The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-21
Clash Between Mrs. Dudler and the
City Authorities.
PARLEY'S CANYON WATER
THE CAUSE OF MORE OR LESS
DETERMINED HoSTILITIES.
The Widow Takes the Water and
Places An Armed Guard at the
Flume-City Council Orders the
Sheriff and Watermaster to Take
Sufficient Force to Rout Them.

| The Dudler folks in Parley's canyon
are again causing the city trouble.
Yesterday they diverted a large
amount of the water from the creek.
with the result that the water in the
reservoir was lower than it has ever
heen before, and there was a marked
| scarcity of supply throughout the city.
Az armed force of men was stationed
to guard the ditch on behalf of Mrs.
Dudler, and resist any attemDt\ on the
part of the city to turn the water back.
The, act was but a repetition of that
of a few weeks ago, when the water
was diverted from the creek. The water
department officials then turned it back
and stationed a guard at the head OF
the ditch to prevent any further in
fringement on the city's rights. Some
days ago this guard was pulled off, and
Mrs. Dudler was not slow in taking ad-
vantage of the situation.
Attention to the matter was brought
to the city council at its meeting last
night, and that body took decisive ac-
ton. superintendent Caine reported
that the Dudler people had opened Par
leys ditch, and turned into their ranch
stream of water three by twelve
inches in size, and had five men guard
ing the same day and night. Mr.. Game
also stated in his communication that
City Engineer Kelsey's attention had
been called to it, but he refused to as
sumo any responsibility in the prem
iSeS, since the waterWOrkS committee
had ordered him to discontinue the ser
vices of the guard at the head of the
ditch.
On motion of Councilman Callister,
o,.l G-e-
Dudler into court for an adjudication of
her alleged right to a portion of Par
ley'S water, the watermdSter was or
dered TO Immediately cut off the di-
verted stream.
A short time afterwards Superintend-
ent Caine reported that he had received
word from Tankman Brown, in charge
of the station in Parley's. that the
stream diverted by the DudlerS was Is
feet wide by six inches deep, leaving
the water in the reservoir at the lowest
point known. This left the city Drac-
tically without any supply from this
source.
BY FORCE OF ARMS
Allen wanted the chief of police to
send a force of men up there to turn
the water back, but Diehl insisted that
they had no authority outside the city
limits, and so the WatermaSter was in
Structed to secure the assistance of the
sheriff and as many deputies as might
be necessary to accomplish the work
and then have guards stationed at the
head of the ditch to prevent further
trespass on the city's rights.
Callister did not think the sheriff
could do anything without warrants
However, no further discussion was
had, and a messenger dispatched with
the instructions to WatermaSter Sed-
don.
ENCOUNTER AN ARMED GUARD.
Sheriff Lewis was also notified and
that official was ready TO go at a mo-
mentS notice. Sheriff Lewis, in COM
pany with a couple of newspaper men,
went up to the reservoir at once, ar
irving there about IL o'clock last night.
Two men were guarding the ditch.
When the official informed them of his
mission they very firmly refused to
yield. Young Dudler, a son of widow
Dudler, stated to the official that they
would not permit any interference,
claiming to have a right to the water
and that the city had infringed upon
their rights in appropriating it to the
reservoir
THE SHERIFF RETURNS.
Watermaster Seldom, who, by pre-
was to have accompan-
led the sheriff, did not put in an ap-
pearance, and the official having no
warrants for their arrest was power
less to do anything, anL returned to
the city.
In the darkness it could not be distin-
guished whether the GUARDS were
armed. but judging from their emphatic
assertion that they wouldn't tolerate
any interference by anybody they were
no doubt prepared for resistance,
should it come to a showdown.
MAKES ANOTHER TRIP.
At 1 o'clock this morning Sheriff
Lewis. accompanied by Watermaster
Seldom and a gang of men, went up to
the canyon and Immediately began
work to turn the water from the ditch
into the reservoir. Three of the Dudler
guards offered resistance in the way of
throwing out rock as fast as the citys
force were piling it in. and at the hour
Of going to press this morning the con-
test was still going on. :.
Sheriff Lewis, at 4 a. m, was watch |
ing the proceedings and was on the |
ground simply for the purpose of pre-
serving peace.
AS the city's force is stronger than |
the Dudler's, and it is easier to throw |
in dirt and stones than throw them out |
1t is probable the city will have the |
water today.
Later-Mrs Dudler herself and her |
laughter, Rita, Joined her force and the |
women seated themselves on the tim I
Dering to prevent the -city's men from /
working The match, however, proved |
an unequal one, and the ditch was rap
tdly being filed up.