Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-06-24

GREELEY CoLoRADo TERRITORY.
June 18th, 1873
Irrigation, in its legal aspects, is business as
yet only imperfectly understood by the pres
ent settlers of Union Colony and the TIE ritory
as we'll as by the former law-givers of Colorado
This is unfortunate, for those husbandman-
colonies, settled and preparing to settle here ;
nd bad for the best interests Of the Territory
The trainers of our present statutes seem to
have had but two obje cts in view, when legisla
ting on irrigation I; namely-To provide charters
for stock companies to run and maintai main
bitches and sell water and to give to individuals
the right to construct bitches from natural
streams, for private uses, across the premises
of adj AGENT and often opposing landowners.
Although this law was thought to thoroughly
cover the whole needs embraced in the subject
of irrigation. yet for q combined and organized
settlement, like ours and othors. it has been
found inadequate.
Union Colony is q chartered ditch company
its members owning and controlling, not only
the two principal irrigating canals, (pracically
covering an area OF more than 10000 acres OF
ground) described in its charter; but, also, most
OF the land under them. Now all went well
enough among these double joint owners of land
and water, until we came to the construction of
lateral bitches, for the distribution OF the water
from the main canals. Suddenly some one in
the Colony objected to having his land cut up
by latsras. Search of the statutes for authority
to force him, revealed the fact that ours was
case that had apparently never entered into the
calculations of the lawmakers of Colorado. To
| remedy this state of affairs the Legislature at
its last session. was pettioned for a new law ON
the subject of bitches and irrigation, But delay
in preparing an outline draft of a bill, and get
ting it up to Denver, and ready for presentation
hindered its passage till the session was just
closing. However, the bill was passed without
| an opposing vote, and would have become law
had not Gov. McOook failed to sign it-thus by
4atlu lltV,r
of almost incaIculable Importance to the people
at present living within our borders. To ag-
gravate matters, our Legislature does not con-
vene again before the present coming winter its
sessions being held hi-ennially. And whether
it shall meet then depends on whether Congress-
will vote the necessary funds to defray tue OK
pense. We hope it may. but greatly fear it may
not. Meantime few OF us have wisely taken
advantage of general Constitutional Right and
secured to ourselves, by contract, or lease OF
right of way, all the water we can use. Before
closing these paragraphs on irrigation in Colo
RADIO, allow me to say in justice to ourselves,
tnat the founders of this colony seemed to have
had no proper idea of the wants and difficulties
likely to arse. and that would inevitably have to
be encountered in bringing colony out into
wilderness, thousand miles beyond the con-
fines of Civilization. To the un iring energy and
native intelligence of the members of Union
Colony, is our present merited success alone at
tributable.
A word now, about our experiment in founding
and maintaining ourselves as a Temperance COM
munity among the rough aud rabd advocates of
the Liquor Dynasty, ,fonnd here. Drunkenness or
rather whiskey selling, is legalized licensed in
s'itution under Colorado law and bitterly and
at ibbornly does the.whiskey interest contest our
right to be a temperance people. In former let
tiers. think l have detailed few of our trials
in this effort. Recently another and determin-
edly vigorous assault was made on our ayowed
resolution not to tolerate liquor-sellers in our
midst. A low, mischievous fellow, named Far
ris native O, Vermont, and quite likely tool
of the Denver Whiskey hing, who hate both us
and our principles bought out a home
steader's claim, aud opened groggery inside
the Colony bounds. Former and costly expert
ence had taught this Ring that their business
could not be safely carried on, on land that Union
Colony had had the giving the title. "a clause
contained in all our deeds effectually inhibits
lquor selling.) Now, however, through their
lieutenant, Farris, they boasted they had
beaten us and that heneeforth they were mas
ters of the situation. Our people coaxed and
then expostulated with Farris begging him not
to attempt to prosecute his trade within our
bounds that it was repugnant to our sense of
morality, and prejudicial to the good order and
prosperity OF society but all in vain. Whiskey
he had cone to sell, and whiskey he would sell.
He had friends. Very we'll then I; you and your
friends must take the consequences. Hostilities
were shortly opened by some ''person or per-
spos" causing the contents of a fresh barrel of
whiskey to mysteriously leak out, before it had
reached the said Farris' establishment.
Nothing daunted, another barrel was
obtained and taken safely to its destination, and
some weak ones made drunk. What follows
relate as it was told to me. 1t seems Farris
went from home one afternoon and, on return
| ing late at night, found his liquor all spilled,
| decanters, &c, smashed to fragments, and a
| placard informing him il he was found there
again, making folks drunk, that he would swing
| from the end of a rope, the other end Of which
would be attached to the limb of near and tall
cottonwood tree. Not liking this state of affairs
he next day put his property into the hands
of two real estate agents in Greeley, and left for
parts unknown. w. Il.