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issue.

Scene in Grapeland District, foot of Cucamonga mountains. the votes of legal and qualified voters, but this does not negative the idea that two-thirds of all the legal votes were in favor of the formation of a district, but, on the contrary, directly supports the same. The argument that 8996 acres of land within the district boundaries is Government land, and the argument that such being the case it was improperly included within the district, is, in our opinion, without force. If Government land cannot be assessed or burdened with liens for the satisfaction of a public indebtedness, as is conceded to be the law, then no attempt to subject such Government land to such charge would cast any cloud upon the title to such lands, and plaintiff can not complain. If, as is also conceded, the possessory right of complainant, and the improvements made by him on such Government land, are proper subjects for assessment, there would seem to be no valid objection to such assessable property being included within the district and subjected to its proper share of the burden of taxation, and plaintiff cannot complain. As suggested by counsel, there would seem to be no substantial difference between the inclusion of Government lands within county boundaries, and the subjection of improvements on the same to taxation for county purposes, and the inclusion of Government lands within the boundaries of other political subdivisions, such as an irrigation district, and the subjection of improvements thereon to taxation. An injunction will not issue to restrain a public officer, or board of officers, from performing a duty which the law imposes upon them. It is the duty of the board of directors of every irrigation district, in the event that a majority of the votes cast on the question of issuing bonds are 'Bonds, yes to immediately cause bonds to be issued' (using the words of the statute). By paragraph seven it appears that a majority voted Bonds, yes. It does not appear that there were any votes of Bonds, no.' The duty of the board then was to forthwith issue bonds, and no injunction can run against such

"On the grounds stated therefore we are of the opinion that the demurrer to complainant's amended complaint should be sustained, the respondent dischaged from the order to show cause, and the returning order vacated, and it is so ordered."

Bonds to the amount of $200,000 were therefore issued, but have not yet been sold, as it has not been fully decided from what source the water supply will be derived. The district has rights to Lytle creek, and can also obtain water by storage, while the projectors of the Arrowhead reservoir enterprise, referred to elsewhere, also offer to furnish water for a low rate. The bonds have been issued at the rate of $18 54 an acre, which it is believed will be sufficient to provide the entire district with water. Indeed, such has been promised. This low cost of water, by comparison with adjacent districts, is particularly gratifying, and of course adds immensely to the value of the bonds as a security. The men voting the bonds are not speculators, but are actual cultivators of their own lands, and of course are actuated solely by the desire to procure water at the lowest possible price.

The present assessed value of the district is over $800,000, and while lands without water are practically valueless, those that have a supply are readily disposable at $150 to $300 an acre. At the lowest price the lands of the district will be worth over $1,600,000 by the expenditure of the $200,000 voted for water.

In every respect the grape land district challenges comparison with any other organized or situated in anything like similar circumstances.

The officers of the disirict are as follows: President, J. D. Ousterhout; secretary, E. T. Myers; directors-J. D. Ousterhout, W. D. Nevin, J. L. Adams, A. G. Perdew, E. T. Myers; treasurer, J. A. Scott; collector, A. G. Pier; assessor, E. E. Scott.

MADERA DISTRICT.

the amount set aside by the board or directors for that purpose.

Directors Roberts and Mordecai have been over the country and made a personal observation of the lakes that have THOU-been filed on. They are confident of the feasibility of the reservoir plan, and consider that it insures the district an abundance of water for all purposes.

OVER THREE HUNDRED SAND ACRES INCLUDED.

According to the report of Geo. Manuel,

Sketch of the System That it Is engineer of the district, the survey for

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In connection with the other works to be built by the district, the board of directors have filed on four large lakes, located high up the mountains, in the Minaret region. These lakes were lower than usual when filed on, yet they contained an immense amount of water.

The dimensions of the lakes are about as follows: Shadow lake, one and onehalf miles long, three-quarters of a mile wide and forty feet deep; Island lake, two miles long and three-quarters of a mile wide, depth of water, thirty feet; Summit lake, three miles long and one mile wide, depth of water, thirty feet. The outlets to these lakes are very narrow and through high, rocky walls where substantial dams can be built at a minimum cost. A dam fifty feet high will suffice to reservoir eighty feet of water in the lakes, estimating the present depth of water at thirty feet, which is lower than an average. It is practicable to turn the water from the lakes into the San Joaquin river at any time when the natural supply of water from the river is not sufficient for the needs of the district. It is estimated that when the work of reservoiring shall have been completed 200,000 acres of land in the district can be covered with water one foot deep from these lakes.

These alone will irrigate the entire district after the natural flow of the river has been exhausted. These lakes are ied from the mountains of perpetual snow above them, and in several places there are beds of snow sixty feet deep. Water from this source is unfailing, and can be depended on from year to year.

