USA > California > Los Angeles County > History of Los Angeles County, California, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, residences, fine blocks and manufactories > Part 19
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Not many years have elapsed since the water of this stream was considered scarcely adequate to supply a few scattered gardens and vineyards throughout the Mexican pueblo. Now, owing to a more careful system, there is enough and to spare for all the manifold uses of a great eity, including the irrigation of several thousand acres of orchard, vineyard, and grain land. Only in very wet seasons does the water travel far below the city limits, which are, however, qnite extensive. The bed of this river joins that of San Gabriel river some seven miles from the ocean, but rarely, if ever, do its waters reach the junction. According to the State Engi- neer, this river drains three hundred and twenty square miles of country.
SAN GABRIEL RIVER.
The San Gabriel river (known to the early fathers as " El Rio de los Temblores," on account of the many carthiquakes prevak nt thereabout), upon emerging from the mountain ranges, and before reaching El Monte, sinks into its sandy bed, and travel- ing underground a distance of some three miles, emerges with an apparently but slightly impaired volmne. The intervening space is moist, loose land, being thoroughly soaked by the underground waters. This is one of the great corn raising sections of the eounty.
Upon reaching the Raneho Paso de Bartolo, the streamn divides, and passes onward toward the ocean in two distinct beds, varying in distance apart from two to six miles. These two streams are thenceforth known respectively as " The Old San Gabriel river" and " The New San Gabriel river," the former oceupying the ancient bed, while that of the latter dates only from the flood of 1867. The San Gabriel river, as a whole, drains an area of country equal to three hundred and fifty- six square miles.
SANTA ANA RIVER.
The Santa Ana river is the most important stream of the three, but taking its rise outside the eounty lines much of its water is distributed before reaching the Los Angeles valley.
What remains is made to do good service, however, being carried in ditches from the Coast Range, and distributed where it will do the most good. Timis the natural bed of the stream is left constantly dry. This river drains one thousand two hundred and eighty-seven square miles of country, and is nearly one hundred miles in length.
ARTESIAN WELLS.
So early as 1855 efforts were made toward obtaining artesian water in Los Angeles county. In that year a well was bored near the foot of Fort Hill, Los Angeles City, but no permanent supply resulting at a depth of eight hundred feet, it was abandoned.
From this time on experiments were frequently made, and at last a seven-inch llowing well was struck by Messrs. Downey, Hayward and Beandry, wear where the town of Compton now stands. Since then some hundreds of flowing and non- flowing wells have been struck in widely distant localities, proving beyond a doubt, that the artesinn belt underlies a large portion of the county.
In 1876, the State Legislature passed an Act providing that all flowing wells shall be capped, thereby preventing waste, and guarding against a possible exhaustion of the source of supply.
IRRIGATION.
The irrigable lands of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, arc classed together by the State Engineer under two great valleys :-
First -The valley of San Fernando, and its extension into San Bernardino county ; length ninety miles ; total area about nine hundred and seventy square miles.
Second-The Los Angeles valley, extending from Santa Monica and Los Angeles on the north to Newport and Tustin on the south ; length forty miles; total area about eight hun- dred square miles.
He classes the irrigating ditches of the two counties together, as follows :-*
LOS ANGELES RIVER .- Seven ditches, irrigating eight thousand acres in and around the city of Los Augeles.
SAN GABRIEL RIVER .- Three ditches, irrigating three thousand nine hundred and five acres in the interior valley between the C'oust Runge and the Sierra Madre; and twenty-three ditches, irrigating nineteen thousand three hundred and three acres ou the lower portion of its course through the Coust valley.
THE SANTA ANA RIVER .- Eighteen or twenty ditches, irrigating eight thousand nine hundred and thirty-five acres of the interior val- ley, above the Coast Range, in San Fernardino county: and four ditches, irrigating nine thousand seven hundred and fifty acres of the Coust valley below the Coast Range, in Los Angeles county.
SMALL STREAMS .- From the Sierra Madre and San Bernardino mountains -thirty-five independent works of more or less import-
* Those of his remarks applicable to Los Angeles county only, we have italicized -Ed.
1877-1878
CAPITOL MILLS.
DOV THOMPSON & WENT
DEMING , PALMER & CO. MANUFACTURERS OF FLOUR, MEAL AND FEED, DEALERS IN GRAIN OF ALL KINDS. NEAR JUNCTION OF MAIN AND ALAMEDA STS LOS ANGELES,CAL.
