Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-06
JOG YOUR MEMORY

If you are Los Angeles citizen with
a residence of decade to your credit,
jog your memory now. If your record
as resident reaches back not farther
than half dozen years, give attention
to the result of the mental jog of the
older citizen.
Nine years ago, at the beginning of
summer, there was much anxiety IN
Los Angeles because of the shortage
of precipitation during the so-called
rainy season. The total footed up only
7.06 inches-not half the normal guam
tity. There was apprehension about
the probable necessity of outstanding
the water supply during the long dry
period ahead. And then certain wise
pessimists talked learnedly about the
possibility of future desert-like condi-
tions in this section, caused by de-
Election of the Japan current in the
ocean.
A year later at this time of the year
in 1899, the anxiety about deficient rain
fall began to excite alarm. The total
for the alleged rainy season then just
ended amounted to only 5.5S inches.
Then the pessimistic wiseacres beamed
with delighted reminders, such as
Didn't 1 tell you so?' And they
frightened timid people by positive
forecasts of Southern California revert
ing to the condition of the great Afri-
can Sahara.
Another year rolled around. June,
1900, came in. finding Los Angeles in a
state of extreme agitation over the third
successive failure of the rainy season.
The record for that year showed only
791 inches of rain. In three years
the total rainfall had been but little
more than the normal for a single year.
Then the pessimists were In their
glory. Back to the desert we were
going as fast as the years could roll
around Even the bravest optimists
were beginning to have misgivings,
they were geiler ally we'll DIS
guised.
But there was a real peril confront
ing the city then. Water development
had been pushed with great activity
and every available source of supply |
had been carefully examined and ac-
curately estimated. 1t was found that |
all the available water sources within |
reach of the city were stead
lily failing.
The mountain streams were begin
ing to run dry; well measurements in
the valley showed an alarming fall in
the underground water-bearing strata;
and LOS ANGELES WAS CON-
WITH THE PROSPECT
OF A DISASTROUS WATER FA-
MINE.
The immutable natural law that
water must come from the sky before
it can come from the ground was
demonstrated then. The shrinkage of
supply in the natural reservoirs of the
and valley gravels was
reaching the point where exhaustion
was inevitable in the near future with
out return of normal rainfall All
the theories now introduced by op-
ponents of the Owens river water pro-
ject concerning nearby water develop |
ment, were thrashed out at that former
period, leaving only such chaff as now
is blown from the newspaper organ of
the Los Angeles obstructionists.
That three-year experience of semi
aridity was enough to convince any
sane citizen of the fallacy of such
notions as that you can everlastingly
pump water from the ground unless the
drain is fully compensated by rainfall.
Remember those three successive
years of anxiety and vote for exemp-
ton from such cause of future worry
by casting your ballot for the water
bond issue Wednesday of next week.