Water law Mathews became known as "one of the outstanding
water law attorneys of the
West". when he was associated with
LeCompte Davis and later with
Thomas J. Curran. It was under the direction of Mr. Mathews that the city consummated the purchase of the City Water Company, a step that started the city on its long march toward obtaining an adequate water supply. He also directed the legal battle that resulted in the city acquiring the right to the water in the
Los Angeles River. He bore the brunt of the legal work in the city's water development program in the
Owens Valley . . . . but in August he dropped out because, he said, the committee in charge had not allowed enough time for campaigning. ==Legacy==