Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-03
GARFIELD IS
OVERLOOKED
COMMITTEE TAKES SECRETARY
FOR PRosPEcToR
HIS PLAIN CLOTHES CONFUSE
BUSINESS MEN
Member of RooseveIt's Cabinet Taker
Over Part of Route of Conduit.
His Department Will Grant
Rights of Way

the department of the interior of the
United States, wears short brown mus
tache and weatherbeaten slouch felt
hat, black as the ace of spades.
He resembles his illustrious father, the
martyred president in one respect, at
least-he is quick of action
Upon his arrival at the Alexandria
hotel at las yesterday afternoon he had
run the gauntlet of curious eyes, had
registered at the desk, asked for his mail,
received it, along with his key and was
fast making for the elevator before the
august body of citizens from the cham
ber of commerce, appointed to receive
him, had learned that the secretary him
self was in the building.
1t was not the fault of the reception
committee; that is, not altogether.
But evidently the crowd was looking
for man clad in a new Prince Albert
and high silk hat, a la Fairbanks when
the two automobiles which carried the
secretary's party ran up alongside the
curbstone at the Fifth street entrance
of the big hotel and tall, we'll built
stranger, covered with dust, leaped from
front seat and hurried across the lobby
to learn the latest news from Washing
ton.
Take Him for Prospector
The clerks were franticaly gesticulat-
ing toward the newspaper men, trying by
the language of mutes to make known
that "he" had arrived, but the reporters,
believing the same as the reception COM
mittee that some prospector had just got
in from Nevada paid little heed; and the
photographers, who had waited several
hours for the distinguished guests, were
still out on the sidewalk, cursing beated
trains and things.
Suddenly w. c. Mendenhall, chairman
of the reception committee, exclaimed:
There he isl" and the onrushing crowd
intercepted the secretary of the interior
as he was about to enter the elevator.
Mr.. Garfield shook hands with dozen
members of the committee and respect
fully declined to have his picture taken
until he had had a bath. He was
whisked up to his floor and lost to view
for about one hour.
In the meantime there in the lobby
those who had made the trip over the
proposed line of the aqueduct with the
secretary engaged themselves explaining
to the reporters that the secretary would
do all of the talking after lunch.
And he did.
Before he left the table at the Indian
grill Secretary Garfield said: This is not
the first time that have visited the west,
but 1t is my first western trip since 1
was dppOlDIeu 10 IIlS OlllC6 OI SeCT6ldTy
of the interior.
Talks of Owens Project
'"The sole object of this journey is to
acquaint myself with matters pertaining
to my department.
81 am making a deep study of reclama-
tion, of irrigation, of Indian affairs, and
1 have learned a good deal during the
several months that L have been away
from Washington.
I'VE left Mojave at $50 this morning
and came over the line of the Owens
river aqueduct. 1 had not the oppor-
tunity of course, of examining the pro-
ject as closely as 1 should like to have
done, although 1 was naturally interested
in the proposition, as the granting of
rights of way comes under the depart
ment which 1 represent.
but of one thing the people Of Los
Angeles may rest assured
1.-The government will do all in it's power
to give the city what 1t desires In the
way of water protection; national Off
cials realize, as well as anybody, that
water is used principally, and first of all,
for domestic purposes, and domesticity is
the salvation of all governments.
"As 1 have said before, I could not
form an opinion worth mentioning as to
the merits of this Owens river project,
thing calculated to help the water supply
of any city in the United States OF that
l am certain"
The Secretary's Party
AS to forest reserves the secretary said
he did not care to make any statement
further than that which has been pub
lished, to the effect that the department
would do all in it's power to assist both
foresters and cattlemen throughout the
west
In the secretary's party, occupying two
automobiles from Mojaye. were F II.
Newell, director of the reclamation bu-
reau; Private Secretary Hugh A. Brown.
w G. Mendenhall, William Mulholland
and j. B. Lippincott.
The reception committee, which con-
sisted principally of members of the
chamber of commerce, included w. C.
Mendenhall, Bradner W. Lee, Walter
Raymond, e. T. Perkins, Frank C. Pres
colt, o. R. w. Robinson, Senator Flint,
W. r. Stephens, j. o. Koepfli, Congress-
man Sylvester Smith, Harry Calendar,
Captain A. A. Fries and Judge S. M.
Ballou of the supreme court of Hawaii.
Most OF the men named were guests
at the luncheon at the Alexandria, at the
conclusion of which the secretary was
taken 10 the land office and therce to
other federal offices in which his depart
ment is interested.
In the banquet hall of the Alexandria
last night Secretary Garfield was sur
rounded by the following guests of the
reception committee: F. H Newell direc-
tor of the reclamation service; Senator
Frank Flint, Con gresham Sylvester
Smith, General Adna Chaffee. William d.
Stephens. j. o. Koepfi, w. c. Patterson,
Mayor A. G. Harper, j. A Anders on.
General Frank G. Prescott o. r. w
Robinson w. c. Mendenhall, E. I, Per-
kins, w. L. Mulholland. w. B. Mathews.
j. B. Lippincott, Oscar Lawlor, C. d.
Willard Thomas E. Gibbon, General Fl,
G. Otis, E. T. Earl S. C. Clover. Henry
Lowentha, Judge J. w. Mckinley. wal
ter Raymond and Captain Amos Fries.
A course dinner was served and shortly
before the hour scheduled for the ap-
pearance of Secretary Garfield and his
party at the chamber of commerce the
secretary made a brief speech of ac-
acknowledgement. He was introduced by
Senator Flint, who first proposed toast
to the president of the United States
His Way of Serving
Mr.. Garfield said in the course OF his