USA > California > San Bernardino County > History of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Volume II > Part 3
USA > California > Riverside County > History of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Volume II > Part 3
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possible by Riverside's pioneer work. Los Angeles' great municipal sys- tem is also thus made possible. The great power lines, such as the South- ern California Edison and the Southern Sierras systems follow in the line of the City of Riverside's pioneer work, in their vast systems of long dis- tance high voltage electric power transmission. The Southern Sierras Power Company of Riverside, has lines of six hundred miles and more of such long distance transmission. It is also worthy of note that the original pioneer transformers of the world, which made possible River- side's long distance line, are still preserved, and were exhibited at the Panama Exposition in San Francisco, as "the pioneer high voltage trans- formers of the world."
In other respects Riverside has also made bold innovations in the history of municipal electric light and power development. The city re- news to its 5,000 customers, all electric light bulbs, after the initial pur- chase price of the first ones. This item of saving to the consumer is unmatched, so far as the writer knows, by any private power company, and by few, if any, municipal plants.
Riverside has proved by her municipal electric light and power plant that by public ownership light and power can be supplied to citizens at great reduction of cost as compared with the service rendered by privately owned companies.
When Riverside began its municipal ownership plan, it had been pay- ing a private company 20 cents K. W. H. for electric current and $10.00 a month per arc light for streets. Under municipal ownership electric current is sold today for an average of 3 cents K. W. H. for light and power purposes. This is fully a third less than private companies sell current for, where they operate.
And while operating at this low cost to her people, Riverside has not only saved her citizens scores of thousands of dollars in cost of light and power, but has made a handsome profit to the great advantage of the city and saving of taxes. This last year (1920-1921), the total revenue of the municipal electric light and power plant was $248,226.92. Total ex- penses, $17,617.13. Net income, $68,609.79.
The municipal light and power system has in these years made a splendid showing in service rendered the people, and in profits made by which the plant has grown to large proportions, and in addition, has trans- ferred to other city departments $184,807.31. This support to the other departments of the city has been incidental with the development of the plant from $40,000.00 value originally to now about $700,000.00, and to the saving of thousands of dollars annually in cost of light and power to our people.
All this in spite of the fact that we do not generate our own power but buy it at very high wholesale cost from private companies. When Riverside and all California learns to generate electric light and power at cost to the people, a new industrial day will be upon us.
Our Riverside plant is really a great industry in itself. It is well worth the time of any citizen to visit the power plant at Ninth and Mulberry streets, then go over the system realizing that from it radiate a hundred thousand lights, and power for industries and irrigation over the forty-one square miles of the City of Riverside.
RIVERSIDE MUNICIPAL WATER SYSTEM, by Dr. Horace Porter, ex-mayor. Riverside has been a progressive city from the first beginnings, fifty years ago. Municipal ownership is unusually largely developed and is most successful. In Riverside we have municipal ownership of electric light and power, municipal fair grounds, municipal athletic field, two
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municipal sewer farms, municipal rock quarries, the municipal library, municipal parks and playgrounds, the usual municipal school system, and a municipal domestic water system.
Our water system was not developed as early as the electric light system by many years, and to the great financial disadvantage of River- side. We purchased the water system from the Riverside Water Com- pany in 1913. The price was very high, as now universally known, the amount being $575,000.00 to the water company, $195,000.00 for the artesian system and $15,000.00 for the Keys system, or a total of $750,- 000.00 for the three systems thus merged into one municipal plant.
The city voted to bond itself for $1,115,000.00 for this purchase and for expenses and improvements. For these expenses and improvements there was a balance of $370,000.00 over and above the purchase price. About sixty-five miles of new pipe lines were laid over the forty-one square miles of the city, particularly extending the mains to Arlington Heights. This is fine for the Heights but expensive for the city, as it costs the city $11.000.00 more per year to pump the water to the Heights, than the people of the Heights pay for.
Notwithstanding, the new lines laid in 1913-15, there are still many streets and sections of the city without domestic water, to their great disadvantage. The further laying of pipe lines for these sections is a serious need.
The source of Riverside's water supply is the widely known natural underground basin in San Bernardino County, of which Riverside County was a part, when the water system of Riverside was developed. This great basin furnishes flowing wells which supply both our irrigation waters for our canals and our domestic water.
Riverside appropriated these waters in the very earliest days begin- ning fifty years ago, long before the town of San Bernardino sought for water by other than the old well and town pump system.
