The herald., 1897-04-25

| the place was devoted to the ornamental,
| and 1t is quite evident that Mr.. Phipps
| desired a comfortable, easy home more
than he did a profitable Investment
"It is q little amusing to hear thor
| oughbred San Diegan refer to Los An
geles as our back country but, then,
people will become enthusiastic over
their own locality, and if they fail to
draw it quite as mildly at times as they
ought, they are probably excusable.
This city is soon to be supplied with
water from the new water works. A
large engine hoists the water from an
artesian well, the water of which does
not come to the surface, ard then dis
tributes it over the city,
"The valleys adjacent to the city are
being rapidly brought under cultivation
and by means of irrigation from wells
and windmills fruit and vegetables grow
In great abundance. The city is we'll laid
out and is well supplied with fine resi-
dences that exhibit high order of taste.
The business houses are very much scat
tered. but they do good business. On
account Of the business houses being SO
scattered, the city appears to be mucn
duller than 1t really Is. do not consider
the future of San Diego at all problem
atical With the ship and transconti-
mental car brought together at a harbor
that can bid defiance to storms, a COM
merce will spring up that will make San
Diego greater than it's most enthusiastic
friends have portrayed"
DEVELOPMENT OF IRRIGATION.
Then irrigation was an unknown guam
tity, except as few wells and windmills
furnished a very limited and unsatisfac-
tory supply of water to few orchard
trees struggling for existence.
Some of the leading citizens of the San
Diego Of today were then declaring that
there was no back country for that city
that was suited to agricultural and hor-
ticultural pursuits but that it was strict
ly a grazing country. dependent on
more favored sections for the bread and
vegetables and fruit consumed by her
people.
Gradually the people there began TO
learn something, just as they do every
where. They soon reached point where
they declared that San Diego county
was suited to the production of fruits
and vegetables without irrigation, and
that fruits and vegetables SO grown were
superior in flavor to the fruits and vege-
tables of countries where they were
grown by irrigation. They then reach
ed point where they declared that a
little irrigation was desirable but that
enough water could be had from wells by
means of windmills
Discussing this subject, the late Cen
eral Stoneman (afterward governo~)
said at fruit growers convention at
Riverside in 1880: He that hath but little
water hath too much" That is, a man
who could get but little water tried 20
make himself and the public at large be-
lieve that he didn't need any. This fall
lacy, so far as Southern California is
concerned, has been most effectually ex-
ploded, and in no section has it been
more effectually exploded than in San
Diego county.
THE BOOM PERIOD.
The first great increase in wealth and
population was made from 1880 to 1890.
During that period the Santa Fe railroad
system was extended into Southern
California, with its terminus nominally
at National City. practically at San
Diego. During this decade the first at
tempt was made to develop the water
systems of the county. The reservoir hal
capacity to hold $4,000 acre-feet of
water. which capacity was afterwards
increased. so that the reservoir would
hold 22,600 acre feet of water. Under
this system there are today several thou
sand acres Of the finest lemon orchards