Emerald Reflections Online

The Man Who Made Los Angeles

by Brian Witt

On my recent trip to Los Angeles, I was staying off of Mulholland Road. Traveling up and down this thoroughfare, which wends its way west from the Hollywood Hills to the Santa Monica Mountains, and then to the ocean north of Malibu, I remembered that the person whom it was named after was an Irish American, and one that helped transform Los Angeles from a desert to the thriving metropolis it is today.

Everywhere you go in the greater Los Angeles area, there are reminders of the man who changed this city and state, for better or for worse. Flowering growths alongside the freeways, trees, and fountains, including one dedicated to William Mulholland, abound.

William Mulholland was born in Belfast in 1855. At the age of fifteen, he moved to Dublin to make his fortune. After a brief stay there, he decided to try his luck in the New World. After working in New York in the early 1870's, Mulholland worked in the Michigan lumber camps, as a store owner in Pittsburgh, as an Indian fighter in Arizona, and later moved to San Francisco, and then on down to the small town of Los Angeles.

Mulholland's first job was that of a ditch cleaner for the private water company in Los Angeles. He learned the art of engineering, and in eight years he had become the acting supervisor. After the City of Los Angeles took over the company, Mulholland became the new head of the Department of Water and Power, a job he held until 1928.

Los Angeles was about to embark on a period of growth, and Mulholland realized that the city was too arid and without adequate water supplies to support a large population. Mulholland and the former mayor of Los Angeles, Fred Eaton, saw the Owens Valley two hundred miles to the north as a water source that could answer all their needs. Owens Valley was an extremely fertile area, with a number of crops being grown there. The Owens River was to be a part of a new irrigation system that would give the valley unlimited amounts of water. This, however, would end the scheme to use this water to supply Los Angeles.

A member of the Reclamation Board was a friend of Eaton's who allowed Eaton to examine critical papers on the Owens River diversion. In return, Eaton hired his friend at a very rich salary, to develop plans to divert the water to the Los Angeles area. By 1905, the city had acquired the rights to the land and water in its path, and at the same time, blocked the Owens Valley residents in their attempts to use the water.

But, Mulholland had a separate agenda. Some of the water was to be diverted to the San Fernando Valley, where friends and cronies of his were paying top prices to acquire land, speculating that the price would rise. This group then gave financial support to the bond issue that was written to pay for the irrigation plan. The movie Chinatown touched on the somewhat slimy dealings that occurred

Mulholland was an engineering genius. The task of building the Los Angeles Aqueduct required blowing holes into mountains to build tunnels, laying power lines, and employing thousands of men in the process. When it was completed in 1913, it ranked alongside the trans- continental railroads as a feat of human design and endeavor.

However, water drawn from the Owens Valley was used to supply the farmers of the San Fernando Valley, which was proving to be a sponge. This hastened the decline of the Owens Valley region. As the water left the area, farming began to decline, and a number of the northern farmers went broke as a result. The Owens Valley farmers blew up a section of the Aqueduct on May 21, 1924 in an attempt to stop the diversion. Mulholland was said to have responded that he was sorry there were so few trees left in the Owens Valley, "because now there were no longer enough trees to hang all the troublemakers there."

The result was the so-called "Owens Valley War", one in which the farmers were seen as the put-upon, and the defenseless. The governor refused to send out the state militia to help the Los Angelenos, and the local sheriff said that he was a friend and sympathizer to the local farmers. The last attack against the Aqueduct occurred in 1927, when a section of the Aqueduct was destroyed. Mulholland issued shoot to kill instructions at that point. The collapse of the Owens Valley Bank in 1928 wiped out the last of the resistance against Mulholland, as well as the farmers themselves.

But 1928 was to prove to be a year in which William Mulholland would find his own downfall. Mulholland and Eaton had a separation of ways, over a parcel of land which Eaton wanted to sell to the city for $1 million. Mulholland, who had enriched a number of others over the years, but, for all intents not himself, found this reprehensible conduct. (Mulholland considered himself a builder on a grand scale.) He then directed the building of a dam at St. Francis, up river from where he had wanted to build. The dam was built quickly, but not well. On March 12, 1928, the dam collapsed, sending a rush of water down the valley, and filling much of Ventura County with a thick layer of mud. About 500 people died as a result of the collapse. Mulholland was forced to resign in disgrace as a result.

