The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-01-12
Canal Companies Protest Against
Lamson's Appropriations.
MUCH FEELING DEVELOPED
CLAIMS WILL BE OPPOSED TO
THE BITTER END.
Lamson's Present Claim Based On a
Law Passed at the Late Session of
the Legislature-The Canal Com
panies Give Formal Notice of
Their Opposition.

A storm is about to burst over the
head of Allan G.. Lamson, who, a few
weeks ago, entered a sensational claim
to oae-sixth of the waters of Jordan
| Narrows, in conflict with the interests
of the local canal companies.
Several prominent representatives OF
the largest canal companies which use
the waters of the Jordan at that point,
met yesterday in the Office of Attor-
| neys Ferguson and Cannon, at the
| Templeton, and entered a vehement
protest against Lamson's alleged en-
croachments They are much incensed
at the step Lamson has taken, and Will
throw into the conflict all the capital
at their combined control to bring
about his overthrow.
| The meeting yesterday was ATTENDED
by the presidents of the East Jordan
Irrigation company, the Utah and Salt
Lake Canal company, the South Jordan
| Canal company, the North Jordan Ca
nal company, and WatermaSter Z. III.
Wilcken, representing Salt Lakes inter-
ests, as well as by several others inter-
ested in Lamson's operations.
A VIGOROUS DENUNCIATION.
Mr.. Lamson, who represents the Salt
Lake City Water & Electric Power COM
pany, received from the meeting OF IT.
rigation men a vigorous denunciation,
which was accompanied by written
notice, stating that they will contest
any further manipulation of the waters,
| and that his operations Will be opposed
| to the bitter end.
The scope of Mr.. Lamson's scheme
for the handling of Jordan Narrows
waters has been enlarged since it was
first launched some months ago, and If
lis present purpose of appropriaung
| the waters Of the river were realized,
| the interest of all the local irrigation
and canal companies would be jeoDar-
died. Lamson's notice of apDropria-
ton, which was published in The Her
aid, is expressly adverse to the interests
of Salt Lake and several of the COM
panies 1t says:
THAT as to the natural f1owage of
said river, this appropria ton hereby
recognizes the right of the East Jordan
Canal company, the South Jordan Canal
company and the city of Salt Lake, to
the extent of one-sixth of, in and TO the
natural unimpeded flow of said Jordan
river, provided the said canal COM
panies and the said city have actually
acquired by appropriation and use
vested right in not to exceed one-slXth
each of, in and to the said unimpeded
natural flow of the said Jordan river,
and not otherwise; and this appropria-
ton is adverse TO the city of Salt Lake
and said canal companies to the eX-
tent of the water claimed to the flow
age Of said one-siXth at all times and
seasons"
CHANGED HIS PLAN.
The notice, of which the above is
part, was published in The Herald in
the face of Mr.. Lamson's objection. 1t
is considerably at variance with the
plan proposed by Mr.. LamSOn at the
time he laid his case before the city
council. At that time he proposed
merely to increase the carrying capac-
ity of the Utah and Salt Lake Canal
company's ditch, in order to carry for
two miles all the water now conveyed
for that distance by the city canal, the
river and the South Jordan canal. At
the end of the two miles the water was
to be dropped through the cOmpany's
power wheels and returned to the city
and South Jordan canals, while the
volume necessary for the North Jordan
Canal company was to return to the
river for their use. The corporation I'M
der which these operations were pro-
posed to be conducted was the Jordan
River Electric Generating company, of
which Mr.. Lamson is vice president.
Mr. Lamson's present claim is based
on law passed by the last legislature,
surplus water and perfect their water
right holdings within one year from
the date of the enactment of the law
which was on March II, 1897
IRRIGATION COMPANIES PRO
TEST.
The notice with which the irrigation
companies accompanied their verbal
protest IS given below:
To Allan @ T,ap1eOu tha Jordan Piuar
Electric Generating company, the
Salt Lake City Water & Electric
Power company, and to whomsoever
it may concern:
You and each of you, and all persons
whomsoever are hereby notified that
the undersigned the East Jordan Irri-
cation company, the Utah & Salt Lake
Canal company, the South Jordan Ca
nal company, the North Jordan Irriga-
ton company and the city of Salt
Lake, are the exclusive owners and
have heretofore appropriated and used
for useful and beneficial purposes all of
the waters of Jordan river in Utah
and Salt Lake counties, and of Utah
lake, situated in Utah county, including
all springs, streams and sources of sup
ply thereof, and all rights and interests
of every kind and nature whatsoever
therein, and in said river and said lake
including the exclusive right to use and
improve said lake as a storage reser- |
voir, for the purpose of storing and in
creasing the waters thereof, except so |
much of said waters as have heretofore |
been actually appropriated and used |
for useful and beneficial purposes, |
through the Mousley irrigation ditch, |
the Beckstead irrigation ditch, the Ga |
lena Smelling company's ditch, the |
Cooper Flourishing companys ditch, /
the ditch of the West Jordan Mercan- |
tile & Manufacturing company and the |
Utah Mattress company.
And you and each of you, and all per-
sons whomsoever are hereby further
notified that any attempted appropria-
ton or diversion of any of said waters
or any increase thereof, either in said
lake or river, whether the same be a
natural or artificial increase. will be
resisted by us, and that no change or
with said lake or said
river, or the waters, or any increase of
the waters of either, or the sources of
supply of either, or with any of the
gates, dams. canals or other means of
diversion, distribution or storage there
of, will be permitted.
1t is signed by the East Jordan Irri-
cation company, per J. S. Rawlins,
president; South Jordan Canal COM
pany, per ANGUS NJ. Cannon, president;
c. II. Wilcken, water master; North
Jordan Canal company, per W. H
Haigh, president; Utah & Salt Lake
Canal company, per H. T. Spencer
president.