The Grit-advocate., 1904-10-28
WATER CONTEST
HENRY AND BEAMAN TESTIFY
Possibilities Of Water Storage in Kan.
sas.-use Of Water by the Colo
rado Fuel & Iron Company.

rade Fuel & Iron Company.
Denver. Oct eat the close Of its
Afternoon session yesterday tho COM
mission now investigating the merits
OF Colorado's contention in the Kan
sas-Colorado water suit adjourned to
meet in Denver the first week in D.
cember.
This adjournment is taken at the re-
quest of the federal government, ~ Its
attorney. A. G. Campbell, has impor-
tant legal business to transact else
whore. While the adjournment has
disarranged Colorado plans consider
ably. the attorneys have decided to use
1t in securing additional information.
Prof. L. G. Carpenter. state engineer.
and one Of ColoIado's most important
witnesses. will make further expert
ments along the Arkansas river. invsS-
tigatins particularly as to various wa
ter levels along the stream.
T. c. Henry of Denver concluded his
testimony yesterday afternoon. MI
Henry testified to the rapidly-lncreas-
Ing investments which were being made
In Colorado bitches and irrigated farms.
and said that these Investments would
be ruined if the doctrine OF irrigation
should be reversed. He said the cues
ton was not local, but general to all
streams taking their rise in the Rocky
mountains. also that irrigation and ex-
tens1ve farming are the result OF evolu-
ton in the science of horticulture and
agriculture. Ten acres of irrigated land
In Colorado, he said, would support a
family OF five persons, against 16O acres
OF western Kansas land, II not irr!-
gated.
MIR. Henry also testified that many OF
the irrigation enterprises in Colorado
were promoted by citizens Of Kansas,
who had taken up the question Of farm
Ing by irrigation as early as 1877. That
they visited Colorado and became
financially interested in many of the
bitches in this state on the Arkansas.
and that they were now complaining
because such bitches are taking water
from the Arkansas. He drew a dis
tinction between the high waters Of
the Arkansas, which may be stored,
and the food waters, which cannot be
impounded in Colorado, but could be
after they reached the less precipitous
part of the stream in Kansas.
In answer to questions propounded
by Attorney Campbell. Mr.. Henry said
that he knew Of many reservoir sites
near the Arkansas in Kansas. That, In
his opinion. if a proper system OF stor-
age were adopted and a proper system
Of agriculture, preferably the Campbell
system, the entire Arkansas valley
might be reclaimed and devoted to sue
cessful agriculture.
Judge D. c. Beaman. secretary of the
Colorado Fuel and Iron Company, was
the next witness. The purpose Of his
testimony was to show the magnitude
OF the company's operations in Colo
RADIO, and how largely these operations
depended upon the water supply drawn
from the Arkansas and its tributaries.
He said the company and its affiliated
companies used 100000 gallons OF wa
ter daily, but that three-fourths of this
was returned to the river.
The company expended much money
in buying up farming lands along the
river to which water rights were at
tached, for the single purpose of get
ting its water supr'y. allowing the
lands to lie idle He said that the COL
orado Fuel and Iron Company and its
auxiliaries had $3O,0OO.00O invested in
the Arkansas drainage, and that about
$4,000 persons were directly dependent
upon their operations. The company.
witness stated. had an authorized capt.
tai Of $4G,600, 900. and a paid-up capi-
tai of $26,000,00O Its operations in
cluded eighteen coal mines, 24O2 coke
ovens. two limestone quarries. besides
the big steel works at Pueblo, which
were valued at between S12 900 900 and
$14.000,000.
The total value of products of tho
company for 1903. Judge Beaman said,
was $16.G50,00O. but the earnings for
the current year had been greatly de-
creased. owing to strikes in the stee!
works and coal camps. He made the
point that to cut off the supply Of water
from the company would involve the
entire retail coal trade Of Colorado, and
work disaster to the whole state.