But some five years ago, San Bernardino challenged Riverside, and the Riverside Water Company, in their rights to the waters so long appro- priated. A trial lasting six months and costing both sides about $1,000,- 000.00, produced the famous "Judge F. Inlayson decision,"-a court rul- ing acceptable to neither side and by both sides regarded as too vague and intricate, indeed impossible of being observed by either party to the suit. The decision was appealed to the State Supreme Court, which practically ruled in favor of Riverside, yet orders a new finding by the Superior Court of San Bernardino, on the evidence taken in the former six months' trial. For the past half year the mayor and Board of Public Utilities of Riverside, in the last half of the year 1921, have held many conferences with the city authorities of San Bernardino, both sides seeking to settle the great water suit by mutual agreement out of court. These proceedings . are at this writing, February, 1922, still under way. The belief is, as apparently shared by both parties to the suit that with proper conservation of water, as it comes from the Santa Ana River out of the mountains, and by proper economy of the uses of water, there is enough and to spare for both cities. There is a mutual desire to spend money in the future in sensible water saving instead of endless water suits that bring 110 satisfactory results, and can bring no such results.
Notwithstanding the large cost to Riverside of her domestic water system, and the heavy expense of paying off bonds, water suits and up- keep, yet we fully believe that in the long run this water system, munici- pally owned, will amply justify itself.
The total revenue, this past year. has been $138,672.00. Total expense, $105,352.00. Net income, $33,347.17. Net surplus after paying bonds,
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$4,347.17. Bonds redeemed of the original issue of $1,160,000.00 are $232,000.00. The cost of the law suits against us by San Bernardino has been paid by the Utilities Board out of the electric light surplus. Other- wise heavy borrowing or bonding would have been necessary to carry the extraordinary expenses of this unfortunate law suit, unfortunate both for Riverside and for San Bernardino.
The following table gives a few random instances of the difference in cost of electric light and power as between Riverside's municipal plant and the Southern California Edison and the Southern Sierras power companies. These are carefully compiled figures based on the rates as in force in the year 1921.
Riverside
Edison Co. Southern Sierras
Fred Reed's 5 H. P. pump. . $ 120.55
$ 160.59
$ 223.26
Riverside Press Printing Co ...
261.90
379.70
427.20
G. Rouse Department Store .. 1,249.30
1,687.15
1,743.00
Chase Nursery, 30 H. P. pump
409.65
622.15
802.52
Alfred M. Lewis, grocery ....
568.25
782.80
822.50
Arlington Heights Gratton
Street Pumping Station ... 2,117.80
2,614.84
3,196.98
If Riverside were getting her power by public ownership, at six-tenths of a cent K. W. H. (which is more than a liberal allowance for cost production), Riverside could cut her present rates. As it is, paying these excessively high rates, to the private companies for wholesale power (as high as one and eighty-seven hundredths K. W. H.), Riverside still retails as shown by above tables, at a third lower price to the consumer, an yet makes $50,000.00 a year profit!
CHAPTER XXXV CHURCHES
THE CHURCHES. A history of Riverside would not be complete with- out some notice of the churches, especially when we consider that there are forty or more religious organizations that hold religious services once a week, for not all of them hold their services on the day of the week called Sunday or the Lord's Day, the day on which our Lord is believed by all professing Christianity, to have risen from the dead.
Without going further abroad than Riverside the question may well be asked, "Are the results commensurate with the great efforts put forth each week, not only on the Holy day, but during the week at the various services conducted?" Some of the secret societies have semi-religious sentiments in their ritual and it is claimed by many Masons that there is no better Christianity than in the life of a good Mason. Unquestionably the base of all religions is that embraced in the motto, "Be good and do good," whether the incentive be fear or love or a mixture of both. In this day and generation among all educated and thinking people it would be absurd, if not wicked, to say that all who have not heard of Christian- ity or embraced the doctrines and beliefs of professed Christians were going to hell where they would be kept in a state of punishment and misery for ever and forever. Even the Presbyterians in their Confession of Faith have been obliged to modify their statements in regard to infant damnation. The Methodists, too, are seriously considering whether some modifications may not be desirable in their creed, while the Christian Scientists say it is not necessary to die in order to enter Heaven. Among all of the religious denominations there is the same Lord's prayer and practically the same creed, then wherefore the many different organiza- tions? Would not results be better if all were united as is done in at least one progressive town on the Pacific Coast? All agree that it would, but each wants it to be his peculiar denomination. Nowhere are we led to infer that there was any other temple in Palestine, but one at Jerusalem, which it seems was sufficient for the Jews who are represented as being the specially favored people of God.
They were, of course, the synagogues where they met on the Sabbath. The statement has been made recently by a leading minister that two- thirds of the people are not church goers. Then wherefore is this? Can you pick out church people by their daily life? Are they any happier than those who stay outside ? These are very pertinent, and indeed, serious questions when we consider that as reported in the newspapers the state- ment is that a member of Congress proposes to introduce a measure to compel everyone to attend church,-What church? This would certainly necessitate a radical change in our California State Constitution and also in the Constitution of the United States which says that no religious obli- gation be imposed on any citizen either for citizenship or for holding of office. It may well be asked the reverend gentleman who bewails the lack of attendance at church what he has to offer in church attendance that will attract the masses? Have we as a people outgrown that phase of our modern system of faith and religion, mere church attendance?
