The San Francisco call., 1904-02-06
Southern Californians Are De-
lighted by the DOwnpOur
That Makes for the Sue
cess Of the Valuable Crops
WATER FROM CLOUDS
DROPS on SAN DIEGO
Storm Throughout the Lower
Portion Of the State Con-
times and Causes Satisfae-
ton in All Of the Counties
Special Dispatch 70 ne can

SAN DIEGO. Feb 5--The entire
county west CT the mountains was Wis
tied this morning and tonight by the
best rzln that has ever come 10 this
section 7, vas good IN itself, and Il
vas good because IL was never more
needed than az present
The rzin this morning lasted four
hours. and az 5-55 o'clock this evening
-sln started again Il continued gen
e-ously Tor hours and il Is stiu raining
The morning rain brought IS OF an
inch. and the night rain brought 30 OF
an inch Up TO 8 o'clock THERE'S every
Indication that the fall viii continue
until morning
IN the back country there was a
-hearier faIL The morning rain began
earlier and stayed later The EscOn-
dido Valley had nearly two inches OF
rain UP 70 g o'clock, and rain is still
falling tonight Oceanside has report
II tNo-thirds Of an inch for the morn
ing and q half-inch for the evening
ra1 Up 70 s O'Clock
To is raining at Valley Center. Teme-
cula and Murieta in the northern por-
tlo- OF the county. and at every place
that can be reached by telephone IN the
southern sec ION. There were good
rains along the line Of the Southern
california Mountain Water Company's
system. AT the lower Otay dam there
was a fall Of so Of an inch, al upper
Otay .s5 Of an inch and al Jamul los
inches UP 10 dark and rain was stiI
falling. People are more than pleased
after their long wait for rain, and are
wondering II the history Of lSS7 is 10 be
repeate6. when nine inches Of rain fell
in the month Of February.
LOS ANGELES. Feb. Not since
last winter has southern California re-
ceived such a drenching as that which
resulted from the present storm. It was
the first real rain Of the season and,
although only L13 inches fell in this
city. The country districts report
much heavier rainfall. especially in the
artesian belt, upon which the great
valley south Of the Tehachapi must de-
pend for its irrigation supply
During ordinary seasons such an
amount of rainfall would be cOnsid-
cred simply an incident, but Jhis year,
when only 81 Of an inch had fallen
since May. lr was az event The cash
value Cf this rain 70 the ranchers and
cattle owners throughout this section
cannot be computed II does not mean
thst good crops of~very kind are as
slred. u does not mean that the full
effects u The long drought have been
eTacel. bur II means grass for the cat
lie and water for the growing crops
~ time when without IL both cattle
and crops would have been total less.
cr practically so
Time was when a season like the
present one has been would mean ruin
f0r Southern California, but tnat was
during the period vi hen hides and tai
low instead Of fruit and grain were
The staple commodities Of traffic here.
a remarkably dry year is not the ter
r be thing in Southern California that
i- vas twenty-five years ago, for the
reason that the artesian plane has been
but little reduced and irrigation here
has become q science This end Of the
state wiz come out Of the season with
crop which but for the development
u water would not be possible. The
citrus crop viii be better and larger
-han last year and the present rain. II
followed by others, viii insure a fsir
Eleld of grain.
Last night Il OF an inch Of rain fell
here and that was fsllowed by a COM
rarsriveIy clear day. Late this after
noon rain began falling again and by
y o'clock tonight ~ Of an inch had
allen. making lib inches for the storm.
The sky then cleared and at midnight
was cioudless. IN the mountain dis
tricts the precipitation was much heav-
ier. some places reporting as much as
g inches. The storm swept over this
section and every portion Il this end
- the state received its first good
drenchinE this season. The average
throughout Riverside and San Bcruar-
dino counties was q bout three-ouarters
~ an inch. Orange County had near
Iv rs much, and san Diego County ex-
ceeded half an inch. Coast points
ranged from forty 10 ninety hundredths
and 20 the n0rthWard as far as San
Luis Obispo County there was more
than an inch and thrice that in the
mountains The storm has passed east /
and 10 more rain is promised for the I
present but enough has fallen TO glad 4
den the hearts of the ranchers and to
make possible the sprOuting Of thou
sands Of acres Of grain, the seed OF
81 hich was soWn in dry soil
san LUIS OBISPO, Feb 5.-The 4
rain moderated last night but continued
o. fall IN heavy showers this morning.
.ae wind Hss soUtherly. with no signs
~ change Business. heretofore dull T
i- assuming activity with increased (
coufdence.
VENTURA. FEB. THE precipita-