William Mulholland left a legacy of a city able to sustain itself with water, at least in a tenuous state. He is looked upon as a master engineer, who created an oasis out of a desert. However, in the Owens Valley, he created a desert out of an oasis. The Owens Valley is a veritable dust bowl, the lake itself reduced to a salty parody of its former life. Mulholland is vilified in the north as much as he is praised in the south. But one thing is certain. This son of Belfast, starting out as a twenty-three year old ditch digger, became one of the greatest engineering pioneers in the United States by the time of his death. For better or worse, he helped transform this country.

Greater LaCrosse Area

Sorry all you Shamrock Club people from the LaCrosse area, but we did send in an article for the May Reflections and it apparently got lost in the mail; with a return address on it yet! For sure that has never happened before.

So here we go again. Pictured are a gang of Irish folks standing outside the bus that toured the City on March 17. We visited schools, nursing homes, offices of the mayors of Onalaska and LaCrosse and the "Blarney Party" radio show on WLFM at Quillan's supermarket hosted by Ed and Sally Sullivan. We would name them all but several faces are hidden and so we will leave everybody out except our Irish Rose, Dorina Lukins, standing front and center with the bodhran.

We elected our 1999-2000 officers on May 13 and promise to have all of their names and maybe a picture in the July Relfections. We may even have a schedule of events to publish by that time.

Enjoy your spring because the flowers are certainly blooming around LaCrosse.

Do you suppose we put one of those 32 cent stamps on the May article?

South Central

The South Central Shamrock Club's General Membership meeting was held at the Wintergreen in Lake Delton on May 5. All present enjoyed a lovely dinner, followed by a short meeting. We had a critique of our St. Patrick's Dinner and Party.

It was also announced that Daniel O'Donnell will be performing at Branson twice this year, once in May from the 3rd until the 15th and again November 8 until the 27th, excluding November 25, Thanksgiving Day.

Irish fiddler, Liz Carroll will perform at Folklore Village Farm near Dodgeville Friday, May 14, and on May 15 at Frank Lloyd Wright's Hillside Theater on Taliesin Estate, both beginning at 8 p.m. Celtic Women International Conference will be held October 7-9 in Milwaukee at the Irish Culture and Heritage Center in downtown Milwaukee.

Two guests were introduced.

Russell and Betty Hasenbalg became new members of South Central Shamrock Club.

The nomination committee presented a slate of officers. President Mike Hickey; Vice President William Wilde; Secretary Mary Stieve; Treasurer Geri Kranz. A motion was made and seconded to accept this slate of officers.

The winners of the St. Patrick's party door prizes were Rita Thalmann, Bob Gavin, and Dorothy Coon.

Our meeting adjourned after some humorous Irish stories given by William Wilde.

Lafayette County

The Shamrock Club of Lafayette County would like to welcome three new members to our club. They are Bea Tooley, Isabel Doyle and Doris Hessling.

Our St. Patrick's Day raffle was very successful with ticket sales at $1146. This money will be used for community scholarship funds and events.

Election of officers was held at our May meeting with all current officers being reelected for a 1-year term. They are:

• President: Donna Douglas (Monroe)
• Vice President: Patti Leahy (Shullsburg)
• Secretary: Margie Keys (Darlington)
• Treasurer: Rachel Suthers (Darlington)
• Trustee: Colleen Leinberger (Darlington)
• Membership: Bev Mulcahey (Darlington)
• Sunshine: Eileen Wilhemson (Darlington)
• Historian: Liz Barth (Darlington)
• Sgt-at-Arms: Jerry Leahy (Shullsburg)

Canoe Fest at Darlington, June 11-13, will kick off the many parades and events that the Shamrock Club will participate in this year. Other parades that we are scheduled to be in are July 3 at Wiota, July 4 at Shullsburg, July 18 at Twin-O-Rama in Cassville, Sept. 6 Labor Day Parade in Gratiot and Benton, Sept. 25 Pumpkin Fest at Warren, Illinois, and December Christmas Parade in Darlington.

Our young "Irish Dancers" are always a crowd pleaser in the parades. We really appreciate how they take time from their busy schedules to take lessons, practice and perform. Hope you have a fun filled summer. See you at Irish Fest in August.

Dane County

There will be NO Regular Meeting in June, see below for details.

As our deadline for Emerald Reflections is May 10 and our regular May meeting is May 11, I am unable to give you the final results... the following are the Nominees which will be voted on at the regular meeting tomorrow night.

