The Rain Wizard: The Amazing, Mysterious, True Life of Charles Mallory Hatfield

The Rain Wizard: The Amazing, Mysterious, True Life of Charles Mallory Hatfield — page 5
during the past 43 years Considering the city’s rainfall totals the article wasn't exactly accurate However the San Diego Union and its sister newspaper the Evening Tribune were owned by John D Spreckels At one time or another he counted among his local holdings large swaths of real estate the city’s electric street railway system the Southern California Mountain Water Company which built Morena Reservoir and was the city's largest privately owned utility until he sold it to the city for 4 million in 1914 and several downtown buildings A millionaire many times over and son of Claus Spreckels who had made a fortune in sugar John Spreckels didn't hesitate to use his newspapers to promote his views and for his own financial gain Spreckels was one of two of the most prominent and powerful businessmen in San Diego The other was Elisha Babcock who owned four thousand acres of oceanfront property and built along with Spreckels the city’s grandest hotel the Hotel del Coronado Spreckels's views and his newspapers opinions were always considered by local politicians Both Spreckels and Babcock knew there was money to be made if only San Diego had water and lots of it and talk of drought was one way to spur the city's political leaders to look for sources other than those already in use Almost immediately Shelley Higgins the assistant city attorney echoed the Union saying the water supply