Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1884-09-23
THE COLORADO KIVER-AN AP.
Preparation OF $4,000 FOR
Il IMP

The SENTINEL is in receipt OF the fol
lowing communication which we give to-
gether with the information asked for:
Ell DORADO CANYON, Lincoln Co., New,
Sept. 10, 1884.
EDITOR SENTINEL: Is it not true that
an appropriation of S25, 900 was made in
the late session of Congress for the
Improvement of the Colorado river 1t
is my recollection that l saw such an
item in a Washington press dispatch CIV
ing a list of the appropriations carried IN
the River and Harbor bill for the Pacific
Coast. The matter is one of considera-
BILE interest to this section Of Nevada,
and hence | ask for information on the
subject. By replying to this inquiry
you will greatly oblige very respectfully,
w. S. c.
On receipt of the above letter We pro-
ceeded to interview Representative
Cassidy in relation to the matter. Our
correspondent is correct in the premises.
We gathered from Mr.. Cassidy the fol-
lowing facts on the subject: In 1878
Lieut.. Payson, of the Engineering Corps
of the Army, made a survey of the Colo
RADIO river. He reported that the river
was n~avigable for along distance, but
utterly condemned the commerce, saying
in fact that there was practically no com
MERGE worthy of the name. In this re-
gard the report of Lieut.. Payson was
~outrageously unfair and travelled far out
of its way. But it had its weight on the
minds OF the Eastern Congressman in
charge of the River and Harbor bill. In
the Forty-seventh Congress Mr.. Cassidy
tried to get an appropriation for
the Colorado river, but failed,
owing to the biased report of
Lieut.. Payson. He again renewed his
efforts in the present, or Forty-eighth
Congress, asking for Sl25, 900. Lieut..
Payson had reported that four bars
could be removed from the rivir at an
estimated cost of S96, 900, which, how
ever, he went on to say would be worse
than a useless expenditure of the public
funds, for the reason, as he alleged, that
there was no on the river to
be accommodated. Mr.. Cassidy was
confronted with this adverse report at
the late session of Congress, but he put
his word against that of Lieut.. Payson,
declaring that the river was navigable for
more than 300 miles, and that with the
removal Of the bars in question the pres
ent large and or owing business would be
Immediately benefited and enlarged. He
further maintained that the improved
navigation of the Colorado was of the
very first Importance to the whole of
Southeastern Nevada and Northern Ari-
IONA. The committee finally yielded to
his demand and agreed to begin at once
the work of putting the river in thorough
order. This last River and Harbor bill
was constructed on a basis of % per cent
Of the estimated cost of all proposed i'm.
provements. On this basis the Colorado
river was entitled to one.fourth of $780,
600, or S24, 900. The committee kindly
consented to the round sum of $25, 900.
The appropriation passed both Houses as
it came from the committee and is to-
day the law. 1t was the theory of the
committee that these appropriations
should be continued, from year to year,
until the whole work should be com.
pleted. 1t may be stated in this connec-
tion that this is the first and only appro-
priation ever made by Congress for any
internal improvement in the State of
Nevada.