• President: Barbara Gallenberg
• Vice President: Bernard Gallenberg
• Secretary: Sheila O'Brien
• Treasurer: Eileen Heinricks
• Membership Chair: Eamon O'Brien
• Parliamentarian: Mary Hearn
• Sgt. at Arms: Don Stolen
• Trustees: Tom Darcey, Michael Brunet, Lee Tvedten

Our Raffle Drawing will also have been held at our May meeting, so at this time next month we will be able to tell you who the lucky person was who won a trip to Ireland!

Barbara Gallenberg and Mary Hearn are busy with plans for a June bus trip to Holy Hill and the surrounding Erin Township in Washington County. Erin Township is where the Irish immigrants settled in the 1800s because of the similarity of the area to their homeland. It is a beautiful and interesting area and I am sure it will be a delightful trip. As soon as the plans are finalized a post card will be sent to the members giving all the details for participation in this tour.

Correction:

The May issue listed the Milwaukee meeting entertainment as everything but Dave Rowe. Sorry, Dave. The article on Billy the Kid said that Agnes De Mille choreographed a ballet about him. It should have stated that Aaron Copeland wrote an orchestral piece with Billy as the title character.

Milwaukee President's Message

Results of the Board of Director's Election from voting at our May 6 meeting:

• President: Cate Harris
• Vice-President: Sue Dundon
• Secretary: Lisa Blake
• Treasurer: Sharon Murphy
• Membership Chair: Tom Smith
• Trustee: Bob Voss
• Sgt-at-Arms: Jean Cardwell
• Parliamentarian: Tom Blaha

Together with the continuing Trustees – Bob Hamill and Joe Hughes – and, myself as Past President, this is your Board of Directors for the term of July 1999 through June 2000.

You'll notice my intentional emphasis above, we are here to serve you, and we encourage and await your input and participation. Please, work hard with us as we guide this, our club, into its 40th year, into the new decade, into the new century, into the new millennium.

This year, we were blessed with a number of individuals who selflessly agreed to allow themselves to be nominated for various positions on the Board of Directors. We had a number of contested elections on the ballot as a result of these exceptional people. Personally, and on behalf of the Board and the entire Club, we sincerely give you our heartfelt gratitude for your dedication. It is truly people like you that keep us vibrant and energized and bring healthy, new perspectives to volunteer service.

You'll note also that two positions on this new Board are filled by honorees. Sue Dundon, our 1999 Irish Rose, moves from Parliamentarian to Vice President and Tom Blaha, our 1999 Irishman of the Year, joins the Board as the new Parliamentarian. These, obviously, are very special examples of tireless devotion. Once again proving that the basic reasoning and criteria utilized when they were nominated and selected as honorees was, not only well placed, but, also, exemplary.

Please plan to join us on Thursday evening, July 1 when we install your new Board of Directors and express our appreciation to the individuals completing their recent terms of service on the Board. Continuing a new tradition we began with last year's installation "dinner," the Board has decided to, again, have a more informal, comfortable, and pleasur- able social gathering. The barbecue format was well received last year and we hope and expect that even more of you will join us this year. Look for details elsewhere in this issue and be sure to give us timely notification that you will be present.

As per the requirements of the by-laws, I will be finishing my second full one-year term of office as your president on July 1. I will remain on the Board as your Past President. I have requested of your new President, Ms. Cate Harris, that she allow me to write to you one more time. She has graciously agreed. Therefore, my final column will be in next month's issue, (July 1999 Emerald Reflections). That column, as in my column of July 1998, will be dedicated to publishing my required "Annual Report of the President, 1998-99." That report is due to, and delivered to, the Board of Directors at their end-of-the-month, regular meeting every May – this year, it is on Thursday, May 27, 1999. It is a "State-of-the-Club" type of report which, I believe, should be provided to the entire membership. That is the reasoning behind publishing same in our monthly publication.

Color Guard News

The Shamrock Club, Color Guard Pipe & Drum will participate in the National Flag Day Foundation's 53rd annual observance of Flag Day. The event takes place at Waubeka, Wisconsin on Sunday, June 13, 1999 at noon. Festivities include: (a) a patriotic parade of more than 100 units [military bands, specialty bands, floats] (b) Americana Musical - a pageant honoring Wisconsin past, present, and future; (c) a family day consisting of fun events for the children [carriage rides, games and play areas], music by Rumor, food and drinks; (d) Americanism Center Museum - a display of patriotic memorabilia, local historic artifacts, Avenue of Flags, gift shop; free admission; and (e) Bartolotta fireworks display at dusk.

Other scheduled Color Guard appearances include:

June 27 — Kenosha, 2 p.m.