California is almost alone in the list of states in having no Sunday laws, yet the statement is made authoritatively that church attendance and the general morality is as good as in other states where they have Sunday laws. May it not be that we have entered into a new and higher dispensation where religion will partake more of the daily life and less of the ceremonial, where every act shall partake of the religious. Where
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is all of the religion of our fathers, where the family prayer morning and evening and the religious ceremony gone over at every meal, both before and after, and where the minister in the country on his periodical visits when offered refreshments, part of which would be whisky, would ask God to bless them before he would partake? Gone they are almost wholly and nothing but the shadow remains. Whence this departure, may be a pertinent question ?
FIRST CHURCH IN RIVERSIDE
It would in this short narrative be probably unwise, even if space permitted, to go in very extensively to the churches and the question of their religion. It is one of the axioms of all organized bodies that religion and politics must be barred from their deliberations and the rea- son is plain enough to the outsider and that is, that opinion or dogma is the basis of most of their ethical propositions. Excluding politics as not being pertinent to a history of the churches their various creeds are more
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in the line of dogma than matters of fact. People do not usually differ on matters of fact, but when it comes to matters of opinion, opinions are as varied as individuals.
Truth should be simple and appeal to the simplest understanding. For instance, no one seriously disputes the ethics of the Sermon on the Mount. The difficulties begin to arise whenever anyone arises and claims to be an authority in religious matters and when he can get the temporal power behind him, trouble arises, hence the assertion in our republic that all power lies within the people themselves. Then comes up the question in spiritual matters : Shall we have a spiritual head who may be looked to as an authority and whose dictum shall be followed blindly? Or shall we give the individual conscience full freedom of expression? Then comes the question of creed. Creeds always bind and prevent expansion and growth. Here is where the question of church attendance and Sab- bath observance come in. Those who are outside of the churches claim that those who are inside, a minority professedly, take undue and unwar- ranted powers to themselves and thereby interfere with the liberties of others without any just reason. Our government was founded to give freedom to all citizens, civil and religious, and nothing in the history of this country shows that where religious laws are in operation there is greater morality or happiness than where no religious enactments exist and churchmen must show before they ask others to join them that they are better and happier than those who do not attend or belong to the churches. Rather must we adopt a new rule of life where religion will be a vital, every day part of that life.
The churches of Riverside may well be classed under a half dozen or so organizations and the main question should not be what do you be- lieve, but what are you doing to make the world better? Has the world been made better by your passing through it, if not, life has been a failure?
Riverside began by making this world more beautiful on the idea that if we could do away with the dark places, in a word, if we could make a Garden of Eden here we would have begun to make a new earth and if we could finally make a new earth, we would be well on the way to have a new heaven wherein would dwell righteousness.
With the founders of Riverside the question of churches or religious organizations did not arise. With Judge North, himself, or Doctor Greves, , who was in all probability closer associated with him than any other pioneer, the material side was about the only one that was considered as neither of them were connected with any church while in Riverside, nor did either of them ever express any opposition to, or preference for, any division of church organization. Doctor Shugart was pretty much in the same line of religious thought although he was an attendant and sup- porter of the Universalist Church and A. J. Twogood was a Baptist and E. G. Brown, an Episcopalian, so it may be said that in its foundation there was no distinct religious leaning. The Congregationalists were given a lot on which, several years after the colony was founded, a church was built. The first colonists were of various phases of religious belief and meetings were occasionally held mainly by the Congregationalists and Episcopalians. The little school which was the first building of a public character was used for religious services by all who cared to have them, but as population increased there came to be a desire for each denomina- tion to have a place of their own until there are about forty different religions represented every week.
The Congregationalists were the first to think of an organization and accordingly they formed the first church in April, 1872, but it was some- time later when they were able to put up a building. At first they were
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liberal as they have been right along and gave every assistance to other church sects. All at first held services in the schoolhouse which was freely opened to all.
