The herald., 1894-12-15
WILL USE THE MOJAvE RIVER,
When the Desert Will Blossom
Like an Onion Bed.
A Great Scheme to Water the Whole
MCjave Valley.
Though He Uas His Own LIttie Octopus
to Play with Coils Nephew
Talks of Raising Veg
stables.

H. E. Huntington, the man who
nestles closely in the arms of a giant
octopus Of the railroad variety, and
seems to enjoy it, and who, not content
to be fondled by the octopus of his
Uncle Coils P, must needs have a
baby octopus OF his own to play with,
was in the city yesterday.
Mr.. Huntington consented readily
enough to talk to a HERALD reporter,
and with that pleasant manner kept
constantly on hand by all well.regulated
railroad men for use at newspaper in
terviews. he guided the somewhat sim
gle.handed conversation safely past the
rocks and shoals in the track OF the
railroad situation out onto the Moiave
scheme all Southern California will be
interested in-tbe development OF some
250. 600 acres of land through irrie eation.
The scheme is gigantic one and in
wolves the building OF a great water sys-
tenn and the utilization of the power Of
a tremendous waterfall to operate the
machinery of rich mining district.
I'VE shall use the water of the Mo-
isve river to irrigate the land, taking it
from the river four miles above Dag.
gett." said Mr.. Huntington, with much
the air an ordinary man would use if he
were talking about taking water out Of a
hydrant to irrigate a cabbage bed. "Al.
ready We have four miles of main canal
constructed and seven miles of laterals,
putting about 1900 acres under water"
Mr.. Huntington talked like farmer
for while, then. but he kept right on
looking like a railroad president and
smoking q cigar, the like OF which q
rancher couldn't think Of smoking on
Christmas morning II he owned the
whole Mojave desert and had it under
irrigation and set out to asparagus.
1.-THE land has been experimented
grow vegetables of all kinds" he said
glancing at the cigar the reporter was
smoking. as though 1t had, perhaps,
put him in mind of vegetables, possibly
cabbages land deciduous fruits, too"
he added.
"As soon as the rainy season is over,
we shall put in a submerged dam, and, +,
altogether, before we get through, will
expend three or four hundred thousand
dollars in the venture. There are, trib.
utary to the location Of the water works,
some 240, 600 acres of land which is open
to settlement, though not over one
quarter of this will be under irrigation
within the next three or four years.
Nearly 5000 acres have already heen sold
at private sale.
"No, it is not all railroad land" This
in reply to question. Mr.. Huntington
spoke as though the question might
have raised the roof slightly and let in q
cold draught on him. He seemed cooler
at once.
"There ia plenty OF government land
there-government land which can be
had by simply using water from our
system on 1t to reclaim it from the des-
ert, as it were. The land is all in the
Mojave valley, but it is little dry over
there-a little dry. you understand.
1--WE are going to develop power over
there, too, said Mr.. Huntington, thaw.
ing out little after the port.
He didn't say that it would be the
kind of power that Coils P. has been
developing all bis life. the power of giant
monopoly; he left that for the newspa-
pers to say later on. He said water
power.
Near Mineola,-by the way, Inever
heard OF Mineola until today; that's
cur new town over there-is O waterfall,
vertical waterfall of one hundred
feet. Out OF every thousand inches
OF water we are going to get 250 hor 90
power. This power will be used to pro.
pei the machinery at the mines In the
Calico district near by. It's q great
scheme"
Mr.. Huntington smoked meditatively
for awhile. Ee was thinking OF the
great scheme. no doubt. He ia a great
man for great schemes. He learned it
of Coils p.
This will help your business inter.
ests here" he said, with little of the
philanthropist in his manner. LOS An
geles will he benefited by the develop.
ment OF that great interest over there.
We will greatly cheaper the cost OF run.
ming the mines and aid in developing a
great country. People will then buy
supplies in this city,"
II suppose, now that l am being inter.
viewed, you will want to know all about
my trip here. Well, will tell you all.
came in this morning from Daggst and
shall remain until O'Clock then will
go to San Diego"
There wasn't any merry twinkle in
Mr.. Huntington's eye when he geve out
all this startling information about his
movements; neither was their any hes
itancy on his part or seeming attempt to
hold back anything. He just sim ply
opened the foodgates of his very soul,
as it were, and told the reporter all.
Interviews are good things" he
said. "The people like to read them.
The Examiner runs to interviews, you
know. Perhaps the HERALD will want
to be like the Examiner now, eh ?"
Then with hand-shaks and "Gen.
ora1 rkhnv M fun J;cra;.-uL