July 3-4 – Presentation Parade, Menomonee Falls, 7 p.m.

July 4 — Glendale, 10:30 a.m.

July 4 — Brown Deer, 1:30 p.m.

July 4 — Whitefish Bay, 2:30 p.m.

Oct. 16 — Sister Bay, Door County

Nov. 22 — Waukesha Christmas Parade

July 1, 1999 – ICHC

INSTALLATION DINNER RESERVATION

Name___________________________________________

Address_________________________________________

City/State/Zip_____________________________________

Day Phone_______________________________________

Evening Phone___________________________________

Please make checks payable to the
Shamrock Club of Wisconsin

Mail to: Jean Cardwell, 21445 W. Oakcrest Dr.,
New Berlin, WI 53146 by June 24, 1999

Shamrock Club
Fosters Irish Language

Recipients of the Shamrock Club's four $100 scholarships which enabled them to attend the Gaelic League's Irish language immersion weekend were among those pictured at the event (left to right): Teacher Ray Mc Mánais (Ireland); Teacher Dineen Grow (Madison); Teacher Jim Flanagan (Mississippi and Ireland); Student Catie Dineen-Natkin; Teacher Eoin Mac Con Uladh (Illinois); Student Jack Mason; Student John Shanahan; Teacher Barry O'Donovan (New York); Student Toby Hensel; President of the Gaelic League Seámus Kearney; Founder of Crabh Curtain of Conradh na Gaeilge John Gleeson.

By all accounts, Conradh Na Gaeilge's 5th Annual Gaeltacht Deireadh Seachtaine was a smashing success! The Irish language immersion weekend was held on May 7-9 at the beautiful Redemptorist Retreat Center near Oconomowoc Wisconsin. Irish culture and language enthusiasts traveled from across the nation and overseas to join in the merriment.

Thanks to the Shamrock Club, four students of the Irish language were awarded $100 scholarships, affording them the opportunity to study with and learn from these acclaimed scholars. The grateful students were Jack Mason, Toby Hensel, Kathleen Dineen-Natkin, and John Shanahan. Without the Shamrock Club's generous contribution of $400 these students may have missed a truly enriching experience. Other sponsors who made the event possible included Miller Brewing, The Irish Fest Foundation, Nash's Irish Castle and The Irish Trader.

State Events Calendar

The Shamrock Club has a new state-wide events calendar for Irish and Celtic events located at the club web site. It is: https://www.angelfire.com/wi/shamrockclubwisc/ page65.html To submit an event for consideration for this new calendar, mail to Shamrock Club Events Calendar, 2133 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53233, fax it to (414) 345-8805 or send e-mail to Shamrockclub @ hotmail.com.

Win a Trip to Ireland!

The Irish Tourist Board is promoting a competition for recreational writers. Entrants have to submit a story, experience or impression of Ireland, the Irish or what it means to be Irish. Open to all nationalities, ages, religions and origins, entrants may never have been to Ireland but have an experience or impression through friends, art, literature or the media. Three prize winners are chosen each month with the overall winner at the end of the year winning a Millennium trip to Ireland. The winning stories will be published on the Irish Tourist Board site, one of the busiest in Ireland:

http://www.ireland.travel.ie/soapbox/index.asp

We Need Your Thoughts

Do you have a talent for writing, photography, poetry? Emerald Reflections would like to consider your work (dealing with Irish subjects, of course) for publication. Each month we feature a front page story, a back page Irish photo, and when material is available poems for Donn's Poetry Corner. Editor, Bob Higgins, asks only that prose be factual, not fictional. Please send your articles and photos to: Robert Higgins, Editor; 517 S. Worthington Street, Apt. 11; Oconomowoc, WI 53066.

Irish Fest Scholarships Available

Milwaukee Irish Fest is proud to announce that there are two scholarships available for worthy participants. They are the Edward J Ward Music Scholarship and the Irish Cultural and Educational Grant. Applicants may be of any age or ethnic background, and need not be residents of the Milwaukee area. Information and applications can be obtained by writing to Milwaukee Irish Fest, 1532 Wauwatosa Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53213, or by calling the Irish Fest office at (414) 476-3378 during business hours

The Irish Cultural and Educational Grant shall be awarded twice a year, with $1000 available, with dispersal into smaller grant amounts. Money can be used for a variety of Irish cultural and educational projects. Applications are due at the end of November for the December grant. The Edward J Ward Music Scholarship is a $1000 yearly scholarship that is to be used for the study of Irish instrumental music or song. Applications are due at the end of July.

