An illustrated history of Los Angeles County, California. Containing a history of Los Angeles County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also of prominent citizens of to-day, Part 42

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1092

USA > California > Los Angeles County > An illustrated history of Los Angeles County, California. Containing a history of Los Angeles County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 42

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1885. $46,606.42

1886. 61.331.75

1887. 94,342.77

120,000.00

1888 over.

And will be an increase in a dull year of over 25,000.00

The money-order business for the year end- ing September 30, 1888, involved a total han- dling of $2,029,047.24 cash. The number of letters and packages registered during the year 1889 will reach about 26,000. All registered matter coming to and going from every point in Southern California is handled in this office. Seventy-five postoffices in Southern California depend on this office for their mail, every piece of mail coming and going from these offices is handled here and dispatched. Several millions of pieces of mail in transit are handled at this office annually, and the percentage of errors is very small. The business portion of the city has five deliveries by carrier daily, and there are several branch stations in the outlying dis- tricts.

TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH LINES.

The city and the surrounding towns in the county are well provided for in the matter of telephone and telegraph lines. The Telephone Exchange of Los Angeles was organized in 1882, with seven subscribers, and the patronage has steadily increased until there are now 1,050 telephones in use in the city of Los Angeles, and some 200 more in the smaller towns of the county. Every town in the county is connected with this city by telephone.

The Western Union Telegraph Company re- port a large extension of their wircs, and claim that the telegraphic facilities at Los Angeles are superior to those of any other city of its size in the United States.

THE WATER SYSTEM.

One of the first things done by the founders of Los Angeles City was to dig an irrigating ditch. A temporary dam made of sand and willow poles was thrown across the river at a point just north of what is now the Buena Vista

street bridge. This dam has the local name of toma, from the Spanish verb tomar, to take, mcaning the place where the water was taken out of the river. The toma has existed at this point for over 100 years, and though frequently destroyed by freshets, it was as often renewed. At any time it was never anything more than a temporary structure, though Stephen C. Fos- ter, one of the early alcaldes of the city, built a very substantial one that lasted for many years. From the toma the founders of the city in 1781 dug a main irrigating ditch called the Zanja Madre, the name which it has ever since borne, along the eastern side of the Sonora town bluff and west of the river on a level above the lands between the town and the river, probably as far sonth as First street. From this main ditch, lateral ditches of the customary temporary character conveyed the water down over the land and afforded the necessary moisture for the crops of corn, wheat and barley.

This simple system of irrigation here prevailed agreeably to Spanish and Mexican laws, and was increased according to the demand as the popu- lation grew and more land was necessary for cultivation, until the American occupation. An act of the Legislature of 1854 construed a pre- vious act approved April 14, 1850, incorpora- ting the city of Los Angeles, as vesting in its authorities the same power and control over the distribution of water for the purpose of irrigation or otherwise among the vineyards, planting grounds and lands within the limits claimed by the ancient Pueblo of Los Angeles. By 1854 the irrigation question had become so important that it became necessary to create for it a special department of the city government; and Mayor Stephen C. Foster, in his annual message for that year, was the first to recommend the ap- pointment of an officer to be called a zanjero (or water overseer), to have control of the city water both for domestic and irrigating purposes.

The irrigating system was gradually improved and enlarged under the administration of dif- ferent zanjeros until all the level lands in the city limits were fully supplied with water, by

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HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

different ditches, taken out of the river, leaving a surplus of water, which the city sold to out- side land-owners.

The Los Angeles River, which is the source of water supply, rises on the Encino Ranch, abont twelve miles northwest of the city. Ac- cording to the laws of the Indies, all pueblos on the banks of munavigable streams were entitled to the ownership of the water. The old Spanish pueblo of Los Angeles had some trouble with the San Fernando Mission encroaching upon its rights in this respect; and later, in order to clear up its title to all the water of the river, the American city of Los Angeles in 1884 pr- chased of G. J. Griffith, the owner of Los Feliz Ranch, situated above the city, his fractional in- terest in tlie water of the river acquired by use and springs on his ranch, for the sum of $50,- 000, thus giving the city a clear and undisputed title to all the water in the river. After the river rises on the Encino Ranch, except in times of freshet, it is seen no more until the Alamo House is reached, some three miles above Cahnenga Pass. Here, about half a " head " of water flows; keeping on its easterly course, there is abont a full " head " at Cahnenga; and by the time the river passes through the Los Feliz Ranch, it is reckoned to contain eighteen " heads,"-a veritable "hydra-headed " monster; thence flowing through the narrow pass be- tween the Los Feliz and San Rafael hills, it turns south and enters the city. The stream of water in the river disappears before reaching the southern limits. In times of very high flood the water runs down the channel of the river bed, and, uniting with the old San Gabriel River near the town of Clearwater, empties into the Pacific Ocean just west of the town of Long Beach. In ancient times, according to the ap- pearances of the land, the river once ran down Alameda street, which is now fonr feet lower than its present bed, ont past the Washington Gardens and the old Dalton place, through Cienega and on into the Ballona. This conrse exists even in the traditions of the old Mexicans.