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HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
ance, irrigating five thousand four hundred and ninety-five acres of the platene and valley lands adjacent to the mountains (in both counties ..
There is little doubt that the water pouring annually into Los Angeles valley from all sources, is amply sufficient, were it properly utilized, to render every portion thereof fertile. But to do this, none must be allowed to ron to waste. The low of the rivers must be brought to the surface by deep pit. ing at the point of emergency from the foot-hills. From thence it must be distributed in closed ditches, to prevent evaporation. In the upper canous (above the dinms), reservoirs must be con- structed capable of containing the over-plus, whenever any shall occur. The Romans two thousand years ago -created similar works in laly ; why should the Italy of America to-day shrink from such a task '
CHAPTER XIX.
LIVE STOCK 11771 1880.)
C'harms of a Pastoral Life Origin of California Live Stack Horned Cattle Mexican Dairies Gradual Decline of the Bottle Interest Horses Stoep Gradual Increase of the Sheep Interest Governor Downey on Sheep Swing Boos Silk wormes.
A PASTORAL life is that which over linds greatest favor, and most followers, in all southern countries; at least among those persons " to the manner born." It saits the drowsy, dreamy indolente, and natmal nversion to anything like work, which is a. marked characteristic of every nation level of Apollo. The true " Californian fever " is not the " ouri sera formes." but simple, pure and munadulterated luci ness !!
The Indian regards labor as the white man's folly, and taking his bow nudl arrows wanders through the leafy forest. Here he slays a leer-kindly reared for him by mother Nature. mal this being carried, and dressed, and cooked by his slave (squaw), he leasts himself to repletion and knows no care. The Mexican, one degree higher in the scale of rivilization, trusts not to finding the forest deer when he shall need it, but turns lose some londres of cattle upon the plains. Here they eat the portion by Nature sent, grow fat and multiply. Like the Indian he slays as he has need. and his mode of life differs from that of the Indian, only in his exercise of forethought in first stocking the land, and his claim of property in the offspring of certain maimals.
We have before noticed that the Franciscan missionaries on their first expedition into Upper California (1769 brought with them horses, mules, and cattle, to stock their proposed misions. These were duly apportioned to the various establishments. and favored by a genial climate and abundant pasturage, multiplied prodigiously. The Spanish system also favored
auch um tiplication to the ntinust, for female animals were not allowed to be either worked or killed, and the males were never castrated until required for service
HORNED CATTLE
There were two hundred head of horned cattle in the drove brought by the Franciscans, and of these San Gabriel Mission - loving the fourth establishment, probably received about fifty. The seasons of 1827-S and 1825-9 were marked by such exces- sive drought, that cattle died upon the plains by thousands, and ship loads of their hides were sent away from San Pedro. Yet in 1831, Mr. Alexander Forbes estimated the cattle of the three missions and town, now comprised in Los Angeles county, at seventy-six thousand and twenty-four; and in a former chapter we have shown that this estimate was probably far too low. We quote from Mr. Forbes' book the following amusing account of
MEXICAN DAIRIES.
From this immense number of domestic animals, little advantage is obtained beyond the value of the hide- nnd fat. The management of the dniry is totally unknown. There is hardly any such thing in use as butter and cheese, and what little is made is of the very wordt description. It will nu douht appear strange when I awsert, that the art of making butter and cheese is unknown in all the Americas inhab. ited by the Spaniards and their descendants; yet as far as my own expe- rience goes, as well as my information, this is in reality the case: for although something under the name of butter and cheese is generally to be found, yet they are made in a way entirely different from that practiced in the north of Europe, aud certainty have but little resem. blance to those so much esteemed aliments-as there prepared. Both the butter and cheese, particularly the former, are excerable compounds of some coagnlated milk and its cream mixed together; the 'butter being made of the cream or top of the milk, mixed with a large pro- portion of the same coagalated part, and bent up together by the hand, without a churn, till something of the consistency of butter is pro- dured. This is of a dirty grey color, and of a very disagreeable flavor, which in a short time is rendered still worse by its tendency to become rancid, in which state it is almost always find before it arrives at the place of sale, and is of course intolerable to palates used to that of a better sort. The cheese is made of the remainder of the same milk, or wonetimes of the whole milk and cream: iu either case it is made up in small moulds containing about half a pound, and undergoes no pressure except by the hand: it is always mixed with a large propor- tion ut salt, and is of a soft, crumbling consisteney.
