The San Francisco call., 1896-02-22
Were Secured by a Secret Sale
of Bonds and Paid for in
Advance.
COMPLETE IN EVERY DETAIL.
Combined Pumping and Gravity Sys
tenn Constructed Within Five
Months.

such a short space of time exceeds the
hope f its most sanguine supporters, and
is a credit TO the city and those who
planned and built the works. The opposi-
ton from the small but powerful minority
was eminently successful for time, and it
seemed that the spoken will of three
fourths of-the people would be thwarted.
Tomorrow visitors from the sur rounding
towns will be shown the new sys-er and
the day will be one of merry-nl ling in
Santa Rosa. Several Mayors and City
Councils will be present and they will be
escorted from the depots by bands and
feted by local citizens. Tests of the system
will be made, and it will be proud day
for Sonoma County's metropolis.
When the Rancho Cabeza de Santa Rosa
was settled upon by Salvador Vallejo, the
Carrillos, the Bolios and other Spanish
American families, their farmhouses of
adobe, some OF which are still standing,
were erected near the junction of Bennett
and Santa Rosa creeks. These streams,
straight from the cool mountains, rippled
across the plain from widely different
sources to join at the very doors of the
pioneers. Shaded by tall trees while in
the valley and purified by filtering through
the gravelly beds, they furnished a never
failing supply OF pure, cool water.
Sonoma was then the county seat and
one of the few towns of note in the
State. But this cluster of adobe houses,
centrally located at the crossroads OF b.
dega Sonoma and the Russian River coun-
try. was, for these reasons destined to be
the leading town of this section.
1t was in 1850 that the first store was
built by David Mallagh, he being soon
Joined by two sturdy and enterprising
pioneers-F. G. Hahman and Barney
Hoen. They created the nucleus OF the
present City of Roses.
The question of removing the county
seat from Sonoma soon began to be agi-
tated in the new settlement, and most
exciting election was held in 1853. J. w.
Bennett was the candidate for the Legisla-
ture favored by Santa Rosans, while So
noma was ably represented by Colonel
Joseph Hooker, widely known a few years
later as Fighting Joe' Hooker. The
election resulted in tie between Bennett
and Hooker, and at the special election
held afterward Bennett was chosen. The
Legislature met az Vallejo that year, and
toward the close of the session Bennett
succeeded in having bill passed author
izing vote on the question of changing
the county seat, which resulted in Santa
Rosa being selected.
The now rapidly growing town soon
spread away from the creek banks, and a
public water system other than the town
pump became necessary. Due east about
a mile and at an elevation of forty or fifty
feet above the town site were several
natural springs of excellent water. These,
which are still flowing and are only few
hundred feet from the wells of the new
city water works, belonged to a man
named Williams. To distinguish him
from others of that name in the locality
he was called Bridge" Williams, from
the fact that small bridge stood near his
residence.
bridge" Williams some time in the
early sixties laid Pinch iron pipe from
the springs into town. through which the
water flowed by force of gravity, smaller
pipes being used to convey it to the houses
of consumers within the town limits This
primitive system, together with the wells
about town, afforded an ample supply of
water for many years, and it was not until
some time in the seventies that the need of
more water for fire protection and domes-
tic use became apparent.
Accordingly, company was organized
and incorporated by the following citizens:
Jackson Temple, Charles G. Ames, E. T.
Farmer, f. 6. Haliman, James Clark and
Daniel Davidson.
The plant of Bridge" Williams was
absorbed and stock in the new company
issued to Mr.. Williams in payment there
for. This company placed dam at the
intersection of Los Alamos and Santa
Rosa creeks, three miles east of town, and
constructed a reservoir on the summit of q
small hill near by; but, through faulty
construction, the newly built reservoir
leaked so badly that it was soon apan-
doned.
At the time of incorporation the stock
holders of the new company entered into
tacit agreement that none should sell
his water stock to nonresident without
the consent of the others. In the year
1877, however, some of the incorporators,
becoming aware that purchaser could be
found in the person of Colonel Mark L.
Mcdonald, secretly sold out, and the re-
naming owners, fearing the expense of
contemplated improvements, soon fol-
AO"So sun. 1 uS Oduld rosa w dUer COm-
pany, with Mark l.. Mcdonald as presi-
dent, was then formed and extensive i'm
provements commenced
About mile below the old dam the
channel OF the stream widens into a little
valley fianked on either side by low hills
thus forming natural site for a large res
ervoir. At an expense of $l5, 900 stone
dam was erected across the lower end of
the little valley, and lake of loo. 600 900
gallons capacity, called Lake RaIphine
was the,result. Mains were laid into the
city, and for ten or twelve years the sun
ply of water thus obtained was sufficient
for the city's use.
The annual income of the water COM
pany during this time has been estimated
at $4,000, and little or no complaint of
the quality or quantity was ever heard
For the past four of five years the supply
has not equaled the demand at times, and
the quality at the extremes of the seasons
was not of the best. In dry years the water
could not be made to flow to the second