The first irrigating ditch is taken out of the

river three miles above Sepúlveda Station, and is called the main supply. It is brought down on the east side of the river across the Los Feliz Ranch. Near the city's northern limits the main supply ditch is divided into the East and West branches; the East branch is numbered 9 and the capital letter E is added to this number to designate the east side of the river where it goes. Thus it is always mentioned "Zanja 9-E." In the summer of 1884 this zanja was piped across the river at a cost of $30,000. It runs across the low hills of the San Rafael Ranch, and is piped across the Arr- oyo Seco and empties into Reservoir No. 5, which is situated just east of the hill at the head of Downey avenne. From Reservoir No. 5 " Zanja 9-R" takes water to Evergreen Ceme- tery, Boyle Heights, Brooklyn Heights, the Workman tract, and all the high table-lands east of the city. This zanja gets its letter R with its number because it is taken from the reser- voir. Zanja No. 7 is taken out of the river at the Macey street bridge and supplies the narrow tract of land between the river and the eastern bluff. The Zanja Madre supplies the central portion of the city.

The western branch of the main supply zanja is called "Zanja C & R," and empties into Reservoir No. 4. The water is taken from Res- ervoir No. 4 by Zanja 8-R, and supplies the entire western part of the city. Lateral ditches convey the water from all these principal zanjas to different tracts of land as desired, and are known by their respective numbers. Their original cost of construction was several millions of dollars.

The city is divided into six irrigating dis- tricts, each of which is controlled by a deputy zinjero, who must keep two saddled horses for duty and are expected to work day or night as occasion may demand. They keep the ditches in repair, divide out to each landholder his re- spective share of water, and guard against any water being stolen.

As late as the year 1887, nearly 10,000 acres of land was using the city water for irri-

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HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

gation; but the real-estate boom of 1886-'87 caused so many vineyards and orchards to be subdivided and sold as residence lots that the business of the zanjero's office lias greatly decreased.

In 1857 the city granted to William G. Dry- den the right to place a water-wheel in the Zanja Madre to raise the water by machinery to supply the city with water; and this was fol- lowed by giving other citizens the right to take water from the zanja by wheels and hydraulic rams, for domestic purposes.

In 1858 a corporation known as the Los An- geles Water-works Company was formed, with a capital of $10,000. The object of this company was to introduce water into that part of the city on the northwest and above the zanja. This was followed by many other schemes for pro- viding the city with water; yet they all seem to come to naught, for as late as 1866 the citizens were so poorly provided with water that it had to be hauled in carts from the river.

By an act of the Legislature, approved April 2, 1870, the city was divided into three irri- gating districts, and a board of three water commissioners was provided for, to be elected by the actual irrigators of real estate within the city limits. Until the next ensuing municipal election, Manuel F. Coronel, José Wolfskill and J. R. Toberman were appointed by the act as such commissioners. All the powers in regard to the control of water, formerly vested in the mayor and council, were transferred to this board. In December, 1870, L. B. Martinez, J. J. Warner and L. Bouchette were elected water commissioners.

In 1872 this act was repealed, and the mayor and council were reinvested with their former powers, which they have ever since retained.

