The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-17
KELSEY IN HOT WATER
City Engineers Methods Investi-
gated BY Council Committee.
ACCUSED MAKES DENIAL
GEDDES' RIDICULOUS INSINUA-
TIONS TO FERNSTRoM.
He Says the Councilmen Proposed to
Trade More Than Even With
Farmers For Water and Refused
to Pay Team Hire-The Engineer
Cleared of Only One Charge.

Siealeu oi Only pne CnarSe.
City Engineer Kelsey was in an un-
comfortable position before a special
committee of the city council last even
ing
Councilman Fernstrom's resolution
charging the engineer with sundry acts
of deceit. secretiveness and irregular
and unauthorized representations rela-
tive to his investigations and search
for data bearing upon the subject of
larger water supply, was the matter
under inquiry. For three hours the Off
cial investigation continued, and at the
end the resolution was subjected to an
important modification, with a prospect
OF being further amended before it gets
through the council next Tuesday even
ing
The feature of the hearing was a set
TO between Councilman Fernstrom and
Archibald Scroggie Geddes and an in
situation by the latter that three city
councilmen had gone out on a water
investigating trip proposing to ex-
change city canal water with the farm
ers of Big Cottonwood for canyon
water by giving the farmers a. fourth
more than an even trade. Geddes also
alleged taht a watermaster had said
these councilmen last summer hired a
buggy in Cottonwood and refused to
pay for it's use. While no stock was
taken in Geddes story the matter will
be reported to the city council with a
recommendation that it be investi-
gated.
No Irregularities In Accounts.
The committee first took up that part
of the resolution charging irregularities
and a general deplorable condition of
his accounts and with withholding from
the special committee the actual condi-
ton of the work. In defense of the
specification that his report differed
from the city auditors figures by
$5S5.3O as reported in Wednesdays
Herald, Engineer Kelsey produced his
report of Jan. 10, 1892 showing that
S2,S4S.27 had been expended up to the
end of the year. and that about 81. 800
would be required to complete the
data.
At that time the December vouchers.
amounting, as he estimated, at $500,
had not been paid, and this reconciled
the difference.
After a tedious discussion and acri-
monious cross-1ire between Councilman
Fernstrom and the engineer, the com
mittee yielded to the accused and voted
to eliminate the first set of allegations
from the resolution.
The engineer admitted that he had
not yet reported to the auditor a segre-
gated statement of expenditures since
April /, although the pay-rolls and
vouchers had been audited and paid
regularly. The information in this seq
regated statement, however. had been
given to the special committee a few |
weeks ago.
Geddes In It, Too.
The specification that Mr. Geddes. as |
the city engineers representative. had |
called a meeting of the Big Cottonwood |
and Mill creek farmers to hear his pro |
poSals that the farmers trade canal for I
canyon water. was emphatically denied /
by both Geddes and Engineer Kelsey.
the affidavit of half a |
dozen men who had attended the meet
ing of Big Cottonwood water owners.
a fiat denial was entered by the en-
glneer and his chief witness that Ged-
deS had stated to the farmers the CITY
proposed TO run new canal higher UP.
so more water could be treded, the city
to buy the land that could not be COW
cred by high ditch. 1t developed.
however, in the testimony that a meet
ing, called by WatermaSter Boyce at
the city's expense. had been held in the
Thirty-seventh district school house.
and GeddeS attended it by invitation.
but he denied making any proposals to
the farmers.
The form of proposition signed by the
majority of land owners under the big
iltch agreeing to enter into contract
With the city for an even exchange.
vas submitted in evidence to show
hat 1t was the farmers proposition
md not Geddes', although the form
vas drawn by the city engineer and
circulated by his representatives and Il
for signatures.
A Republican Trick.
In answer to a question from Council
nan Robertson, Geddes said he had
ound several Mill Creek farmers who
we're not willing to trade even because
hree city councilmen had proposed
hat the city give from 10 to % per
ent more water from the canal for
anyon water.
The Tribune's travelling agent said
Margetts was one of these
hree, and, if he remembered his infor-
nation correctly from Watermasters
4und and Jensen, Councilmen Fern
from and Barnes We're the other two
This charge brought Fernstrom up
No insinuations, Mr.. Geddes. We
Ton't have you coming here with such
arms he broke in Besides" he
dded, Il can bring forty-five men here
Tho attended that meeting to disprove
you have said. This yarn
yours that members of the council /
ired a team and refused to pay for its {
Sc is not to be believed. and any ref
renee to me is a pure fabrication ]
Councilman Howe and Weller both
Omitted that they. with Councilman ]
TARGETS, has interviewed the farmers.
s the council record of last August ;
bowed, on the question of exchanging .
-ater. but they denied that they had
yer suggested the ridiculous PROPOSE
on alleged by Geddes.
Final Action By Committee.
Engineer Kelsey maintained that he 9
ad done nothing beyond what was :