Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1896-01-18
EMBATTLED FARMERS,
RanIhmcn Taking rorclb'e Possession OF
CompanJ'S Ditch.
WATER WAR IN ARIZONA

There ls a water war ul hig proportions
raging at Florence, \, T.. aud from the
lhTulN Republican w. take the follow.
INK account ~ II
10 repeat the history ~ the Florence
canal would l." tale tur long to tell.
The waterway lrAd- from below thu
hutt,s, q duIrn mile, east ~ Florence,
un III, hilt fnrr, down H. the town and
,lwrc" IN upon the desert. ont to KENT.
worth, and then IA a great storage trset.
NuIr FROM th" reservoir l. fed -ubur.
luI,tr ditch that lfngatc, III" land lllng
about Ni1ula ana ,a-a utandr stations
"u the southern Pacific railway.
III" main canal Wa. originally H..
signed tu carry about 25u'u miners
iurh1' 1t water, lut 1t I, ~ rfrked ~
IA ram horn AMI ~ The -Iighl,.t ptucti.
tlrahl' gradient aui with wears of neg.
beet Ia, Isl" hllui up that perhaps u nth
Ut ia" original r-tlmat" would now lr
nearer the Truth In thu canal lies the
rtu-" ~ At least the main rau,,. Tor the
.MguItI"u ~ Florence AMI " the van.
drtlulIN 'rtIl" and ht extending farm.
,ug region thr canal IL -upyr..d Ia itr,.
gate.
lhr canal had 4 great future mapp,d
out hnlorr It. and Il" who Hrd secured
hud uu.,rr 1t iud = water night thought
himself iuurrd 10y fprtuur ~ high de-.
gr"" lul litigation tro-" over the bonds
ui the rduAl, the river rau for year. at it,
lowest rhh, AMI IN" hitch after -rurr- "
Nw .ults passed through several hands.
tll nov n"ulmallN owned l., the casa
rlhnd" VALLEY lanai company. This
company, Designating all prior con.
tracts, Is -ad tu have madr II water con.
sumner aNactlon- that the, cannot stand.
Il'uc" the war. nni u pretty kettle ~ tl-h
t. fry
l'r water consumers tp,k fufrihlr pas.
s'--i"n ~ the canal, elrrtrd the IAN.
J"ro and fer u few days, I" their entire
satisfaction, kept the canal bank full and
irrigated ~ thcN had not for wears Hut
the company cam" bach" AT them and
~ u result a number uf the most ptomi-
nrnt citizens II r.ual county were ar.
rrstrd tur riot
I'll" main complaints are against the
following named u. e. stevens one ~
III" most highly RESPECTED men II All.
lrui. owner IT the ta~a Gtandr stage
lines. ANA heretofore supervise and treas.
ur"r Of hl- county and uuw probate Judge,
W \ Iflcc, "u" ~ the most extensive
taachrr- AMI cattle feeders Ia Arizona;
\. +. lurkrt, the principal mcrchrnt and
nuW chairman II the board n supeTNis-
or~, W II lunrtgan. u solid citizen and
u member " the board " suprryisors: q.
II, tarIHn,rr, ia" retiring postmaster:
j. :. SniT"u, an ATTORNEY aud candidate
Al the last election for the office " dis
trlct attorney, ", r. ,"nper, IA practic-
ing attorney aud lately editor II the Flor
rncr Tribune, j. J. Frazier. u we'll known
cittlcnIan. -orgrAnt-at arms II the last
legislative council. AMI deputy sheriff
ot final county VI. VI. Hickey. Tor many
Years "A pcar. officer 81 Florence: Tom
Jones rha- turnian AMI Frank Hopkins,
ratrlrmrn aud ranchrt~. There are
"th"r~, lut against none II all
tho~r arrested has rNri before been
laid u charge " breaking the law, They
have retained Judge j. II, kihhry him.
self an old rltlzrn II Florence. Ia defend
them aud the war has been carried into
the courts.
Nv Ithuut reference Ia III" equities ur
law Of the ca~r II II plain a. see upon
which side. considering the character ~
the men arrested. llr the -ympathirs II
tkr I"uplr ~ III" county. There Is re-
parted from Florence much suppressed
rNci,rmrut Nut r"ol heads are directing
matters and h"I" that Vet the water mud
die ma, l." rl'arrd AMI the valley aud
,"wn started "n n" night AMI direct way
tu peaceful prosperity.