We already possess, in the artesian well, the means of converting unfertile wastes into rich corn fields;and what unknown forces may not yet be hidden in the interior of the earth?
In the early 20th century, the United States had expanded from coast to coast, but many cities in the arid southwest still lacked reliable water sources.
In the 1840's, California was almost uninhabited. There were a few Spanish missions, some ranchers and farmers, and of course, bandits who stole anything they could find.