The record-union., 1893-08-24

=, t'oi hoy SiulS Sdiu Lu6 OUJectOIS anu
silurians" had two propositions to lay
before the board. One was to postpone
action on the matter until after the cleo
tlon OF new Trustees, and the other was
10 reject the report entirely. He de-
ciared that there was no question but that
the Supervisors had perfect right to do
either, and would be Justified in doing
either. The law quoted by Judge Arm
strong bore out just what the objectors
were contending for. The Judge seemed
to think that the Supervisors were a
nullity. He asked the board to reject the
plans as not being practicable. or else
postpone the matter until after October
lst. He thought the people of the dis
trlct should be given an opportunity to
express themselves at the polls before the
Supervisors decided the case.
Mr.. Sims charged that the whole trou
Die was that the present trustees of the
district were afraid they would not be re-
elected. and were in consequence in
hurry to get the Supervisors to adopt
their report before the election. They
mad all of last summer to put in the re-
port, but had neglected to do so.
TOM LovDAL's VERSION.
Mr.. Sims then called upon some of his
clients to make statements to the board.
Tom Lovdal was the first to speak. He
gave history of the formation of the
district, and told how the pocket" peo-
pie had disagreement and divided in
TWO. Nothing was done in the way of
levee building until 1890, when it became
apparent that they would soon be
drowned out. There was considerable
talk at the very outset about pumping
plant, and it was agreed that no such
plant should be purchased without con-
sulting everybody interested. In this
case, he said, the present trustees were
trying to rush the pumping-plan propo-
sition through before the others in the
district could get in an objection. A
great many people in the pocket" he
said, did not believe the pumping propo-
sltion was practical. The "pocket'' was
the receptacle for the sipage of Sacra-
mento City, Eof Burns Slough, aud of
the plains between it and White Rock.
Did the other side propose to pump all
this out, he asked. If the assessment was
levied it would never be collected. The
people would not pay it. "a burned
child breads the fire," said Mr.. Lovdal.
I'VE have had an experience already
with one of these assessments, and we
don't want to go through it again. We
want to know what we are being assessed
for this time"
AFTER LOVDAL'S SCALP.
James O'Neil, the brickyard man, said
he thought it was bad taste for Lovdal to
come over from Yolo and oppose those
who want oput their hands in their pock-
cts and reclaim their lands. He said Low
dal and other hopmen had dug bitches and
were draining their lands upon those in
the pocket" and We're drowning the peo-
pie out in there. He was not surprised to
hear objections. Sacramento had rep
utation for that. In the city there was
never street improvement proposition,
a pure water proposition or anything
suggesting progress that was not op-
posed by certain class of people. They
were chronic criers OF Ring ~ Rob H'
''Steal ~ etc. And it was the same way
in the country, he said. He did not think
it was right to stop an improvement just
for the sake of seeing who was going to
be elected.
Howell Clark told the board that the
people who were under water should not
expect those who were on dry land to
pay for pumping the water out. 1t did
not look just.
the kind" said Judge Armstrong
Those who have high land and don't
need the pumping won't be assessed"
Then those who are under water
should join hands and reclaim their own
lands" said Mr.. Clark
But suppose they won't join together
don't you think they ought to be made
W :! hSkeu luS QQRe.
Mr.. Clark said dryly that he didn't care
anything about it. He was not going to
pay for any pumping plant-that was all
there was about it.
BOYD GIVES SOME POINTERS.
Engineer Boyd informed the board that
unless the work was proceeded with at
once, it would have to lay over for a year.
The foundation for the pumping plant
would have tc be laid at once. At pres
ent the ''pockep' was a waste, but under
the plans submitted could be made pro-
ductive and beautiful garden spot. 1t
1t was one of the richest pieces OF land in
the State.
I'm preparing your specifications did
you calculate upon taking care of the
city's drainage water?" asked Mr.. Low
dal.
NO." replied the engineer.
What are you going to do with it
then ?"
"Well, Pm not the Trustees nor the
city of Sacramento. pll say this, though.
that the Sewer Commission makes a re-
port to the City Trustees next Monday,
and we can safely count that in six
months from now there will be an en-
tirely new system of drainage here-a
new sewerage system. There will not be
a cubic foot of water go from the CITY
into the pocket Ii the county will then
take care OF its drainage water, too, the
proposed pumping plant will keep the
pocket dry"
'Do you know how many acres are
subject to overflow and how much water
gets into the pocket ?" asked MIR. Lovdal.
What do you want-acres or water?'
was the engineers retort.
This brought Attorney Johnson to the
front. He wanted Chairman Morrison
to instruct the witness not to be so in
formally technical"
Boyd retaliated in kind and then ex-
planned to Lovdal that there were from
I, 200 to 5000 acres subject to inundation.
all of which would be reclaimed under
the proposed plan.
NEARLY RATIFIED HIM.
Then all the objectors began to nro-
pound conundrums for Engineer Boyd.
They came thick and fast-sometimes
two and three at time. Boyd tried tn
keep up with the procession, but was
soon winded. All he could do then was
to listen to the noise and look wise. 1t
continued until Chairman Morrison came
to the rescue.
Z. r. Crouch asked the Supervisors to
postpone action on the report until after
the district election. Mr.. Lovdal made
similar request. Mr.. Sprague, another
owner OF ''pocket' land, also asked for
delay.
Mr.. O'Neil spoke again in favorl of
going ahead with the work. Those under
water were anxious 10 till their lands
next year.
There was more wrangling about the
prospects OF the coming election, and at
one time everybody was talking at once.
MIR. Morrison nearly wore out his ruler
trying to rap the factions to order.
CURTIS FAvoRs THE PUMP.
Supervisor Curtis said it was a mistake a
a great many had made that the "pocket'
caught all the water in the plains from
White Rock. He said the water that did