THE WATER-WORKS

were built by the eity in 1864-'65. A dam was built across the Los Angeles River near where the Buena Vista street bridge now stands. This dam was constructed of piles and two inch plank sheeting. It raised the water of the river about

seven feet above its natural surface. At the west end of the dam in Zanja Madre a current wheel was built forty feet in height and six feet abreast. On the outer end of the arms, paddles, two feet by six and four feet apart, were placed. On each of the paddles a bucket was attached, holding about fifteen gallons of water from the dam, falling abont six feet into the Zanja Madre. The buckets of the wheel tilled and discharged at each revolution of the wheel, filling from the zanja water and discharging at the height of thirty-six feet above the water of the zanja. The water thus raised was discharged into a receiver, and the water from the receiver was carried to the hillside in a flume twelve inches deep and two feet wide in the clear, dressed inside, and had a fall of two inches to the 100 feet. From this flume the water was passed into a ditch which carried and discharged it into a reservoir which was made in the side of the hill north of the Catholic cemetery. The reservoir had a capacity of abont 700,000 gallons; the water from the reservoir was conducted to the city and through Main street as far as Third street, through wooden pipes made of San Bernardino pine, at the mills on the mountains back of San Bernardino, and was laid by contract made by Jean Louis Sansevaine, July 22, 1868. The works were leased to David W. Alexander for a term of four years, with the privilege of six, the rates of water that he should charge during his lease being fixed by the city. Owing to the bursting of the pipes Mr. Alexander assigned his lease to Jean Louis Sansevaine, D. Mar- chessanlt, then a councilman of the city, at the time managing and conducting the works for Mr. Sansevaine. The pipes continued bursting and Sansevaine cancelled his lease with the city, and Solomon Lazard, J. S. Griffin and P. Bean- dry went into a contract and lease with the city to furnish it with water.

An agreement was made July 20, 1868, be- tween the city and John S. Griffin, Prudent Beandry and Solomon Lazard, whereby the city leased to them, on certain considerations, the exclusive use, control, possession and manage-

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HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

ment of the city water-works for a period of thirty years, having, among other things, the right to sell and distribute water for domestic purposes, and receive the rents and profits thereof for their own use and benefit. This agreement also provides that at the end of the thirty years the city will pay the Water Com- pany the value of the improvements made upon the water-works; and in case the parties cannot agree upon the value, the same is to be deter- mined by arbitration. The city reserves the right to regulate the water rates. Messrs. Beau- dry, Griffin and Lazard then transferred their lease to an incorporation named the Los An- geles Water-works Company, the trustees of which were J. S. Griffin, J. G. Downey, P. Beau- dry, S. Lazard, A. J. King, Eugene Meyer and Charles Lafaon.

By November, the next year, npward of seven miles of iron pipe had been laid, superseding the old wooden pipes.

A freshet in the Los Angeles River carried away the dam, which left the wheel withont water to propel it, and, cutting off the water sup- ply for the city, caused a water faminė, and water-carts had to be resorted to in order to supply the inhabitants with water. The city refused to rebuild the dan. This company, composed of Griffin, Lazard and Beaudry, then rebuilt the dam (without which the wheel, flumes, reservoir and wooden pipes were use- less), and built, nearly opposite the Catholic cemetery, in the Zanja Madre, a wheel to raise the water to a height sufficient to flow into the old wooden pipes until they could furnish a more permanent supply. At this time the Los Angeles City Water Company was organized. They purchased of Charles V. Howard, who was then the owner of the Feliz Ranch, seven miles north of the city, a portion of said ranch on which Crystal Springs is located, and the Water Company then secured right of way necessary, and cut a ditch from said springs to where the present reservoir is located, and built the present reservoir, and from thence laid iron pipes to the city and through the streets at their own cost.

The old city works were entirely abandoned as nseless.

Several years prior to the building of the Los Angeles City-water Works, W. G. Dryden, acquired a right from the city to erect a wheel in the city zanja to pump water into the city and also a grant of the Plaza in front of the old Catholic Church, on which to erect a reservoir to be supplied by pumps operated by the wheel he built in the zanja near the present junction of Upper Main and Alameda streets. Later on the pump and wheel of these works were mnoved to the junction of Marchessault and Alameda streets, and as before propelled by the waters of the zanja.

Patrick McFadden became interested and managed these water works. From this reser- voir on the Plaza, water was distributed through some of the streets and furnished several houses. These works were bought by the Los Angeles City Water Company, and were also abandoned, returning the Plaza to the city for a considera- tion.

In 1888 the City Water Company purchased the water system of Ralph Rogers, which ob- tained its supply in the Arroyo Seco.

The Canal Reservoir Company was organized in 1867. The officers were: George Hanson, President; J. W. Green Smith, Treasurer; J. J. Warner, Secretary. The capital stock was $200,- 000. The next year work was commenced by this company npon the canal and reservoir which now supply what was the old woolen mill, but is now an ice factory. This was the first turning of attention to the hill lands west of what was then the city, which had before that been con- sidered practically valucless. Certain lands were granted to the city in consideration of their work.

