Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-02-20

the establishment OF Arickaree county.
Recently there have been presented n
number OF petitions from residents OF
the eastern part of Adams county. ask
ing that the county be divided. The
petitioners averred that they must
travel 200 miles to Brighton. the
county seat OF Arapahoe. According to
the provisions OF the bill. Adams coun-
ty Will practically be divided in half.
and the eastern part. or Arickaree
county. will have ldalia for Its county
seat. The bill is practically In con-
fiict with one introduced by Senator
Hill providing for an annexation OF the
eastern half OF Adams county to Yu-
ma county.
A meeting of ditch owners from the
Clear Creek valley was held In Denver
February 18th. Articles were drawn
for n 81, i,000.0O0 incorporation and thir-
teen out OF fifteen directors were chos-
en-. The plan OF the incorporators pro-
yides n remedy for drouths In the val
ley. Beyond the mountains west OF
Clear creek canal twelve miles long
will be built and connected with the
eastern slope by n tunnel three miles
long cut directly through the noun
tain. Experts have testified to the prac-
ticability OF the scheme. and that II
will effectively conserve the water sup
ply. Water rights have already been
filed on the land where the tweive-miie
ditch Is expected to run. The Clear
Creek farmers believe they will have
no difficulty In getting their supply.
They may buy up the claims Tor
nominal sum. The Incorporation Is on
n basis of 3l.000.0oo. but 1t is expected
from s.. 600 900 to 81. .0O0. 600 will be re-
quired before the work is finished. In
view OF the far-reaching nature OF the
scheme. IL Is probable the state VIII be
asked to contribute. Several bills have
already been prepared for the Lesisla-
turc. one for n constitutional amend
ment providing for n more economical
distribution OF water In the Clear
Creek valley" and another for an up
preparation for the construction OF
reservoirs. From twelve to thirteen
reservoirs ar. planned for the region.
Among the directors OF the new ineor-
porniIon nrc r. +. Struby. Adoiph
Zan. and Joseph Stanley. The entire
organization will be made public In n
few days. W. 7. Wolf OF the Rocky
Mountain Water Company and Geors.
T.. Richardson have been prominent In
promoting the plan.
The absence from the oi'iee Of the
State Land Board OF material records
has been discovered by the special leg
iAis,ivc investigating committee. and
II found that no data whatever In
available thcrc to show how much
money was received from sales and
leases on school lands from 1876 to
issy-n term OF twenty three years.
The lands came to the stat. under the
enabling act by which III. territory
was admitted Into the Union. During
tn. Euccccdln. yoarS no ledger was
kept with hanks where tho funds were
presumably deposited. and the only in
dleaiIonA In the once that moneys
were received for lands from time 20
time appear In notes. inscribed with
pencils on some OF tho ancient books
which read aH follows: Received on
this date tamolntA nam-il. dollars for
there the tracts are namcdl from therr
the tracts are namrdl from th.r. the
purchasers or lcssr-a arc nam-dJ.
There are no Cancelled hank checks. or
strbA of receipt books IN the once for
this entire period. neither can be found
any cancelled checks nor stubs Of re-
ccipt books Of any Of the succeeding
years under any Of the adminis,ra-
tons. Until J. y. chipicy came into
the once aA register In isss full sets of
incsa Arms TO hold financial iranSac-
tons under knowledge. were unknown
to the department. In that year he
opened the nrA, regular ledger ac-
counts In the Office. In 1901. when T.
g. Rrdman became deputy register. he
started the firAt bank ledger In which
were recorded the transactions with
banking Institutions. With these rec
ords as start the committees pro-
poacd law will likely command their
continuation In connection with others.
and tho outlook II that hcncrforth the
people of tho state will he informed
correctly what the state revenues are
from i,s land resources.
Supporters of the consti,u,ionaiity of
the home rule amendment to the state
conHti,ution have replied in the Gu
prrmu Court to the brief recently sub
mittcd to the court by Attorney Piatt
Rogers. The reply brief is by Senator
John a. sitush and says In part: ''Ic
docs not disclose what interest or in
tercsta he represents. except that under
the nom dc plume Of 'Amicus Curiac.'
unlimited. he directs his entire arEu-
mcnt in covert attack against one side
OF tho case In mos, partisan spirit. Hut
even this would not require attention
did not the brief Of Judge Rogers dclib.
cratcly miss,atc our position in ma
tcrial matters submitted tu the decision
OF this court. lie, at least. entirely mis-
apprchcnds our position rhen he says
that We have asserted that whether
the provisions of our constitution re-
iatinE to amendments were or were not
observed. the Rush bill amendment
having received majority of those
voting thereon must. therefore. be
deemed n part OF the constitution II
is upon this false premise that the tn.
tirc argument Of sudge Rogers Is
based. We have never asserted, in any
manner. anything of the kind. on this
contrary. VIC contend that the provi.
sionH OF the constitution relating to tn,
amendments were observed in the sub
mission and adoption of the Rush bill
amendment. We contend that our con.
stitution specifically authorizes ant
empowers the very thing to be don,
that has been done. that those who ar,
now engaged In attacking this amend
ment are making violent assault upon
the sacred rights preserved and guar.
antccd to the people by the plain terms
of the constitution. And in that con.
nectlon We say to those making gues.
tion OF our construction of the eonsti.
tuition. that in the matter of constru.
ing the terms of q constitution the
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