Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-05-03
MORE DAM TALK.
A Valley Farmer Registers a Kick
Personal Interest First.


- M
From the FL Paso Times.
It has been learned here by private let.
ter that a treaty at the instance Of Old
Mexico is about to be presented to the
American congress, providing that no
waters bs diverted from the Rio Grande
and its tributaries in New Mexico, for any
purpose whatever. This Is done, OF course,
in the Interest of the International dam at
lei Pnso, anddt would work untold harm
TO this Territory, where an OF
water for all purposes is the very life OF
the country. The matter Is now In the
hands of the state department and
Delegate Ferguson is said to have al
ready taken the all-important matter
up with Secretary John Sherman
OPTIC.
The above was innocently published
in the Herald, and it gives a false i'm
preston that is hurlful to FL Paso and
her people. There is a treaty pending
between the United States and Mexico
for the equitable distribution OF the
waters of the Rio Grande, and the
people of Ell Paso asked for the ap-
pointment of that commission before
they knew anything about the English
syndicate hat was to build a dam al
| Elephant Bate to irrigate lands owned
oy the syndicate. The men who are
interested in that dam are men wit
have bought land IN the valley above
Ell Paso.
Now for some facts: When Repre-
sentative Ferguson of New Mexico
was informed of the International dam
project. he was at the same time mott
lied by Colonel Arson Mills that thu
international dam was for the purpose
of giving an honest and equitable dis
tribution of the waters of the river u
those people who enjoy riparian rights
But in the face OF this honest statemen
of facts the Elephant Butte people is
sued q prospectus declaring they woult
take all Of the waters in the Rio Grande
They promise also to distribute thl
waters equItably to consumers in Mex
leo and the United States; and ever
man with brains enough to get out of
shower knows they cannot supply tn
valley above and deliver twenty gallon
of water in Ell Paso, not to mentio
forty miles Of land to be irrigated afte
leaving Ell Paso. But the Ell Pasoan
interested in the Elephant Butte dan
have their property above this city ant
they want it to pay them. Conse
q%uently they have plenty of cheek u
ask Ell Pasoans to sign petitions TO
their dam, and the FL Pasoans being
accommodating people sign everything
THAT does not cost them anything.
The prospectus OF the Elephant Butt
dam company declares that they will
take ALL of the water in the Rio Grande
And vet Ell Pasoans sit up here an'
smile at the proposition and say that /
will not hurt Ell Paso. Probably one Q
these signers of the Selden dam wouI'
vet get up and apologize to the thu
who had sandbagged him.
"Say," said a government official
yesterday, 81 wish you would puplisl
the names of those men who are try
ing to do up Ell Paso. ! will give yol
the names of each of them il you vii
publish them"
One OF the Elephant Butte dan
stockholders said last night that b
was not to blame if the English syndi
cate had promised to take all the waite
IN the Rio Grande; that was a question
the English b~ondholders would have Il
settle with their own people, The,
claim that the Selden dam will not il
the leas. interfere with tho flow o
water for the international dam.
A KICK FRoM THE VALLEY.
The following communication is
little delayed, but it explains itself
To the Editor of the Times
YsLETA. April 14.-In looking over al
Ell Paso morning paper I noticed a petition
signed by most of your principal bushes
men, in favor of the dam to be built II
New Mexico. Can 0 name one OF tn
signers to said petition that ever done an,
irrigation, especially In this county? / an
here in this town (Farmington) for owe
twenty five years and have farmed it most
" every year and we ave never hal
enough water to raise a good crop in tn
last seven OF eight years. Why? Becaus
too many canals have been opened abov
TEL Paso and with the present dam at Ele
plant Butte and the ore at Selden, the
goodbye to this part of the county. an
surprised that 81 Paso business men shoul'
work against us farmers and f~ruit-raiser
of the valley. If we a a dollar it goe
to Ell Paso, but IL dams and canals keel
building above US, then we might as wei
pack np and leave the county. Why di'
not the parties como down the valley an,
see us here. We could have told then
different. If you think this worth pub
fishing you are at liberty to do SO.
Very respectfully,
A. g. BoULET.
Now, there are hundreds Of people
down the valley who assert that thei
homes will be ruined If the Elephan
Butte dam is built. But on the othel
hand the projectors Of that dam con
tend that they will be able to break al
western records and denver waite no
only in FL Paso, but in the valley be
low, in sufficient quantity to make thI
valley q beautiful garden. II that cal
, be done. then Mr.. Boulet's kick is use
less. However, people who hav'
watched water creep across the sand
OF this desert say that the Selden com
papy cannot get 100 gallons Of wase'
per day to El Paso II 1t attempts x
supply the valley above.