Mount Mary College
Offers Study in Dublin

Mount Mary College, 2900 N. Menomonee River Parkway, has entered into an articulation agreement with American College Dublin, Ireland. Applications are now being accepted for the fall 1999 semester, Aug. 13 - Dec. 17.

Students applying to the program should be in the second semester of their freshman year or in their sophomore, junior or senior year of college. They may apply for the fall, spring or summer semester and may earn up to 15 credit hours. A wide variety of course offerings is available. American College Dublin is particularly strong in the areas of psychology and international business.

Tuition and housing costs for the Mount Mary College at American College Dublin program are roughly comparable to tuition and housing costs at Mount Mary College. Two optional 10-day study tours are also available as part of the program, for an additional cost.

For information, please contact Toni Wulff in the International Center at Mount Mary College, 258-4810, ext. 368.

Concert to Remember
Irish Tenor John McCormack

A special concert paying tribute to the late, great Irish tenor John McCormack will be held at The Irish Fest Center on Sunday, June 13 at 3 p.m. Sponsored by the John J. Ward Jr. Irish Music Archives it will be held at the Irish Fest Center, 1532 Wauwatosa Ave., Wauwatosa. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the center, call 476-3378.

Well-known tenor Angelo Castronovo will sing a special program to honor McCormack, a singer of extraordinary gifts whose career brought him worldwide success in the 1920-40s. Castronovo studied in New York and performed extensively there before returning to Milwaukee. An Italian, he is a great admirer of McCormack, oft called the Irish Caruso.

The Ward Music Archive was set up to preserve and promote Irish music. It houses a collection of over 20,000 recordings, pieces of sheet music, song books, resource books and other music memorabilia ranging from the late 1890s to present. Donations of ten or more items entitle the donor to two free Irish Fest tickets for this year's festival, August 19-22

Sunday, August 29, 1999

FAMILY GOLF AND DINNER
OUTTING REGISTRATION

Please list the names in your party who will play golf; who will play golf and have dinner; and who want dinner only.

GOLF AND DINNER PACKAGE:

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

Please list preferred Tee Times. We will do the best we can to accommodate your requests.

(1)_______ (2)_______ (3)_______ (4)______

No.______ @ $30 each=_______

Tel.#________________________

GOLF ONLY:

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

Please list preferred Tee Times. We will do the best we can to accommodate your requests.

(1)_______ (2)_______ (3)_______ (4)______

No.______ @ $15 each=_______

Tel.#_________________________

DINNER ONLY:

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

No.______ @ $15 each=_______

Tel.#________________

(No "AT DOOR" payments / registration on day of event can be permitted, except for "Dinner Only" – Cost $20.)

TEE TIMES WILL BE BASED ON DATE
OF RECEIPT OF PAYMENT.

Make all checks payable to the
Shamrock Club of Wisconsin.

TOTAL ENCLOSED:

$________________________________

REGISTRATION ENDS AUGUST 15, 1999

Send your completed registration to
Richard Stover, 5326 W. Bluemound Rd.,
Milwaukee, WI 53208.

Please call (414) 774-9123 if you have any questions.

**Please include daytime ______________________ and

nighttime_______________________telephone numbers.

(You will be notified of your Tee Time August 19-22)

QUESTIONNAIRE
For FUTURE "Family/Members Golf,
Dinner Dance" Outings

1. Please suggest possible "Golf Courses"

(A)__________________________________

(B)__________________________________

(C)__________________________________

2. Please suggest possible Restaurants for the Dinner/Dance (after Golfing), or if you want the Dinner at the Course, "if available."

(A)__________________________________

(B)__________________________________

(C)__________________________________

3. Please circle the "Golf Format" you prefer:

(A) Family..... (B) Individual... (C) Best Ball... (D) Shot-Gun

4. Please circle "ALL" of the following you would be interested in having included in "Future" Outings:

(A) Golf "ONLY"......... (B) Dinner "Only"...
(C) Golf and Dinner Package
(D) Golf, Dinner and Cart Package
(E) Pull Cart............. (F) Motorized Cart
(G) Dancing (after Dinner)

5. Any additional thoughts, suggestions, ideas – would be most welcomed!! I want this to be "YOUR OUTING!!" If you need additional space to write please feel free to include a separate sheet of paper.

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

_______________________________________________

This is YOUR Family / Members Golf, Dinner / Dance Outing! COME – ENJOY – HAVE FUN!!

THANK YOU!! Richard Stover