The probable cost of storing this water will be from $40,000 to $60,000 less than

the main canal starts at a point on the San Joaquin river about one-quarter of a mile above the point where Fine Gold gulch enters the latter stream. At this point the river flows through a narrow canyon or gorge, the sides of which are of granite rock; the river is confined to a several hundred feet high, and composed channel sixteen feet wide at low water. The proposed dam will be about sixteen feet long on the base, about 250 feet long on the top, and will raise the water in the river about sixty feet. The situation of the dam is an extremely favorable one, both as regards stability and permenance, and the abundance and cheapness and accessibility of the materials with which to build it. Stone of unlimited quantities and of the lest quality lies immediately at hand and in a situation which renders its transfer to the masonry of the dam a work of little magnitude. There is a fair wagon road now made to within about three miles of the proposed dam and this can be extended, at slight expense to the dam site itself.

As the fall of the river is very rapid above the proposed dam, and the sides of the canyon are very steep and high, there will be no damage caused to property above the proposed dam by back water from it. Starting from the dam lor a distance of about 900 feet, the route traverses a mass of granite bowlders of different sizes and shapes, and devoid of soil. It will probably be necessary to flume this portion, and the estimate is made with that view. From this latter point the route follows a rocky sidehili composed of soil and granite ledges and bowlders. Fine Gold gulch is then encountered; distance across between points, 306 feet 8 inches. It will be necessary to flume this, starting from Fine Gold gulchand running down the river. The route of the canal is crossed at irregular intervals by short ravines or gulches coming from the adjacent hills and emptying into the San Joaquin river. They vary from 5 to 25 feet in depth and 40 to 120 feet in width in this mile. The quantity of water carried by them is insignificant, as they extend only a short distance into the hills and have a very small drainage area. They can, with few exceptions, be most easily. crossed by an earthen embankment on the lower side only, the upper bank being tormed by the hill, the amount of land thus flooded being insignificant and of little or no value.

The line of the canal for several miles runs through a rough broken region at first, then strikes more open country, and then for quite a distance takes advantage of natural depressions and the channel of Deep creek, which it follows for two and a half miles, then entering Sand creek. The. main portion of the water will follow this channel for about twelve miles, to a point

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About the only expense in this part of the route will be the building of weirs to divert the water at the points mentioned. The main body of the water will be diverted from the creek channel at a poin: near the northwest corner of section 27, in township 11 south, range 18 east, where the channels of Sand creek and the Cottonwood join. From this point a survey was made, running northwest about twenty miles and terminating at the Chowchilla. This was intended for the main supply canal tor that part of the district lying north of the Cottonwood. The line of this canal runs in a general direction nearly parallel with the railroad A series of lawsuits has been going on in and about three miles theretrom, and ter- this district for three years. The princiminates at a point on the Chowchilla pal opposition to irrigation comes from river about three miles east of Minturn large landholders. The final case was arstation. This canal in its course will cross-gued by C. C. Wright, attorney for the several streams coming from the eastern district, before the Supreme Court at Los 1oothills of the Sierra Nevada. It will be Angeles the latter part of April. A decisnecessary to erect weirs or floodgates ion is expected by June 15th, and it will across these to discharge excessive floods. undoubtedly be in favor of the district, Gates of similar character are in use in following the line of previous decisions. Kern county across the Kern river, and in Fresno across the Franshaw creek and other streams. As many of these chanhels as may be found suitable can also be used to convey water to the western side of the district at little or no expense.

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The survey of the smaller branch canals shows that they can be made at slight expense, the land traversed by them being exceptionally level and having a rapid fall to the west and southwest.

history of such a district as that of Perris. for $300 to $800 an acre, while just as good As a clean-cut business proposition, land, without water, is difficult of sale at straightforward and without an element $25 an acre. No better illustration could of speculation in it, the Perris irrigation be found of the benefits conferred by the district system of irrigation. district challenges comparison with any The officers of the Perris irrigation disother of the organizations under the trict are as follows: J. W. Nance, presiWright act, In a nutshell the proposi-dent; H. A. Plimpton, secretary; direc tion is this: Here are 23,000 acres of land possessing all the elements fertility, without but which, water. are so unproductive that $5 or $10 an acre would be a large price. For years it was not believed that there existed any supply of water available for these lands. But at length some enterprising men appeared on the scene, and after looking the country over they demonstrated that water in abundance could be had. Immediately upon the faith of this demonstration alone the lands were eagerly sought for at $30 to $40 an acre. Then an irriga-n tion district was organized, contracts entered into for an abundant supply of water piped in every direction for the Then the average cost of $25 an acre. lands took another jump to $80 and $100 an acre, and when the water shall be running through the pipes (which will be within six weeks) a still further increase in values will take place. Enough has already been accomplished here to show that the largest returns ever realized in any branch of horticulture are certain to be repeated, and that these lands, when covered with productive orchards and vineyards, will return incomes of hundreds of dollars to the acre, and will sell readily for many hundred per cent more than their value to-day.

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