Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-09-30
MExICo'S ABSURD CLAIM.
Wants Twenty-Five Millions for En-
Croachments Upon Her Territory.

Wants Twenty-Five Millions for En-
Croachments Upon Her Territory.
Along no inconsiderable portion OF
its course the Rio Grande constitutes
the international boundary between
the United States and Mexico. Until
within q few years the Rio Grande
served the purposes of boundary line
very creditably and satisfactorily, but
recently the settlers in Colorado and
New Mexico away up stream) have
taken so much water out Of the river
for the purposes of irrigation that the
old boundary line becomes obliterated
during the dry season, and this has
made so much trouble for the Mexicans
that their government claims of the
United States $22,000,000 damages.
The circumstances upon which they
base this heavy claim for damages may
be briefly summed up as follows: From
the neighborhood Of Ell Paso, extend
ing about ninety miles down the river,
there is a valley about fifteen miles
wide, and since the river has got into
the habit of going dry every summer
1t has cut many different and widely
diverging channels with the advent of
flood water. In this way the interna-
tional boundary has been practically
obliterated as far as this valley, fifteen
miles wide and ninety miles long, Is
concerned. This has led to endless
complications as to national jurisdic-
tio1, and finally to condition Of utter
lawlessness. In addition to this, the
Mexicans claim that for some 200 years
they have been cultiyating the lands
of this valley ON their side of the boun-
dairy which were made very fertile and
productive by irrigation from the wat
ers of the Rio Grande, but since the
river has been systematically and con-
tinuously robbed of its waters by the
American settlers of Colorado and New
Mexico, just at the season when the
water was needed for irrigation, this
valley below Ell Paso has become a
sterile desert, absolutely worthless for
agricultural purposes. They claim that
the Mexicans have prior claim to the
water of the Rio Grande, as they were
using 1t for purposes Of irrigation 200
years ago, but now they have been rob-
bed not only Of the water, but of the
international boundary line, and, In
directly, of law and order in the valley
referred to.
In view of all this they set up claim
for $22 100000 damages, but they also
propose the terms of compromise. The
proposal is that the United States
should build what has lately figured in
the news of the day as the "lnterna-
tional DAM" This dam will Of built)
be located about two and one-half miles
above Ell Paso, where the heights which
inclose the canyon-like valley of the
Rio Grande just above Ell Paso con-
verge so nearly that q dam 600 feet
long will connect them. This dam, to
serve the purpose for which 1t has been
designed, should be 900 feet long and
about 70 feet high, and will, when
completed, cost about 100000. Such
a dam will, it is estimated, create an
immense reservoir fifteen miles long
Dy four miles wide, or about four times
as large as any artificial reservoir now
in existence. This will hold all the
surplus water of the Rio Grande at
food time, and this accumulation will
not only be ample for irrigation Of the
arid lands in the valley below 1t on
both sides of the boundary. but furnish
supply of water sufficient to hold the
channel Of the river through the dry
season. In this way the demands Of
the Mexicans for damages can be sat
isfied, the international boundary main
taiued, law and order restored in that
valley below Ell Paso, and the lands
on the American MS well as the Mexi-
can side of the valley furnished with
an ample supply Of water for purposes
of rrigation.-Buffalo Express.