The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1894-01-06
Big DITCH ENTERPRISE,
The Farmers to Organize the
Company,
COMMEMORATE PROJECT,
A Rousing Meeting Surveying Party
in the Field-Other Notes.
COMMEMORATE PROJECT,

The ditch meeting advertised In last
weeks INDEX was grand success, con.
sidering the limited notice given, In
this connection. before giving report
of the meeting. we might as we'll 70
iuto details as to the origin Of this
movement
For many years. first one and then
another company Of foreign capitalists
have been telling the people Of this COM
muniiy about ever so often that In IA few
days they would commence active"
operations ON a canal to lrrlgate the arid
lands in this vicinity, and none af their
companies, with one exception. have
ever done anything more substantial
than TO file on two or three hundred
thousand inches Of the unapprupriated
water in the Payptte. and parade up and
down the columns of some newspaper.
narrating at great length what they
intended to do with it. Their intentions.
perhaps, were all right. but unfortunately
iltIf of'ulo W nav alN ~ = R''li ~ NUN
somewhere along the line and they were
unable to carry them into effect Perhaps
some Of these movements were made in
good faith. but it is pretty generally
conceded fact that the main incentive
with most Of them was TO obtain val
liable water right. by the taking. and
sell it ont to some other corporation who
COULD take out the water and arrange
to have the poor devil Of farmer pay
them back this unnecessary expenditure
with good interest along with his annual
water rent. It is in this respect matter
of congraiulation that the ditch. under
snch al unhappy arrangement. has never
materiallzed. But thc opportunity 10
take out the ditch is not gone. neither
has the enterprise lost any of its merits
by these failures. In fact il would be-
much more profitable Investment to-day
than ten wears ago. In the full glare Of
the light of these facts party consisting
of Hon. II. A. Cowden, Z. X Hayes.
Park Wardwell, William Cowden. John
Carter. Adam Steinbower. and Eugene
Lorton, made up wagon load and
walked up to the Black canyon, some
three weeks ago. To view the scene OF SO
many busted schemes. and on the road
home met Dan Richards. with whom
the plan of taking out small ditch To
irrigaie the land on this side of the river
along the foothills east Of Emmett. was
briefly discussed. and il was decided to
call meeting of those directly Interested
TO talk over the project A few days
passed by before the call was issued
and in the meantime the idea to include
the settlement on the bench north Of the
river. took root. with the result that this
was finally done. and thus was born the
largest. most beneficial and extensive
canal enterprise ever contemplated by
the broad-minded. enterprising citizens
of the upper Payette valley, in the suc-
cessful consummation of which all south
western Idaho are either directly or in
directly Interested. Let us hope that IL
will be- the nucleous around which will
center and gravitate all the benefits
which its promoters anticipate
THE MEETING.
BY actual count ninety-two OF the
sturdy farmers and business men OF
Emmett were present and lent their in.
fiuence 10 the success of the delibera.
lions. and others who could not come
sent letters Of regret. giving assurance
that they were there in spirit.
X. \. Cowden was elected Chairman,
and Finley Monroe Secretary. The chair
man proceeded TO explain the objects Of
the meeting after which general dis.
cussiou Of the matter followed Every
one expressed deep and sincere interest
in the project. and to use a trite old ex-
preston. ''were right in forit." Nothing
definite could be- done towards organizing
a company until some reliable estimate
Of the probable cost of the ditch could
be had. and arrangements were promptly
made with the well-known civil engineer,
Edward Hedden. who. by previous ar
rangement. was present. to make a pre-.
liminary survey. The meeting lasted
for three hours and the house was
crowded when adjourned. The speaches
were all pretty much along the same
trend and showed that there was no
Imkewarmness or feeling Of indifference.
One Of the old pioneers who helped take
out the Last Chance Ditch, representa-
lively remarked; eve struggled along
ard built that ditch when none Of ms had
ANYTHING 10 speak oil; had hardly enough
to eat. and had 10 go over 10 Boise valley
and buy hay for our teams. d half Ton
at time. couldn't buy any more and