The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-04-04
LAST CHANCE.
SALT LAKE CRY, April 8, 1880.

SALT LAKE. Cry, April 8, 1880.
Editors Herald:
As this is the last chance to cay
anything ia favor of the canal before
the vote comes of. I feel inclined tc
say q word about the canal. not about
the borrowing specially.
Some favor reservoirs instead OF the
canal. l do not. Am l in favor oil
reservoirs? Yes. Am l in favor Of
pumping water? Yes. Am l in favor
OF canal from the Jordan? Yes. ]
am in favor OF any reasonably prac-
ticable means OF increasing the daily
available water supply. But first /
am in favor of the most pressing
means, and that is the canal.
Pumping can be resorted to at any
time desired. So can the digging Of
local reservoirs. But the canal must
be dug now or never. In the Utah
Lake there is plenty of water. Thence
to this city the typographical decllne-
ton ia sGch as to give plenty OF fall,
and there are no insurmountable
difficulties anyhow. A local reservoir
is very Objectionable, unless made alb
soluteIy safe. This can be done on
the bench in the valley. but whether
it can in a csnon depends upon
several considerations. 1t is seldom
there is room enough on fiat piece
of ground away from the creek. As
to damming up any ravine or the
bed of the ere K, it would be very
bad policy because exceedingly dan
Rerous. / believe and say reservoirs
are practicable, because it is the
simplest thing in the world to make
a hole in high ground and run water
into the hole, where there Is any water
available, and that is the sort OF
reservoir l should sdvocate-one that
could not give way and devastate
the land below, one with no
give of tina: kind in it 10 any
case or under any circumstances.
The canal was thought OF and
talked OF from the first settlement OF
the county, but not commenced IN
til very recently, as its necessity was
not so obvious until the drouth OF last
year. 1t should have been started
ong ago, and progressed with regu.
srlty and persistency every year for
3 series of years until finished. Tina,
could have been done without dett,
butit was not done at all. Hence
the necessity OF digging the canal
right away to make good the right.
and hence the necessity of the debt
for the early construction OF the
canal.
The canal will be mainly for irri-
CATION, and water fer irrigation is all
the better if it is neither pure nor
cold. For pipes ard for drinking
aud culinary purposes, the water
rom the local creeks and from good |
wells will no doubt be far preferable |
% ttai in the canal, though it is |
that the canal water will |
eidom, If ever, be as muddy as thai
which runs down Red Butte in a
reshet. The current in the canal !
Fill not be slow, except at this end.
1t seems 10 me impraclicable to
Utilize tee canal for boating freight
md for irrigation also, unless the
,ansl is made on a scale much larger
han the city can afford 10 pay for at
present. If the canal is made large
enough to contain q sufficient body
Il water to supply irrigation demands
nd keep several feet depth of water
till in the canal, then it can be used
Dr the two purposes. But look at
be expenses OF making a canal of
UGH capacity, locks included.
Now, Messrs. Editors, permit me
o say to your many readers that We
night quit csrping, all of US who
ave INDUCED in it, and hold up the
ands of the City Council in their
ndeavors to do something for the
ommon good. No doubt they will
o as well as they know how in this
7ater business. Besides some of US
oters might become city fathers yet,
nd in that case We should Wish We
lad done TO others as We would like
hem 10 do 10 Us.
CANALS.