There is another sort of cheese, or something resembling it, made of >wret milk congnlated with rennet It is made in thin cakes which they form by pressing the curds between the hands till they are freed of the whey; these are then left todry. This is called " punela" and is much better than the sour composition. It is used as a luxury, and is sent about as presents. * * +
I have before said that little milk is used by the Spanish race in Amerien, and when they do use it, they have a very awkward way of taking it from the cow. They think it is absolutely necessary to use the enIt to induce the caw to give her milk, and for this reason, they first let the calf suck some time alone; then lay hold of one of her teats while the calf is still sucking the others, and so by a kind of stealth procure a portion only of the milk. They have no idea that a cow would give milk at all if the calf was altogether taken away from her; so that, when cows are kept for their milk, the calves must be kept along with them, and as they get the hest share, a great number of cows and calves must be kept to produce a small quantity of milk.
The first American settlers drifted naturally into Mexican
habits of life, married into native families, and started cattle ranches.
This though the missionaries at their departure, slew hundreds of thousands of cattle, as we have described chapter NI, vet vast bords were left in the country. In 1939, fifteen thousand head were shipped from Los Angeles county and nettel fifteen dollars each. In ISa5, the average price appears to have ruled about the same, and sales of some ten thousand head were reported
During the summer of ISSti and throughout the cusning winter the loss of cattle in the county by starvation was estimated at one hundred thousand head, yet in nn editorial of April 26. 1856, the Star computed the season's sales at tive hundred thousand dollars; twenty thousand head being on their way north at one time. At this time prices were quoted as follows. steers, fourteen to sixteen dollars; cows and calves, twelve to lifteen dollars. In March, 1837, twenty dollars per head way asked on the ground for cattle " foo power to drive" In the full of 1859, the cattle were so poor, that when the heavy rains came many "chilled to death."
Yet despite all this, many remained, for Benjamin Hays writes i Historical Skelch of Los Angeles County) :
In 1860, there were still seventy-eight thousand head of rattir. three-fifths of which belonged to native l'abforninne, and, in jourt, distributed as follows :-
Abel Stenrns, twelve thousand ; Juan Abila, woven than-and two hundred : John Roland, five thousand ; William Workman, five thou- sand : William's estate, five thousand ; John Temde, four thousand ; Ricardo Vejar, three thousand five hundred : Bernardo Yorku, three thousand five hundred ; Igancio del Valle, three thousand live hun- dred : Teodosia Yorba, three thansand five hundred ; Leonardo Cutn, two thousand five hundred : Vicente Inga, two thousand five hundred; Pio und Andres Pico, two thousand : Agustin Machado, two thousand : Nazario Dominguez's estate, two thousand ; Felipe Logo, one thousand; Valdez family, one thousand ; Enrique Abila, our thousand ; Fernando sepulveda, one thansand.
Making just allowance for defective assessments, the amount was probably considerably-one-third -beyond this estimate.
In the spring of 1862, grass was good, and full grown Inl. cattle were selling at from right to twelve do lars per howl. But the terrific drought of the seasons 1863-4 fairly pul. an end to cattle ranching in southern California, t'attk died by thousands, and the plains were strewn with their carcasses. Generally the hides were stripped from them, but in some cases it is said that even the hides were worthless through extreme starvation. In April, 1864, lifty thonsand head of cattle were anctioned in Santa Barbara at thirty-seven aud a hall' cents each. In view of this fearful loss, it seems almost like mockery to read one year later of grass waist-high throughout the country, and the cattle that should enjoy it, all dead of starvation.
In 1865, the cattle of the county were estimated at ninety thousand four hundred and fifty head. In 1869, an epidemic carried off a good many, and in 1876, only thirteen thousand
58
HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
head were reported. The Assessor's report for 1880, gives fourteen thousand head of all kinds of horned cattle in the connty.
HORSES.
