Los Angeles herald., 1905-07-30

how he managed to make a water sup
ply, which barely met the needs Of a
city of 100000 population, expand in
some mysterious manner until 1t was
able to supply q city of twice that size.
He has been rainbow chasing" all
over Southern California, looking for a
source of water supply for Los An
geles, but never was satisfied until he
examined the Owens river district He
said yesterday:
Some three or four years ago the
water supply began to run short. We
did everything we could to increase the
supply from our own watershep, the
San Fernando valley. We began to
pump and then the underground flow
began to decrease, for every drop we
pumped came from this underground
flow. Meantime, the valley became set
tied. AS the surface flow grew less
the ranchers began pumping until gas
oline engines were coughing and snort
ing all over the valley.
Abandon Artesan Districts
'Tt was then that began an inves-
tigation of all available sources of sup
ply on this side of the Sierras. Each
was considered upon its merit. Finally
the supreme court of California decided
case in such a manner as to warn
us out of the so-called artesian district
within twenty or thirty miles of Los
Angeles. The court held that 1t was
not lawful for cities to invade such
water basins.
"Then we had to look elsewhere and
about this time my attention was
called to the Mojave river. After a
thorough investigation I found that the
cost of the purchase of the rights and
of the tunnel to bring the water to the
city would be about $4,000 per miners
| inch.
1.-THE quantity Of water to be had
| was also found to be limited and in
addition there appeared to be the lkeli-
hood of litigation with a company then
engaged in constructing impounding
works near the headwaters of the
stream.
| Fred Eaton's Idea
"Ex-Mayor Fred Eaton's data and
personal knowledge of the valley led
him to believe that the water might
be secured as perpetual supply for
the city of Los Angeles and that the
right to the water might be secured at
reasonable figures.
After more investigation, the pre-
| liminary surveys were made to deter
mine the feasibility of a gravity canal
from the valley to Los Angeles. The
route was found to be practicable and
one laid out which would bring the
water from that valley and discharge
1t into the Los Angeles river drainage
basin and thence into the works be-
longing to the city.
"Steps were Immediately begun 10
determine the cost of bringing a sup
ply sufficient for our needs and of our
neighboring cities, direct to our doors.
''Mr. Eaton had already obtained op-
tions that covered the riparian rights
along a large portion of the lower
reaches of the river, which he offered
to the commission on reasonable terms,
agreeing in addition to obtain options
on all of the rights in the valley be-
tween Owens lake and Fish springs, a
distance of forty-six miles.
These rights have about all been
obtained and it is now up to the people
of Los Angeles to say whether the
water supply is to be purchased as
soon as the necessary legal steps can
be taken by voting bonds.
''After the rights are purchased.
complete surveys can be made and
other issues voted for the construc-
ton of the aqueduct.
"This is, in my opinion, the greatest
opportunity that ever came to Los An
geles, one which does not come to a
city once in million years"