The San Francisco call., 1909-10-31
By Charles Wesley Reed

II
city OF San Francisco determined to
proceed TO the high Sierras for
water supply Nine years ago the
first board of supervisors under the
new charter. after investigating all the
available water supplies of the Sierras.
declared that the waters Of the Tuo-
lumne river furnished the ideal supply
for San Francisco. and the board Of
public works and the city engineer
were directed 10 make the necessary
surveys upon which to submit a bond
issue 10 the people of San Francisco.
The board of supervisors at that time
were filled with delight to find. that
the watershed OF the Tuolumne river
lay entirely within the limits Of the
Yosemite national park II the lands
lay IN private ownership we would be
subjected 10 all sorts OF difficulties
The water supply would possibly be
polluted and a great many problems
would have 10 be faced which would
not occur with the entire area of the
water bearing lands in the limits of a
national park. IT was not long. how
ever, before the farmers Of the No
desto irrigation district were petition
ing congress 10 prevent the city and
county Of San Francisco from acquir-
ing this supply When our city-repre-
sentatives appealed TO the secretary of
the interior for permission to use The
waters Of the Tuolumme river they
found they were refused the grant
which they thought would be merely
perfunctory matter. Instead Of com
ing TO the assistance OF the metropolis
Of the west and helping her TO gain
the great boon Of a pure mountain
water supply the officials connected
with the United States government
denied her the rights that should have
been hers for the asking
IN the suit OF the Spring Valley
water company against the city and
county Of san Francisco to annul the
water rates adopted in 1903 by the
board Of supervisors it was found that
the Spring Valley water works had
been paying the expenses of agitating
the farmers of Modesto to fight .sar
Francisco, and that the people OF this
municipality had been paying these. ex-
penses through the water rates
When Franklin K. Lane. our city
attorney, and c. e sGrunsky and
Marsden Manson. our city engin-
eers. went to Washington 10 urge. up
on the secretary Of the interior the
wisdom Of reversing his ruling and to
grant 10 San Francisco the right to
the waters Of the Tuolumne river, they
found that Hermann Schlusser. the
chief engineer of the Spring Valley
water company. was there on the
ground hglfting the interests of. San
Francisco al every step.
Joined with the Spring Valley water
works IN opposing the city's. Interests
were the. Sierra club, headed by the re-
.doubtsble Eohn Muir, the Appalachian
club. and other lovers of scenic beauty
whose artistic. natures. are frightfnlly
agitated at the thought of half a MIL
lion people using the Hetch Hetchy
valley. as a. reservoir rather than to
leave it in its natural state fer the
pleasure of few lndred occasional
tourists.
This-hght has now been on for nine
years. but the ci'y has recently secured
permission to use the waters of Lake
Eleqnor and Hetch Hetchy valley and
the next step is the submission OF a
bond issue to the people Of San Fran
cisco for the construction Of water
works. II seemed to me that II could
go through the Yosemite national park
taking pictures Of the, wonders Of ma
ture there to be seen and especially to
bring home. pictures of the water bear
ing properties of the .Tuolumne water
shed which show so concIusively the
purity Of the water and the impossible
ity OF ever polluting it, would be rem
dering service to the Sierra water
supply project, and that when the bond
issue came to be voted upon these pic
lures might interest the public. and so
help in securing the necessary two
thirds majority.
Having that matter in view, about
the middle Of July OF this year 1 left
for the Yosemite valley with my SON
Gladstone, intending to get small
pack train and make the circuit of
the northern portion of the Yosemite
national park. 1 secures fine pack
train and a very excellent guide in
the yosemite valley and started out
on July to explore the Tuolumne
watershed. From the Yosemite valley
7 asceuded the trail to Glacier point
and from there went around by Vernal
fails to the Little Yosemite valley.
From the Little Yosemite valley our
.surse lay over nbe Sunrise trail. which
loads from the watershed Of the Mer-