The native horses of U'pper California all spring from a bike origin to that of the cattle, viz., those brought by the first missionaries. Like the cattle they were allowed to run wild upon the plains, and so numerous did they become, that at times the munres were slaughtered in thousands to relieve the country of an averplus of stack-not only worthless, because not needed for use, but really detrimental. Thus Hon. J. J. Warner writes (Hlist. Sketeb, page nine.) :
As early as 1825, the number of neat cattle and horse kind had Increased so much, that the pasturage of the country embraced in this county was insufficient for its support, and that of the wild horses, of which there were tens of thousands which had no claimant, and which in small bunds, each under its male leader, roamed over their respective haunts, consuming the herbage, and enticing into their bands the horses und brood mures of the stock-breeders. To relieve themselves frovi these losses, the rancheros constructed large pens (corrals), with ontspreuding wings of long extent from the doorway, into which the wild horses were driven in large mmmmbers and slaughtered. At a later period, and when the number of neat enttle had been somewhat lessened the wild horses were driven into such pens and redneed to domestication.
We have some indication of this condition of affairs in the past (us stated in the records of the United States Exploring expedition), that in 1841, brood mures were valued at only one dollar each, At the sale of Sheriff Barton's elleets in 1857, we lind young mares ranging from eight to twenty dollars; while young horses are quoted from twenty to lifty dollars, au increase in valnes due to the diminution of stock on the one hand, und an increased population on the other.
" The year 1865 legan with fifteen thousand live hun- dred und twenty-nine horses," says Hon. Benjamin Hlayes (Hist. Sketch, page (0); yet the County Assessor's report of 1876 shows ouly ten thousand. The returns of 1880, place the number of all kinds about the same.
SHEEP.
In Chapter IX of this work, we have presented some of the estimales made by travelers as to the numbers of mission live- stock in carly times, In 1829 Rev. Walter Colton placed the number of sheep owned by San Gabriel Mission alone at lifty- four thousand. Two years Inter Alexander Forbes estimated those of the whole county at only twenty-one thousand, three hundred and fifty-four. What we have said in regard to the false returns made by the friars of their cattle and horses applies with equal force to their sheep; su that the probabili- ties are that both these gentlemen were far below the mark, and that in those years the sheep of the county must be counted -perhaps by hundreds of thousands.
.
At this period the only sheep in I'pper California were of inferior breads, their wool being of such coarse quality as to be wholly unfit for exportation. As the rams were nut castratel, the condition of their mutton may be imagined, and in fact it was hat very rarely eaten.
With the dreline of the missions, sheep interests appear to have entirely died out, for in 1534 the Southern Californian complains that there are no sheep in the county, and urges the importation of a few for berding purposes. Ranchers must certainly have acted on this hint, for in 1856 we read that " sheep are selling in Los Angeles at from two dollars and a half to three dollars per licad."
The year 1859 seems to have been the first year in which " a general stocking up" with sheep took place. In the spring immense bands arrived from New Mexico, and were soll at four dollars a head. In the early fall Mr. Jacub Metzkar returned from Monterey county, bringing with him fifty-eight fine wool rams, which were distributed among the bands of the county, with a view to their improvement in breed. In Dereu- ber of that year the floods proved destructive to a great munber, une band of four thousand losing one thousand lacad. This heavy loss was not alone by drowning, but owing to their extreme poverty of flesh, they had not vitality to stand the rain, and fairly chilled to death.
The following year witnessed a grand importation into the county of fine-wooled sheep from all parts of the world; the total importation probably not falling far short of one hundred thousand. A. W. Peters drove one band of four thousand from Ohio, being one and a half years on the road. Corbitt and Diblile of Santa Anita brought a large number of finely-bred sheep direet from Scotland, accompanied by two Scotch shep- herds with trained Scotch shepherd dogs. Others followed their example. Sheep were brought from Canada, from Aus- tralia, from all parts of the globe l'amed for sheep, and these slowly and steadily drove the cattle interest out of the county. In 1861 Messrs. Corbitt and Dibhle made a fresh importation from Vermont, of one hundred and twenty-five fine wool bucks.
For the years 1862-3, the wool clip of Los Angeles county was estimated at fully one million pounds each year, with a vast improvement in quality. The drought of 1864 was nearly as destructive to them as to cattle, yet mnauy contrived to exist on "gute." a weed which ordinarily they refuse, and can only be driven to eat through extreme hunger. This fact, then, accounts for the great number of sheep 'two hundred and eighty- two thousand that lived through that fearful experience, in comparison to the handful of cattle that survived. Three years later the number had decreased nearly one-half.
