Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1922-09-14
CALIFORNIA LETTER.
Kerck hotf Power House Camp. In
the Mountains of California.

L
the Mountains of California.
To The Tribune Readers
1t is some months since | sent in a
letter and during that time much has
happened and is happening here at the
end of the trail" The hot summer
months are about at an end and the
cooler mountain breezes are beginning
to float down upon US.
My readers will recall that in one of
my letters of over year ago referred
to the tact that our houses (shacks as
we designate them) were all built of
rough boards with scarcely foot of
dressed lumber to be found in the whole
dozen structures that constitute our
camp. The houses are some hundreds
of feet separated from the giant power
house and quite hidden away among the
giant pines and oaks
The thousands of visitors and sight
seers that visit and admire the great
dispenser of power, | presume never
have a thought of the little group of
people whose task Is to see that the
mighty wheels are kept in motion and
this fifty-five thousand horse power of
electrical energy is kept coursing its
way over and through the granite
mounains TO the hundreds of towns in
the far off valleys. to drive the machn-
cry of industry, 10 pump the water from
thousands of wells for irrigation, to
light the streets, the homes and the
churches, to drive the street cars, be-
sides the many smaller convenient cleo
trical appliances of the home. | say
there are few indeed that give any
thought to this group. who night and
day, Sundays and all, give their best
energies to the work in hand.
For the past fifteen months that my
son has had charge of this great plant,
its wheels have not been motioness for
single hour, thanks to his own ability
and the backing of competent and loyal
help
My readers will remember, too, that |
| atated the San Joaquin Light and
Power Corporation, by whom we are
employed, had promised to substitute
new and better homes for us in place of
the rough shacks. We had waited until
our hopes had almost failed US for the
fulfillment of these promises, when
about six weeks ago hope dawned upon
our horizon and things began to move
as monstrous trucks began to roll into
camp with all sorts of building mater
ials for the promised houses, together
with forty or more skilled mechanics
with their tools. The surveyors, work
ing according to well prepared plans,
soon had the stakes driven for ten
houses, a dormintory, Office building
and rest room for visitors. Already the
houses are so far along that their size,
design and architecture are well de-
lined and we see that we are to have,
not nest of houses common to working
people, but real elaborate, up-to,the-
minute city homes, no two of them pre-
'isely alike, and each house located on
'ome ideal spot, surrounded by great
)ine and oak trees, and standing from
70 to $50 feet apart. Tney are being
,uilt of hollow tile blocks and will all
'e lathed plastered and shingled. No
louise has less than four large rooms
md a spacious, screened-in porch, bath
Dom, all with elaborate fittings and
A most-complete system !
t drainage is provided with hot and cold
7ater in every house. I
We have so far been furnished houses !
rec of rent, along with many other
God things. but this corporation, or
ather its officials, realize that good !,
nd competent people cannot be held in /
iolstion, as we are, without some com. Il
ensatory privileges.
] should have mentioned the great
garage that is also going up a
the same material as the houses. II II