Rev. I. W. Atherton was the first pastor and Riverside was carried on for a time as a missionary station and when they got ready to build a church it was accomplished largely by assistance from outside sources. Twice they have outgrown their building, first on the original site on the corner of Sixth and Mulberry streets. This church was traded in 1886 with the Christian Church for lots on the corner of Seventh and Lemon streets where a large and commodious building was erected which was again outgrown and the building was torn down and a large and magnifi- cent cathedral-like structure of the Spanish Renaissance style of archi- tecture was erected. This building with its adjacent parsonage, grounds and equipment, have a full value of $125,000. Under the ministration of Dr. Horace Porter some innovations have been introduced likely to bring the church and people closer together. The first one is that the church shall be open every day. This gives an opportunity to those who are of a pious and meditative nature to enter the church and indulge in the sacred edifice in spiritual mediation. Then again it has always been a matter for serious contemplation that our churches should be closed all the time except for the few slender hours they are open for public worship.
The parlors of the church are open for meetings at any time of a beneficial nature. The basement, which is large and spacious with ample kitchen requirements, is largely in use for public gatherings where ban- quets can be enjoyed. It was very largely used during the great war for meetings in connection with war demonstrations and has also been used for years for meetings of the Present Day Club. In this way the people and the churches are coming into closer contact when it is found that the churches are in favor rather than opposed to all rational amusements. In April, 1922, will occur the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Congregational Church which will be celebrated when some specially interesting features will be introduced. Of the seven original members of this church all have passed away.
THE FIRST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. The Methodists were the second religious body to build an edifice of their own and so eager and earnest were they that the small brick building now occupied for. special meetings was built up almost wholly by materials contributed by friends and prospective members. A regular church organization was effected by Rev. M. M. Bovard in 1874, but the church was not built for a year or two later, meetings having been carried on in the interim in the schoolhouse. From a small beginning of seven members the congrega- tion has grown until it is one of the largest in the city. From the little 24 by 36 brick chapel to the large edifice it grew bit by bit as the needs of the worshippers required.
This church is open also daily for purposes of meditation and devotion or consultation with the pastor. The church grew much in numbers and in public favor by the ministrations of the Rev. B. S. Haywood, who twice was sent here in a ministerial way with lasting good. Dr. Haywood did not insist in a narrow way that all who went to heaven must go through the Methodist Church, for he recognized it as an accepted fact that all who were good were heirs to a heavenly mansion. How much more might the church endear itself to the world at large if it would recognize goodness everywhere and in place of placing itself in antagonism to the masses it would stand on their side, church attendance might be greatly increased.
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By doing so we might get more common sense into our religion and more religion into our common sense.
THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. The First Baptist Church was also early in the field as an organization, February, 1884, being the date of its founding by eight members. For several years they were without any church building, when they erected a large edifice for that time on the corner of Eighth and Lemon streets. This was used until 1912 when they occupied the present fine building on Ninth and Lemon streets. Before they owned a building of their own they united with the Method- ists in their building.
THE PRESBYTERIANS. The first Presbyterian Church was organized in 1879 at the head of Old Magnolia Avenue about four miles from the center of the town, but after awhile that location was found too far away and another organization was formed, really an offshoot from the original church, in 1887. For a time they met in various buildings in the city until they were able to build and occupy their present edifice and have met with success. Matthew Gage, assisted by his wife, were largely instru- mental in getting up the fine building now occupied.
The other orthodox churches have all been reasonably successful, but it is being felt by church people that fewer churches better filled would leave more money for the spread of the gospel.
SWEDENBORGIANS. The New Jerusalem or Swedenborgian Church has been organized, from an early day the Rev. B. Edmiston having been the original pastor and organizer, having retained that position for many years and a son, L. W. Edmiston, is its present head. The first location near the head of old Magnolia Avenue being far from population centers a new one was sought and obtained on Locust Street between Sixth and Seventh streets, with a small but active membership.
ST. FRANCIS DE SALES ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. The St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church was at first a mission of the San Ber- nardino Church, but was finally erected into a parish by itself. The first congregation was started by Rev. Father Stockman and the church was built on Twelfth Street, but the church property occupies a whole block where they have now a parochial school with a large attendance with plans for a larger church in the future. The church is largely represented by Spanish speaking families. There is a church at Sherman Institute where Indian children and students are ministered unto. In addition, mission are maintained as Casa Blanca, Crestmore and Spanish Town. Of recent years the Catholic Church has popularized itself by the pastors taking an active part in public affairs and by mingling more among the common people.
THE UNIVERSALISTS. The Universalists have since 1881 maintained a church of their own organized by Rev. George H. Deere. They had at first a building extemporized from one of the original two building erected on Sixth Street for school purposes. This building was used on Market Street where it did good service. Doctor Deere was an able and educated man who had been seriously handicapped in his youth and all his life from weak eyes arising from constitutional causes as well as lack of the ap- pliances and discoveries of modern times. This weakness ended in total blindness for a few years of his latter life.
Doctor Deere, like almost all of the early settlers of Riverside, was originally of New England stock. According to an autobiography written in his declining years, considering all his physical infirmities, he was a
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