In 1870 the wool clip of the county was estimated at one and a quarter million pounds, but this amonut was somewhat
decreased the following season, the summer months being very dry, and the flocks in consequence being curly removed to the mountains. Of twenty thousand head pastured on Catalina Island, only four thousand survived till 1872. This senson was fir, but the next surpassed it with an estimated yield of one million, eight hundred thousand pounds of wool.
In 1874 the Assessor's report showed nearly half a million of sheep in the county, and the clip was estimated by the Star ut over four million pounds, The following year showed a slight inerense in stock, the number standing five hundred and eight. thousand, seven hundred and fifty-seven head, but the wool clip laul decreased to two million, thirty-four thousand, eight. hundred and twenty-eight pounds for the year. In 1878 it was estimated at three million pounds. The returns for 1880 give the whole number of sheep in the county at four hundred and two thousand, four hundred and nineteen, of which right hundred and forty-one are imported, and the remainder graded.
The following valuable letter on this subject, from Ex-Gov. ernor Jala G. Downey, of Los Angeles City, we copy in full from the Semi-Tropic California of February, 1880; -
. SHEEP INDUSTRY.
DOES IT PAYY-A PRACTICAL. LETTER ON THE SPUJECT.
I propose to say a few words to our people about sheep husbandry, illustrating its increase and profits, and the happiness attending its pursuit in this State, and particularly in southern California, For many years in California the popular branch of stock-raising was horu or black cattle. It has coneeded, I might say, special privileges, nud special legislation was invoked for its protection. And many of these laws are still on our statute books, but now of little use. The agricut- turist had no protection against those roaming herds of loug-horued, long-legged, and ill- shaped bovines, but in a legal fence, nud when hunger-pressed, it was hard to find a fence that would turu them. Sheep-men were in bad favor, and the lords of the rodeo in C'alifornia, as now in Texas, controlled legislation. Cattle might romn at will over adjoining ranchos, but the moment a sheep passed the boundary line it was subject to seizure. Many efforts were made from time to time to curb the extraordinary demands of cattle-men, but without avail, untit 1861. The writer of this article for the first time brought the matter before the Legislature of this State at its Thirteenth session in the fol- lowing terms: Sve Senate Journal, thirteenth session, 1862, page 14). ' The agricultural interest is second to no other in the State in impor- tance, both as a means of wealth, industry, and good order in society. Already the exports of our cereals, after supplying our domestic wants, begin to awaken attention at home and abroad to this great resource of California wealth. This, like all other branches of industry, requires wholesome legislation, adapted to its natural necessities, to insure its encouragement and growth. The farmer in California labors under one great difficulty, that is, in the procuring of proper and cheap mate- rial for foneine his land In many localities of the State it will require an expense three-fold more to fence land and protect erops against trespass of live-stock than the land and crop will sell for. Thousand- are prevented from cultivating grains and fruits from this cause alone. I can discover no hardship in compelling the stock-raiser to herd his stock and prevent their trespass greater than that requiring the farmer to incline his field to secure the profit of his capital and labor. To compel the farmer to maintain a legal tence as now delined is to pre- vent his cultivating his own land or enjoying the use of his own prop- erty.' This recommendation was fiercely assailed,
RESIDENCE KOPARTIAL VIEW OF ORANGE GROVE & VINEYARD OF J.G. MC DONALD, ALAMEDA : WASHINGTON STS LOSANGELES, LOS ANGELES C",
PUBLISHED VY THOMPSON & WEST.
CAL.
59
HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
but a special bild incorporating the ideas was passed for Yolo; it worked to a charm, and the following sessions witnessed the passage of bill of similar import for nearly all the counties,
F'rom this date agriculture and sheep-farming commenced to assume at least equal importance with that of the great cattle interest, and after the great droughts of 1863 and 1861, the immense berds of long- horned nuhunly began to disappear from our valleys. The wheat field, orchard, vineyard and fine Mrrivo flocks took their ponce; gave employ- ment to our laborers, our sailors and ships, and added materially to the resources and wealth of the State.
lu 1862 I received a letter from Mr. Kennedy, the superintendent of the Federal census, asking for information about our resources: and on the wool question I stated that our statistics were imperfect, but that we were not eredited with raising more than three million pounds of wool, aml that of inferior quality; but I assured him that at the end of the next deende we wonbf show thirty-six million pounds, as California was peculiarly mlapted to sheep raising, and that our people would rapidly improve the brord.
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