Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-02
PERFECT
ASSERTS ASSERTS EXPERT EEXXfP ERTT
OWENS RIVER LANDS INSURE
SAFETY TO OWNER
Any Tracts Purchased by the City at
Source of New Water Supply
Are Carried Without Risk
to Los Angeles

That the lands in the owens river
district on which the city now holds
either options or owns outright are ab-
solutely clear, and received with d
most perfect title can be attested to
by expert title examiners and attor-
neys who are willing to stake their
professional reputation on the fact
In one opinion, rendered by Harvey
L. Miller, examining attorney of the
Los Angeles Abstract and Trust COM
pany, such a we'll known land owner
and general master of finance as
Thomas B. Hickey, owner of the big
Hickey ranch on which the city of Los
Angeles now either owns or holds op-
tions, is used as an example. Mr..
Miller cites the fact that Mr.. Hickey
would not be apt to have other than
perfectly clear titles to his holdings,
and that therefore when the city Sc
cures these lands it will have exactly
the same legal hold on ther'. Mr..
Miller's opinion is as follows:
Titles to lands in Inyo county con-
tracted for or purchased by the city
of Los Angeles are, with very few
exceptions, absolutely good. These ex-
ceptions are no more numerous than
they would be with an equal number
of different tracts of land in Los An
geles county. In every case the city
is requiring any irregularity to be
cleared up, and those persons who
hold titles with any flaw cannot close
their sales until they have the faults
eliminated.
Not the least of the efforts of the
opponents of the water project have
been to give the impression that the
city had acquired some land in the
Owens valley to which the title was
not good. The "Rickety Hickey land
titles" has been the bombastic phrase
adopted, no doubt more for the effect
of the pun than for the soundness of
the contention. At this time the truth
should be given to the people that they
may not be led into a complete mis-
understanding by reason of arguments
based neither upon fact nor knowledge
of the true situation.
Hickey Lands First
The lands of the Hickey Land and
Cattle company were the first pur-
chased and comprise the bulk of the
holdings of lthe city in the valley.
Thomas B. Hickey is a large land and
cattle owner and in addition to his
extensive holdings in Nevada and
Mono county, California, he had large
land interests in Inyo county which
have passed into the hands of the city
of Los Angeles. His lands both in
California and Nevada are held solely
for cattle range ana I6eu, anu ny ONI-
ing the irrigated ranches he has full
control of all the arid land adjoining
them When the proposition to sell
the water in the owens valley came to
him he, of course, was compelled TO
sell all of his holdings and go out of
the cattle business as far as that region
was concerned
The records of Inyo and Mono coun-
| ties and of the state land office at
eaxynT min aA ll1UGnIf
before the deal was closed. This ex-
| animation was made as to every acre
of the Hickey lands and either GER
tificates of title or reports showing the
exact condition of every title held by
| Mr.. Hickey, were in the hands of the
city attorneys office and all carefully
gone over there before word was given
| for Mr.. Hickey to be paid for his lands.
| OF the lands held by Mr.. Rickey
| about 10000 acres had water rights ap-
purtenant to them. These lands COM
! nrise many of the oldest ranches In
| the VALLEY; they hold the first right
| to the use of the water out of the
principal mountain creeks and practi-
cally control the choicest water sup
ply. Mr.. Hickey needed the water for
| his cattle and needed 1T to irrigate
alfalfa fields, so he purchased the best
| of the older ranches whenever any
were offered for sale. The title to these
ranches is practically without flaw, for
Mr.. Hickey has the reputation of being
a shrewd land man, who always knows
what kind of a title he is getting be-
fore he purchases. He paid good prices
| for most of these older ranches, and
therefore was not to be caught buying
blindly.
AS in all irrigated mountainous sec
tions the country presents an appear
ance similar to a checkerboard-the
white squares represent the irrigated
and cultivated lands, while the black
squares represent the arid and desert
country. 1t is not practical for man
with several thousand cattle to fence
| each little white square and keep turn
| ing his cattle from one pasture into
| another. In order to have a cattle
| range Mr.. Hickey had to build fence
| around his entire holdings. But to
| build such fence meant that all the