Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1903-10-15
souNp sENse.

souesp sENse.
The Lyon County Times Reads the
Farmsss . Clean Lecture.
The following from the Lyon County
Times speaks . lecture to the litigat-
ing farmers that should be followed
without loss OF time. II 10 the true SOL
vent q the shortage Of water story.
and would prevent world Of litigation
over water rights when water 10 shy
and cash Tar shyer:
Something over . year ago Miller
& Lux, . nrm owning some twenty
thousand acres Of land in Mason Val
ley, brought suit against the balance
OF the farmers and ditch owners ~:
this valley, Smith Valley and Antelope
Valley fog the purpose Of making each
and every appropriation Of water from
the Walker river establish his rights
and perpetuate record Of the same.
The suit has dragged along for num-
Der Of months now and the question
is no nearer q settlement than before
the suit was begun, and up do date we
can see where no one has been bene-
lifted in the matter.
The situation in lis valley is that
during the spring and early summer
months Of each year there is sufficient
water for everybody who takes q head
out Of the river, but along towarl
the latter part Of the season there ts
no water for anybody.
Soon after the suit by Miller & LUX
was brought, the defendants in the
case organized an association to de-
wise the best means and ways to meet
the plaintiffs in the suit. It was at one
time thought that compromise might
be effected, but this plan fell through
and today the shortage Of water Is
just as great in the latter part Of the
summer season as ever. Under the
present condition Of things it will
make very little difference who is
the winner in the suit No matter what
the decree Of the Court, no more wa
ter can be obtained unless providence
steps in and fills the stream.
In the meantime the farmers arr
frittering away their hard earned mo
eny in conducting a defense in the
suit.
The only way to dispose of all thi
legal tangle and settle the water ques
ton equitably for all times is to sc
cure water enough for all hands con
cerned at all times Of the year Thi
can only be done by concerted actor
and the building of reservoir at o
near the headwaters of the Wake
river which will impound the grea
quantity Of water which now goes t
waste during the early part Of eac
season
In the lower portion of Anetelop
valley, partly in California and partl
in Nevada, lies Alkali lake, natur.
reservoir. 1t has been estimated b
the government surveyors who hav
inspected this site and made measur
ments of the water in the river at di
ferent seasons of the year, and WI
have also estimated the number
acres of land in this valley al
Smith Valley which can be put und
cultivation by irrigation that tn
lake at a small expense, comparativ
ly, can be converted into a reserve
which will hold water enough to
rigate the entire area of over 1900
acres in the two valleys mentionef
This being me case, is not this pl;
to be adopted to settle all water di
culties between the appropriations
this stream.
1t seems to us that by forming
company, in which all owners of ext
ing water rights WOULD have an int
est to the extent of the value of the
lands and water holdings, the form
ton of a district and the bonding
the property in said district for t
purpose of reservoir and canal &C
struction, the desired result Of Obta
ing water suficient for all could be
complished. This done, two of the fiji
st agricultural sections in the Sta
could soon be brought under a hi
state of cultivation and inducemeI
to home-seekers would be such IL
in q short time our large uncultivat
tracts would be cut up into SIN
farms and prosperous, pleasant hon
be built upon them.
We believe also, that Miller & 1
the plaintiffs in the suit now pendl
would be the first ones to lend aid
such an undertaking. Their intere
are large here and a shortage OF
ter is AZ much to their detriment
n ia to anyone else