Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-03-20
DITCH WATER
Is What is Going to Help this
Locality on to Its
Feet.
A Review of the Status of the
Miles City Ditch
Co.
THE DITCH COMPANY.
Election of Onicers and Outlook for the
Future,

Election Of Oficers and Outlook for the
Future.
The annual election of the stock
holders of the Miles City Irrigating
and Ditch Co., which was held ON
Monday afternoon In this city, result
ed in the election Of the following:
w. B. Jordan. president; Wm. Courte-
nay, vice president; E. B. Weirick,
treasurer; H. B. Wiley, secretary.
Board Of trustees, w. B. Jordan, VIM.
Courtenay and T. ]. Bryan. A ma
jorlty of the stock was represented.
After the election was concluded q
discussion Of the future intentions and
wishes of the company was INDUCED
in. to which the JOURNAL reporter
was invited. From what was said II
was learned that 1t was the desire Of
the company to complete the ditch TO
Buffalo Rapids this season, and that 1t
was essential TO do this before the en-
terprise could be considered 10 on a
solid basis, for the reason that the
land lying under the present COM
pleted portion or the ditch down to
the reservoir is In the narrow part OF
the river bottom, which 10 very linn
tied in extent and sparsely settled,
while from the reservoir down to the
terminus at the rapids. the valley
widens our to four or five miles. and lie
much more thickly settled. With the
ditch finished from the present ter
minus to the rapids very large area
of arabic lands would be brought i'm
mediately under Its water service. and
a revenue assured for II. To complete
this extension the sum of $40, 900 is re-
quired and from the statement made
by Mr.. Jordan. there is no place 70
look for ii but In Miles City. A little
more than half Of the capital stock OF
the company is now held by outside
parties who have no other interests
here and went into the ditch enter
prise as an investment. The little
less than half of the stock that is
owned by Miles City parties is owned,
two-thirds of it, by the Leighton 1
Jordan interest, and the remainder by
five or six other Of our people, go that
outside OF the Leighton & Jordan
holding, but one-sixth Of the stock Il
held or owned In Miles City. The
foreign stockholders know that the
ompletiop of the ditch must be ol
great benefit to Miles City, and grant
ing this they cannot understand why
our people have been 90 chary oI
extending the enterprise any material
encouragement. The stock that these
outsiders hold is all paid up and there
fore -assessable for Improvements
or extensions, and when interviewed
on the subject of further investmen,
for the purpose Of extending the ditch
they, with remarkable unanimity
say: "When your town comes for
ward and does something toward thif
extension that is to benefit 1t 81
largely, we may talk about taking
some more stock. but under the cir
cumstances we feel that we are IL
enough" Such q declaration SEEM
to be perfectly natural, though
more forcible in theory than In reality
for the reason that the past two gear
have been extremely rocky with Mile
City people, and there has been n
money to spare for the most meritorl
GUS enterprises, Of which unquestion
ably the ditch Is one. We are nov
however, believed to be entering upo
period Of prosperity induced by bot
,ocal conditions and conditions at larg
and IL does seem thatit would be wis
measure for those who can afford .
TO take some stock In the ditch CON
pany. The argument Of the benefit
TO be derived from the completion ,
the work. is so generally concede
as 10 waive repetition, but from th
statements mace by Mr.. Jordan
win be impossible to raise the none
to complete the work, unless Mil'
through its citizens, goes into th
scheme In q money sense. II 10 dos
many OF the foreign stockholdel
stand ready 10 take new stock, ana u
money will thus be raised to finish 70
ditch. This 10 q matter that is OF 70
gravest Importance TO all. The di'c
has already halted and hitched In !
construction too long. with u
work done last year and the propose
extension this year, IL eau be made
valuable sdjunct to our psosperit
but ifitis allowed TO remain unflnish'
|. for another year or two, all u
has been done will lapse into ruin q
p decay and what under other oircu'