THE CITIZENS' WATER COMPANY.

In the year 1872 improvements were com- menced in the hills west of Los Angeles City. These hills, although offering delightful sites for residences, from lack of water and difficulty of access had not shared in the prosperity of the city, but had remained comparatively value-

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HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

less and neglected. To the energy and perse- verance more especially of two men, P. Beaudry and J. W. Potts, is dne the change that has taken place. Mr. Potts expended in grading, principally upon the lines of Temple and Second streets, upward of $30,000. Mr. Beaudry in like manner expended upward of $50,000. The work with which Mr. Beaudry's name has been more especially linked is the furnishing of an abundant supply of water to these hill lands. Mr. Beandry excavated a large basin amid the springs lying along Upper Alameda street, from which, with a sixty horse-power engine running a Hooker pump of the capacity of 40,000 gallons per hour, the water was forced to an elevation of 240 feet, where it was received by two reser- voirs with a storage capacity of 3,500,000 gal- lons, and thence distributed through eleven miles of iron pipes over the tops of the highest hills. These works cost $95,000.

The Citizens' Water Company, whichi fur- nishes water to the hill portion of the city, was organized in August, 1886, and bought the Beaudry & Rogers' system. The latter was supplied with water, which was the seepage from Reservoir No. 4. Ralph Rogers has had this water pumped by steam into a reservoir since the year 1884, and had nearly 40,000 feet of pipe laid, supplying 120 houses. At the time it was purchased by the Citizens' Water Com . pany the Beandry system had 66,000 feet of pipe laid and was supplying 612 houses. The company's lease on the spring near the junction of Alameda and Upper Main streets expiring February 1, 1887, it obtained its water after that date from the river, abont four miles above the city. The water is piped into a reservoir in Victor Heights tract, and is pumped from this reservoir to a higher one back of the Sisters' Hospital. The company has a lease of ten years for this source of water supply. M. L. Wicks is the principal stockholder in the com- pany.

THIE EAST-SIDE SPRING WATER COMPANY.

The East-Side Spring Water Company was incorporated in 1886 for the purpose of supply-

ing the residences on the eastern side of the river. The water is pumped from an artesian well near where stood the old Tarbox distillery, just north of the Macey street bridge, to a reser- voir on the top of Lacey Hill, in the orange slope tract on Brooklyn Heights. From this reservoir the water is distributed in mains. Mayor Ilenry T. Hazard is the principal stock- holder.

THE BIG TUNNEL.

Whoever chances to wander up the track of the Southern Pacific Railroad, just above the Buena Vista street bridge, will notice certain openings and drifts in the great sand-stone bluff along whose base runs the railroad. If he has the curiosity to enter one of these drifts he will find himself after a few yards in a big tunnel, whose general course runs parallel to the railroad. Should it be asked, Why was that deserted hole made? the answer will be an interesting bit of municipal history.

In 1877, when F. A. MeDougal was mayor, the water supply for irrigating purposes was very scant; and in deference to the popular clamor for a better service, it was proposed to take some extensive action. The matter was referred to a board of engineers, consisting of B. F. Alexander, A. Boschke and Isaac W. Smith, who made a report on July 27, 1877, in which they advocated the digging of a tunnel 630 feet long through the limestone bluff, six feet high and five feet wide, to cost $12,300. On August 17, the committee on water supply recommended the proposed tunnel to leave the river above the Southern Pacific Railroad bridge on the north and emerge from the bluff on the south at the lower waste gate of the toma. October 11 the bid for digging the tunnel was awarded to William Monks, at $3.88} per lineal foot; William Moore was the builder of the tunnel. So singular was its construction that on May 30, 1878, the committee on water sup- ply reported that the engineers found the tunnel then made of no practical value. The timbers were too light, and nearly 500 feet of new tun- nel would have to be made to correct the

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HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

alignment so that water would run through; 600 feet more of the tunnel would have to be timbered and 230 feet arched with brick. The additional cost was estimated at $6,900. On August 29 the contract was let to Bell & Carr to line the tunnel, and William Monk was to do the brick-work. The tunnel was surveyed by J. E. Jackson and W. T. Lambie.

