West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-04-13
Business Becoming In California
ENcANro, O.. Anil 2, l0l0.
Dear Argus

nave Deen prevented from writing
you for long time. First, by four
weeks siege Of the grippe. Second, by
our great flood which occurred in Janu-
| airy, and while We were not seriously in
jured in our little city. vet Chalas creek,
which runs through Encanto, was en-
largod to double its normal size and all
the bridges carried away, yet those of us
who live on the Mesa were perfectly
secure. But south of us on the Sweet
water, Otay and Tia Juana rivers every
thing was carried away by the breaking
OF the OtaY dam. Houses, barns and
chicken-houses were swept into the bay
at its extreme southern end. At Lake
side, on the San Diego river, twenty
houses were destroyed and the rich valley
was covered deep with rocks and sand.
The San Diego & Southwestern railroad
was so badly damaged that we did not
have train out for two weeks, while the
Santa Fe did not get train into San
Diego for thirty-one days by the destruc-
| ton of the bridges at San Juan Capis-
trano and Soronto. Our mails were car
were twenty lives lost and millions
of property destroyed. The bay was full
OF rattlesnakes of all sizes washed in
from the mountains.
Morena dam, with a capacity OF fifteen
billion gallons, had never been half filed.
Mr.. Charles Hatfield went before the
city council and offered TO ill Morena
| for $4,000. The council instructed him
10 proceed and he went TO the dam on
Thursday and it began to rain on Friday
morning, and continued to rain until
Monday. Manager Lockwood phoned
Hatfield that we had an abundance and
would like for it to stop. Rain" he
answered, You have not seen it ram
yet-wait until tomorrow morning" On
Tuesday morning at six o'clock was
aroused by a loud clap of thunder l
looked from the window and San Diego
was hidden from view by dense black
cloud, and it rained until the streets were
covered with eighteen inches of water
In a few days Moreno dam was filled
and was flowing five feet deep over the
spill-way, while one 4S-inch and two
24-inch waste pipes were open to carry
away the water, but the dam held and
now contains fifteen billion gallons of
water. We lost twelve billion gallons OF
water by the breaking of Lower Otay
dam, and yet our storage system contains
more water than we ever had before.
The city is now preparing to rebuild
Lower Otay, and also to put in a large
dam at Barrett that will store more water
than all the balance of our system. The
city on the 3lst ult voted 1926, 900 for
this work. The city has also acquired
the FL Capidan dam site on the San
Diego river, and now they have water
rights enough secured to supply city Of
one million inhabitants.
On December %, 1915, Encanto voted
to annex to San Diego, and on last
Friday the city voted to annex us, and
now we are a part of San Diego, and in
future our water will cost us 10 cents per
1000 gallons, whereas we have been pay
ing % cents per thousand, and ia a short
time Encanto will be the Pasadena OF
San Diego, for we occupy the best resi-
dence part of the city.
l have a fine garden-all kinds of vege-
tables for market and home consumption
We had peas and new potatoes for lunch
today. l sold peas last week for eight
cents per pound and potatoes are selling
for seven cents per pound, and have an
acre just ready for market. The whole
country is fast recovering from the effects
| OF the flood and business is good again
a. b. Shaw sold four Scripps- Booth
cars last week and can't get cars fast
enough to supply his trade, and all kinds
OF business is good.
Tourists are coming every day and
| thousands are securing homes to remain
permanently. The exposition is a great
success and everyone seems happy.
But feeling Of sadness steals over me
when | think of the loss of Junior Brown,
cut off in the PRIME Of life with 70 much
to live for. Useful and helpful to 30
many people. We spent very pleasant
day together last May, and he promised
TO return and make a longer visit this
year. Surely the ways of Providence are
past finding out. He was in every sense
a MAN-one Of natures nobleman.
deeply sympathize with his bereaved wife.
He will be missed by more people than
any man who has passed away in West
Virginia. / had to pass the paper con-
tanning his obituary around TO many peo-
ple-W. +. Shaw, J.. +. White, o. +.
Darnall and VI. II Fleming all phoned
for il. IL is now in the hands Of Mrs.
Birmingham nee Parks, but all promised
TO return il.
Now, Mr.. Editor, ! will come again az
often AZ possible, but you know rancher
must be busy this time Of year IL he
wants 10 accomplish anything. My water.
melons are growing fine and / want TO be
10 shape to $50 you up when you yisit the
exposition.
George jenkins spent the winter in
Los Angeles. but on account Of the storm
did not visit us az usual
We are having beautiful weather, but
we wiI. have rain soon, ~ the vet season
is not over set
Last sunday A. p Shaw came ont and
we went To- Grosmout and visited the
home Of Madam ~chuman Heink, and
today W j.. Shaw and con VIII came
over from Lemon Grove Mr and Mrs.
Darua.l visited us last week We have
t1e best o' health and are enjoying life.
Respectfully.
j. vi SHAW.