El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-24
HON. JNO. H.
STEPHENS
Spends a Night In Our City.
But Few Were Aware
Of 1t.
.HE TALKS OF THE dam
And Expresses Himself As
Confident That There
Will Be No Oppo-
sitiOn.

Congressman John 81. Stephens, o.
this, The Jumb district OF Texas, reach
ed the city yesterday morning from
Andrews, New Mexico, and departec
this morning via the T. & P. for hi
home at Vernon.
Mr.. Stephens is best known to the
peop'e of this locality as the father oi
the bill which provides for the con-
struction OF the International dam q
this point and carries with it a 81, 300,
600 appropriation for that purpose.
During els stay here Mr.. Stephens
spent the time quietly at the PiersoD
hotel, and as but few citizens were
aware of his presence in this city he
was not disturbed by many callers.
When HERALD reporter Visited the
hotel in quest OF the congressman be
WAS in conference with Park w. Pit
man. NJ. w. Stanton aud q few other
local politicians.
"Priva;e business took me to New
Me exico," said Mr.. Stephens, but
while there 1 conferred with business
m en- and other prominent citizsus IN
regard to the building Of the Ioterna
tioual dam. Many OF those with whom
l conversed tried TO convince me that
reservoir rear FL Paso would prove
sne worst thing that could happen to
this city. They argued that it would
produce chills and fever and other
wise provo detrimental to the health
of the Inhabitants. It would be q breed.
ing spot for fever germs and mosquitos
they sad, and besides the dam might
give way aud Hood the town.
81 knew continued tne congress-
man, that their opposition to the
Stephens bill had not arisen out of
their consideration for tie welfare OF
| the people of Ell Psso and after furthe r
conversation they agreed 10 withdraw
all opposition to the bill If the CLAUSE
In the treaty referring to the buildir e
of cams IN New Mexico and Ariz DC a
was stricken out.
Now you know the Stephens bill
provides for the ratification OF the
Romero-O Olney treaty, which provides
among other things that no irrigation
dam shsll be built north OF the site OF
| the tnternationsl dam at Ell Paso. This
Mexican government, which agreed II
she intern ationsl dam was built, the
benefits of which are TO be shared by
Mexico, to cancel its claims for sl5 600,
600 now held against the United states.
"The Stephens oill provides for an
onnrnnrsatin, NJ 2lA n00 ,yIth NH, h
- construct the dam AID l am conf.
dent IL Mexico can be induced t. per.
nit the building Of the Elephant Butte
dam that the bill now pending in con.
gress Will pass as amended TO conform
to the treaty amendment and that the
treaty Will be ratified at an early date.
az do not know what will be the
fate OF the Elephant Butte Dam case,
now pending in the courts. The sttor-
ney general has issued Instructions to
fight the ca.e to finish, but l think q
compromise is probable"
'Why could not the government con-
struc. the International dam without
reference To the Elephant Butte reser-
voir?"
"Weil, replied the congressman,
"in the irst place the Romero Olney
treaty provides for the building of she
dam. Otherwise there would be NO
hopes OF hiding It. This treaty result
ed from the Investigations of a COM
mission appointed by the boundary
commission five years ago aud it has
not yet been signed.
"Tne commission agreed that q tre-
mendous reservoir in which to store
the surplus Taters OF the Rio Grsnde
and permit them TO flow in the channel
OF the river below Ell Paso ~ Gil Sea-
sons to preserve the boundary was
imperative.
''Oae clause o. the treaty as drafted
provides t6at no other dam shall be
constructed north OF this city In Now
(COntinued on $50 psge.)