Amador ledger., 1906-11-16

hours run at any agreed time durin
the seven months which constitut
the irrigating season. This costs tn
institution about 500 a year and i
regarded as ''snap" for the reason
that this water is now commonly
worth 30 cents or more per inch fol
"a hours run.
Then the institution owns 72(
shares in the North Fork Mutual
Water Company. This company owns
one-half of the outflow of the north
fork of the Santa Ana river and this
right gives the farm the equivalent oil
the entire right of the company one
hour every ten days. This costs less
than 5000 year to keep up the
assessments on these shares and is
regarded as good thing.
Finally, the state has 20 acres of
water bearing land IL miles from and
800 feet below the institution with a
good pumping plant, and a no. good,
rusted-out she'll pipe leading from
the pump to a reservoir near the
institution. 10 make the source of
supply available in time of scarcity
an expenditure of $500 to $4,000 will
have to be made for a new pipe line.
L have not the figures for the cost OF
this entire water supply, but the SELL
ing price of the several water rights
would, any day, greatly exceed the
original cost. In fact, the state has
not been the loser in either the lana
or the water obtained at Patton.
The Hospital Buildings.
The style of architecture ad opted
at Patton has been along the un.
fortunate line which have prevailed
with our other institutions. There
is, first, though not first in time, a
central, OF administration building
quite imposing. Back a little and
connected with short corridors on
either side, are long main ward
buildings, and little back of these,
and extending to right and left, also
connected by corridors, are supple
mental wing ward buildings. The
whole plant extends en- echeIou-so
to speak, total distance of 1864 feet.
All buildings are of brick and are
three stories high exclusive of base
ment and attic.
The workmanship on the building
was not all good. The west wing
especially was scamped. The heavy
roof was allowed to Test on the fire
walls and the thrust of the roof had
spread the walls perceptlbIy. The
anchorage of floors was Indifferent.
The earlier Buildings and the later
have been better. The original de-
sign has just been completed by the
erection of the east wing, which will
be ready for occupancy by January
1st, and will make room for 10 more
patients. There are other auxiliary
buildings IN the rear of the main
building such as engine house,
kitchen, laundry, shops, etc. The
whole have cost approximately, $780,
600 and the entire plant finished, and
furnished sS62, 9S4.62. The land
originally cost s96, OOO and water SAT,
0OO
Preventive Measures.
Only the idiotically optimistic in
California will ignore the liability of
the state to earthquake shock, as we'll
for the preservation of buildings al
ready erected as for the safeguarding
of buildings to be erected. We live
in paradise, but let US not make it
fuol's paradise.
Superintendent Williamson of the
Southern California State Hospital
and his Board of Managers did not
neglect to profit by the sad lesson
afforded by Agnew. The tall and
menacing brick towers have been
taken down to the comb of the roof,
the anchorage of some of the floors
has been reinforced and where the
roofs have been allowed to rest on
the fire walls they have been
strengthened with additional trusses
and the weight OF the roof has been
largely shifted from the walls to posts
running through to the foundations.
These supplemental safeguards have
been wisely made and may suffice to
save life if not to save the wrecking
of the building when the crucial
temblor comes, such one, for in
stance, as wrecked the Mission San
Juan FL Capistrano.
If had my way about it, should
reduce every unreinforced brick
public building in California to two
stories with basement and attic in
stead of three stories or four.
The Population.
On the day of my visit to Patton,
October "a, 1906, there were 500
patients enrolled, SIS of them being
male and 32l female. That portion
of California which sends Its patients
to Southern California Hospital has
population of $50, 900 or more, so
that the rate of saue to insane Is, so
far as hospital population discloses
it, considerably below that for the
state as whole, unless indeed, for
purposes Of this computation, "South
of Tehachipi'' has modestly under
est Imatad itS nnnn of ion