The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-27
CONTROL OF THE WATER.
Property-Owners Object to the
Scheme of a Corpora
ton.
SCENES OF 1868 RECALLED
How a Band of Armed Citizens Re-
moved One Dam From the
Outlet.

LAKEPORT, CAL, July ga recent
of the waters of Clear Lake has wildly
recalled to the minds of old settlers the
days of '6S, when an armed body tore a
dam from the lakes outlet, and the
months of litigation which followed.
Nothing has occurred in years to raise so
great an excitement as the suggestion of
again damming the outlet of the lake.
For some time County Tax Collector
+. P. Clendenin has been circulating a
contract among those who own property
along the shores of the lake and has
secured a number of signatures. This
contract recites that Clendenin and his
associates propose to widen and deepen
the outlet of the lake, control the rise and
fall of the water and establish facilities for
creating and transmitting electric power.
In consideration of the benefits to be de-
rived from these improvements the sign
ers transfer to Clendenin all their riparian
rights pertaining to the waters of the lake.
The contract provides that the lake shall
not be raised nor lowered more than four
feet above or below a lowwater mark
established by the late Captain Floyd in
1873
Professor G. G. Baldwin of Pomona Col
lege is at the head of the enterprise; that
is, he is in charge of the mechanical por-
ton of the work. Whose capital is back
ing him is not known, but he claims to
have Eastern money behind him.
At first little attention was paid to the
matter, but when the people began to
i,1fa
at an amazing rate, and the trouble OF
1868 has been recalled by muttered threats
now being heard.
In 1866 the Clear Lake Water Company
got bill through the Legislature author
izing the building and maintenance of a
lock in Cache Creek and giving to the COM
pany exclusive use and control of the
waters of the lake. In 1867 a dam was
built and mill erected and trouble began
at once.
Although the bill specified that the
water should not be raised above its usual
height it was allowed to raise until thou
sands of acres of cultivated land were
inundated and the principal streets of
Lakeport were flooded.
The people protested, but were laughed
dI. 1AeN SOuSLb ASiiSi III biiC SVui %, pue
were unable to obtain redress. The dam
was several times declared nuisance, but
no way was found to abate it.
Finally, in November. 1868, the citizens
of the county took the law into their own
hands. Several hundred men banded
together, elected officers and proceeded to
the site of the dam. The county officers
were captured, guards were stationed to
prevent interruption and the dam was
completely destroyed, together with the
mill and other Improvements. The COM
pany began suit for damages, and, after
nearly three years of litigation, the matter
was compromised by the county paying
$4,000. Bonds were issued for the
amount and the county is still paying in
terest on these bonds.
This has been the experience of the
people of Lake County in utilizing the
lake water, and if they allow any other
company to build dam it will be under
an ironclad contract that no damage
will be inflicted. Many, however, are I'M
alterably opposed to a dam being built
under any circumstances. Captain w. B.
Collier. who owns a beautiful summer res
idence on the lake Shore, says he will en-
join any person from interfering in any
way with the lakes outlet G. NJ. Ham
mond, proprietor of the Ma Tel vineyards,
and A. B. Rodman, both owners of extern
sive lakeside property, are bitterly opposed
to allowing a corporation to obtain con-
troll of the lake, and announce an intention
of fighting such movement to the end.