November 7, 1878, the committee on water supply recommended Mr. Moore be paid for his work, it having been done as specified. The committee, however, found that the tunnel was still valueless, as a great deal more brick- work had to be done. But at last it was made so that the water would run through; but it was finally abandoned on account of so many caves. In 1885 the zanjaro estimated that the construction and repairs of the tunnel had cost the city from $35,000 to $40,000. It is still unused, except by tramps.

THE ELECTRIC-LIGHT SYSTEM.

December 31, 1882, the city was lighted for the first time with that crowning glory of modern inventions, la luz electrica. It was dne to the indefatigable labors of Colonel Charles H. Howland, who had worked all sum. mer long in getting the citizens to invest in the stock of the company, and the patronage of the city conncil. He met not only the opposition of the gas company, but also that of many others. The favorite arguments against it were that it had been started in the London fish markets, that it soiled ladies' complexions, that it produced color-blindness, and besides had a bad effect on the eyes, that it magnified objects and caused optical illusions, that it was costly, that gas was good enough to light the city, that it kept the chickens awake all night, that it was a new thing, and therefore an experiment and dangerons, that the wires attracted light- ning, that the lights attracted bugs, and finally that it was a speculation and therefore a swindle.

As silly as these arguments may seem, they were soberly advanced by many capitalists and

various business and professional men of the city. But finally all opposition was overcome, and on New Year's eve the light from the seven masts bathed the city in electric glory.

The city of Los Angeles is now lighted wholly by electric lights. The city contracted in 1882 to be lighted with the electric light under the Brush system. The light is distrib- nted by what is called the mast system. These inasts are placed at such distances as may be desired by the council, ranging from 2,500 feet to over a mile apart.

There are two mast circuits in the city. One is known as the " north circuit," and the other as the " sonth circuit." There are thirty-one miles of wire. On these mast circuits there are fifteen masts, each 150 feet high, carrying three lamps, each of 3,000 candle-power, or 9,000 candle-power on each mast. There are two masts on this same circuit, each 150 feet high, carrying four lamps of 3,000 candle-power each, or 12,000 candle-power for each mast. There are nineteen sixty- foot masts, each carry- ing one lamp of 3,000 candle power; a total of seventy-two lamps of 216,000 candle-power, with which the city is lighted, and is paid for out of the municipal treasury.

There are also three other circuits for private lamps. The first runs till 12 o'clock, mid- night, for hotels, saloons, restaurants, etc. The other two circuits are known as the "mer- chants," and run week-day nights till 9 o'clock, except Saturday, when they are continued to 10:30 P. M. On these three circuits there are at present 175 lamps of 2,000 candle-power each. The city now pays $19,000 per annum for its electric lights. Store lights cost $5 per week on the middle circuit, and $3.50 on the 9 o'clock circuit.

The city has an official area of six miles square, or thirty-six square miles. Previous to the lighting by electricity it had a small area lighted by gas. This would cover abont five- eighths of a mile square, at a cost of abont $9,000 per annum. Under the electric system about twenty square miles in area are fairly

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HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

lighted at a cost of a little more than $20,000 per annum.

. THE LOS ANGELES ICE AND COLD-STORAGE COMPANY, incorporated, one of the most important indus- tries in Southern California, comprises C. E. Hendrick. President; C. D. Simpson, of Scran- ton, Pennsylvania, Vice-President; L. A. Bas- sett, Secretary and Treasurer; T. Watkins and M. J. flealey, who manufacture ice in this city, and are the only company in the State to em- ploy the Hendrick process, thus turning ont a quality of ice superior to all others. The works, which are located on Mesquite street and the Santa Fé Railroad, have a capacity of 100 tons per day-seventy-five tons for general nses and twenty-five for cold storage. The manufactory is the largest in the State. The cold-storage warerooms have a capacity for 150 car-loads, and are adapted to the preservation of mneats and fruits of all kinds and other perishable prod- ucts. The building is 150 feet square and three stories high. The company are the pro- prietors and manufacturers of the celebrated " Lilly " brand of ineats. They have six sinoke- houses, with a combined capacity of 150,000 pounds, and are thereby enabled to place upon the market fresh meat every day. The " Lilly" is the only meat smoked on the coast sonth of Sacramento, and is superior to the Eastern smoked meats, for the following reasons: All hamns and bacon smoked in the East are four to ten days old before shipping, and six to ten days en route; and, owing to the excessive heat in crossing the desert in the summer, the products are canvased in order to insure safety in trans- portation, thus entailing a loss to the consumer of one to two pounds, or an average of 25 cents, per ham.

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Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1092

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1092