, 1900-10-30
ABOUT THE
CITY WATER SUPPLY
STATE OF WYOMING.
County of Albany, SIS.

STATE OF WYOMING,
County of Albany. -.
N. F spieer, being duly sworn, deposes and says:
In 1871 ! was a resident of the then town of Laramie. Wyoming
in that year a company was tc.~ea known as the Laramie Water and
Ditch company, consisting of Henry 0. Hodgeman. Ira Pease and my
self for the purpose If conducting the water from the city springs to
the cry through IN open ditch. Permission was obtained from the
War Department to make the necessary appropriation and the com.
psny aforesaid conducted the water from the springs through the
pen ditch o the city for he Use of the citizens. This business wa
continued till the summe or fall of 1872, when the bitches we're Ieas-
ed to h town for a period of n year for the nominal sum of one
dollar the purpose of the transfer being to secure to the city the per-
petuaI ue If thu wateru under the rights secured through the permis-
10 granted by the War Department and the appropriation made
hereunder.
Since that date the City of Laramie and the Union Pacific Rail
road company have bee n the peaceful and undsturbed possession
If tn springs, and h bitches and h water tneretrom, save per-
haps me suit brought by a private party to gain title to the water for
private Isl In tina. u. the party failed to obtain judgment.
In May 1900, ar. William eucress, superintendent of Water d.
vision No. l. came to Laramie for the purpose of taking testimony,
to be used by the Board of Control lin establishing the water rights of
citizens living along the several streams of Albany county. was
present for the purpose o establishing my right to wafer being used
upon the ranch then owned. Mr.. GiIcrest had previously sent a
notice to the old company, which fn. into the hands Ct Mr.. Pease,
who called my attention to h matter. When the hearing came o n
Mr.. GIcrest asked me 20 give him thedetahs of h matter, which
did. The next time wa before Mr.. Gicrest. Mr.. AraoId. attorney
for the city and also for he Union Pacific al present. called Mr..
Arnold aside and his attention was directed to the natter in detai. He
said: 1.-THE CITY AND THE RAILROAD COMPANY, HAVING
BEEN IN THE UNoIsPUreD USE OF THE WATER FROM THE
SPRINGS FOR A PERIOD OF MORE THAN TEN YEARS, ALL
OTHER RIGHTS ARE OF NO AVAIL" "An right" said I; Then n
consestw will be instituted. My only object is 70 preserve all the rights
which the city and railroad company may have, as I Rave already
stated to Mr.. Gicrest"
BUT MR.. ARNOLD INSISTED THAT THE BETTER PLAN
WOULD BE TO INSTITUTE PROCEEDINGS, so THAT ALL pos.
sIeLE PRECAUTIONS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE
RIGHTS OF THE CITY AND THE COMPANY MIGHT BE TAKEN.
FOLLOWED HIS ADVICE, my sIea and only object being % pre-.
serve the rights to h city and tn company. which had transferred.
as thought, many years before.
for the benefit of the city, and at tn time thu contest was instituted
before the state board the sole and only purpose ws % preserve %
the benefit of the City of Laramie and the Union Pacific Railroad
company the rights which were obtained through the original appro
WAS TAKEN UPON THE ADVICE OF Mr.. c. P. ARNOLD, THE
ATTORNEY FOR THE CITY AND THE COMPANY.
N. r. sPIcER.
Subscribed and s~orn ITO before m this 9th day If October, 1900.
Seal c.s GREENsAUM. Notary PubI,r.