L. W. Currey, Inc.

KINSEY, DON J. The water trail[.] The story of Owens Valley and the controversy surrounding the efforts of a great city to secure the water required to meet the needs of an ever-growing population. By Don J. Kinsey. Los Angeles: Department of Water and Power, City of Los Angeles, 1928. 17x12.3 cm, pp. [1-4] 5-39 [40], illustrations, original pictorial light blue wrappers printed in black, stapled. First edition. An apologist piece of propaganda issued by the City of Los Angeles in their attempt to play down the rape of the Owens Valley. The subject has been dealt with at length by Carey McWilliams, Morrow Mayo and Mike Davis. Not surprisingly, the city's response to the furor created in the Owens Valley by the underhanded theft of their water and the creation of the Los Angeles Aqueduct portrays Los Angeles city officials not as villains, but as reasonable men helping the defrauded Owens Valley residents (considerable space is devoted to the Waterson brothers, Owens Valley bankers who defrauded their local depositors). According to Kinsey, Owens Valley water was underutilized, "a portion of the river’s water was used upon the ranch lands of the Valley; the remainder, and the greater share, was wasted by the river as it emptied into Owens Lake." Furthermore, Kinsey remarks, the city has created jobs for the locals and it is rehabilitating the region's ranch land. Kinsey was solidly on the side of William Mulholland and the City of Los Angeles (thanks to Nat DesMarais for contributing to this note). A couple of very small spots on the front wrapper, bound a bit out of square, a very good copy. One copy reported by OCLC. (#170054).

Price: $225.00