of the California delegation, and
it met with hearty and unanimous en-
dorsement.
"Hon. W. H. Mills, John P. Irish and
M. M. Estee of this state, were promi-
nent among the members of the con-
gress and their eloquence and sound
judgment did much to shape the action
of that body.
"That congress was composed entirely
of delegates appointed by governors of
the states and terlitories-each state or
territory being entitled to 80 delegates.
The coming congress will have larger
attendance, as delegates are being re-
ceived from counties, agricultural and
horticultural societies, irrigation COM
panies and other bodies as we'll as by
appointment of governors. think that
under the call, irrigation districts would
be entitled to representation and they
should avail themselves of that priv
ilege."
"By the way, how are the irrigation
districts of the state getting along?"
Every we'll. There are some defects
in the law but these defects are being
remedied at each session of the legisla-
ture. One defect is that the law does
not provide that the districts shall re-
port to any one--any state officer; hence
10 official information concerning them
can be obtained. In 1890 1 compiled q
report of the various districts in the
state at that time, and that report was
placed before the legislature for its
guidance. There had been 26 districts
organized at that time, covering !, 3d.
453 acres. Twenty-one OF these districts
had voted bonds to the extent of SO, 49,
600, and bonds had been sold and traded
to the extent of $1,000
"Last December | compiled another
report for the benefit of the last legisla-
ture, and 1 am now compiling another
report, which will be more complete
than any other ever gotten up, and it
will show very satisfactory progress
being made in the districts of the state.
This report will appear in the forthcom-
ing illustrated irrigation edition of the
Rural Californian, which will be issued
in October, just prior to the meeting of
the irrigation congress. am engaged
on that edition vt the present time, and
am succeeding beyond my most sanguine
expectations in getting irrigation data
from all over Southern California, the
state at large, and Arizona.
Among other matters / am getting
the data for table which shall name
every irrigation system, large or small,
in the counties of Los Angeles, San Ber-
pardino. Riverside, Orange and San
Diego, the number of inches of water in
each system, the number OF acres that
can be irrigated and the number that
are now actually being irrigated. This
will be most valuable compilation
one that has never heretofore been at
tempted.
ut seems strange. Fifteen years ago
our people thought that the limit of
irrigating arid lands in Southern Cali
iornia had been very nearly reached.
We are today irrigsting 10 times as
much land as we irrigated then, and
there is water in sight in some OF the
counties to irrigate 10 times as much
land as is being irrigated now. San Ber-
nardino county, for instance, ia irrigat-
ing at present something over 10000
acres CT land land, and when its ssyys!es,s are
fully utilized and the reservoir systems
now outlined are completed. the capacity