The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-07-07
THE wATEa QUESTION,

~ AHOA6 lDAt AIE Isl kfATIE + NlII
eyerxbody doesn,t undsrst.nd xbv
Hence the object of the present article.
The scarcity of the valuable 6uid is the
result, primarily, of a dry summer. and
secondary. Of too many lakes and use-
less bitches. OF the dry summer. but
little can be said, inasmucb as it is the
fault Of no one-on earth-and human
agency was, and is, beyond the power
of influencing it in the smallest degree.
But Of the secondary cause. much can
be said.
In the first place the city has built a
new and large lake that has a miserable
ditch connecting it with Crow creek.
The object of the big lake has been to
store a great supply of water, SC that
in the dry season the irrigating of shade
trees could be continued. Now it SO
happens that the evaporation from the
big lake, according to one of the city's
officers, is immense, and a vast volume
Of water is absorbed daily from the
extremely broad surfaces exposed in
three lakes.
To make good this waste reonires a
wonderful amount of water. Then the
ditch leading to the big lake is almost
as bad as useless. because water seeps
through the sandy bottom. and also
eyaporates rapidly. The city autbori-
ties knew this. and vet tl,ey allowed
the water to 90 to waste in the attempt
to ill up the lakes.
Again. Notwithstanding the fact that
water has been scarce. Lake Minneha.
ba has b.en Allied To overfiowino Tn
deed. the statement was made. without
contradiction hat at the time the
water paye ont in the pipes lake Min.
nehaba was Overlooking at the southern
end.
At that time the I.rAprp rave warn
inc that there was M water in the
pipes to use in case of fire. and ttmAour
city was totally at The mercy of a con-
~aaqration. About that time. some
person broke the dam on Crow creek.
Right here it may be well to explain
that the said ditch is built for the pur-
pose OF throwing the water of the creek
into the ditch that supplies the lakes.
When thu water is low, as at present,
all of the water goes through the ditch,
except a little that seeps through the
dam. Hence when the dam was broken
it had the effect of supplying the city
pipes with water. and %insurinp means
of saving property in case of are.
OF course. after the dam was broken.
no water ran into the lakes. which was
a bad thing for a few trees about town.
Nor did Fort ID. A. Russell receiye its
usual quota of water. because the post
Is supplied ont of the same ditch. II
was then that certain city Off.
| cials represented to Gen. Bracket. the
| efficient commandant. that the people
Of the city were very anxious to have
| the watsr supply to the lakes kept up.
| with the intention. therefore. to bene-
at the city, Gen. Bracket lent his
| aid in repairing the dam. and also sta.
toned a guard over the dam 70 prevent
| apy further damage. He was assured
that this course would meet with the
hearty approval of the citizens.
The water supply to the pumps
was again cut off, and of course no
water was sent through the pipes, and
the CITY property was aeain in danger.
Still, the supply to the lakes was kept
up. 1t was then that Mr.. DYER, of the
city council, went out to the post and
stated the trne ~s,tuat,on IN Gen
Bracket. The general was very sorry
to learn that he had been doing lust
the reverse of what the people of the
city desired, but he acted in the best of
good faith, based upon certain represen.
tations made to him. That be erred, was
because he was misinformed. However.
he soon began to set things to rights
and, although the destruction of the
dam involved the loss of the trees in
the post. he said that the citv,s ~propertv
was paramount to any shade trees. and
he preferred the safety of the CITY to the
saving of his shade trees. The dam
was opened and the CITY pines have
been supplied with water ever since.
Gen. Brackett's kindness and magma.
nimity were properly appreciated by the
city council. which passed a resolution
No trouble at all about water would