(NINE)

Tahquitz Culvert

3

Harry's Journal

Feb’y 8, 1899.  Palm Springs.

Over two years since the last writing herein!

On Feb’y 5, 1897, my father died of heart failure, leaving my mother, two sisters – May and Pearl – and myself the last of the family.  Words of mine cannot describe the changes since.  Yes, it was a terrible affliction and now it is a great loss.  Many years ago we all were carefree, we were ambitious, and life was the usual thing which most people have found it to be.  Then our time came, commencing in 1891 when Johnnie died.  Next my health broke and is delicate even to this day.  Then May married and left us to live in Chicago, which was not a trouble, but it was another of the steps which were breaking up our old home; then the Country had a financial panic and times became hard with us, increasing into the time when father died.  Since then I have seen things go from bad to worse, in expenses of maintaining a burdensome Water Company and an unproductive ranch.  Yet money matters have been easy since June of last year as my credit appears to be good.  Mother and Pearl have had everything they wished for.  At present the ranch is paying a little, and the store and Postoffice well.  After a hard fight I was appointed P.M. here in June of 1897.  The water company expenses are reduced to a minimum, and there is a good prospect of disposing of the Whitewater river, owned by the Company, at a good price.  The reason of the financial pressure is that Palm Valley has ceased to improve and is going backward, it being proved that after all it is a desert region and is not much of a fruit region.  The Water Co. depended upon the planting in Palm Valley and all the stockholders depended upon the Company.

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As the McCallum interests consist principally of this stock, we were hard pressed, for the expenses of maintaining the Company’s ditches and protecting its water rights remained nearly the same as when more land was irrigated, and this deficit was raised by stock assmt.  I am Prest. of the Company and upon realizing that Palm Valley could never support the Company, I tried to dispose of one of our water rights to other places . . . [illegible] the Whitewater river, leaving the company’s other water sources for the use of Palm Valley, which could be abundantly supplied therewith.  This matter has kept me pretty busy and some prospect of success has come our way.  In 1897 I negotiated with three different Canaigre [hemp] companies, but they all quit doing business as their company sprung from these and I negotiated with them, and they . . . [illegible] went out of business.  In 1898 I took up . . . [illegible] Riverside and to dispose of the power along the proposed route of the line of conduits.  One Company paid me $1,000. for an option to Dec. 1, 1898 to purchase for $150,000. in cash and certain first mortgage bonds, but failed to take it up.  I am now trying to force them to, and meanwhile I am looking into the question of selling a domestic water supply direct to Redlands City, and water power to the S.P.R.R. [Southern Pacific Railroad].

My father had been failing for two or three years before his death, but his mind was as strong and vigorous as ever.

My mother and sister Pearl have been here for three months and my sister May (Mrs. Dr. Forline) arrived two weeks ago to remain until Dr. Forline can close up his business in Chicago and come to California to settle.  The health and prospects of all of us are very good, excepting my slight cough.

[Note – The following paragraphs about Louise have never before been published]

Harry’s 2/8/99 journal entry continues:

Last year I married a young lady secretly.  My friends and relatives were very much opposed to it

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so we did it secretly, intending to use that as a closing argument when we should afterwards marry publicly.  On the date set for the public marriage, however, I was served with a proceeding to annul the marriage ceremony by a regular divorce.  It was a stab which has changed me forever, as it was a surprise, everything having been arranged for the wedding.  More money than I had or could get was asked for in the Complaint.  Upon her attorney learning the facts, he dismissed the case and it never came into court.  Then I realized that we never could live together, and as we never had begun, I arranged with the young lady for a quiet divorce, which was done and I am again single.  I do not blame her now for I learned that certain persons put her up to the fight for money, and she did not know what she was doing.  I gave her all of my land in Palm Valley and . . . [illegible] money, and paid all her expenses amounting to about $500 or more, and believe she . . . [illegible]  provided for.  As . . . [illegible] a working girl since I met her, and she is now in a position to own something for herself.  She had many of the finest womanly qualities, and the only thing she ever did was this act of treachery and though that was a terrible thing, she allowed it because she was weak and easily influenced and did not know.  I hope she will become better and happier with every year of her life.  I thought it was alright to be married secretly, but now I believe that there is no good reason for it under the sun, and that if two people cannot marry when they want to they should wait until the time when they can marry publicly and properly.  It is my own fault that so much trouble has been caused, for a man is the responsible one always.  If she were a designing woman, then I should not have married her at all; while if she were a good woman (which I believe she is) I should not have married her initially . . . [illegible] it could have been done publicly, or not married her . . . [illegible] when I did do it secretly.

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Following immediately after this last trouble, there has come in an era of things which promise well.  For instance, my health is infinitely better, while last year I had repeated attacks of congestion of the lungs and began raining blood.  Then financial matters are promising.  The health of my two sisters and mother is splendid and they all are in fine spirits.

In addition to all these changes in our fate and fortunes during the recent past, there have also been great changes in larger matters and in public affairs.  Southern California has been going ahead rapidly and a boom is predicted within two years – a healthy boom.  Then the U.S. itself has just had a war with Spain, defeating that country overwhelmingly within three months, and a treaty of peace has just been ratified in the U.S. Senate granting to us the Philippine Islands and Porto Rico [sic], and also Cuba, the latter to be allowed . . . [illegible] once we establish there a . . . [illegible] and we are a world power.

My private mail has just arrived.  As a matter of future interest I will state what it consists of:  Two or three periodicals, two advertising circulars; one quotation on sugar; one postal card regarding a money order . . . [illegible] of Mrs. McMillan’s (our cook); a letter from a man . . . [illegible] Walters asking how he can get a money order paid, there being no P.O. there; a bill for dry goods from The Boston Dry Goods Store, receipt from same for part of last month’s account; a letter from Mr. Beard of Modesto asking that my Express team meet him and his wife & niece at the R.R. station tomorrow; a letter from Mr. Boggs recommending Mr. Pierce as a guide for in a trip I propose taking soon over Yucaipa Valley and other places; a letter from J.M. Elliot of the First National Bank of L.A. saying that his bank thinks that the pay’t of their loan to me depends too much upon my sale of our water stock, and that there is some talk of depreciating values in Palm Springs real estate; a letter from Rud Reinhardt regarding work on our ranch; a letter from the . . . [illegible] saying they will soon send a young man for phone work here; and finally a letter from Swift & Co. asking that I continue to buy our bacon . . . [illegible] from . . . [here the journal ends.]