The Grit-advocate., 1904-05-06
MIR. Camficld's Proposition.

liSlled in last weeks issue Of The Grit
Advocate in reference To the Jumbo
reservoir proposition may have been
enormously interpreted by some OF
the readers Of the paper. If such is
the case il was not intentional and in
order that any wrong impression which
may have been gained from reading
the editorial may be erradicatel we
shall reiterate some of the statements
made in reference to Mr. Camtield's
proposition, and besides shall go some
what further into detail.
In the first place the minimum ca
pacty of the reservoir as determined
by MIR. Camheld's engineers is lWG
water rights. BY water right is meant
IL sufficient volume of water to cover
% acres Of land one foot deep. Each
right will cost the district $4,000.
In the second place, there are con-
tanned within the boundaries of the
proposed irrigation district about
30. 600 acres of land. Ii this land were
organized into district, and the dis
trict were to purchase 1000 water
rights from the reservoir company, it
would be necessary to place a bonded
indebtedness upon the land in the dis
trict Of $1,000 per acre. or 5000, 10000.
or course If more water rights were
purchased the bonded Indebtedness
per acre would be greater. Also,
equally Of course, if less than 10000
acres OF land were included in the dis
trict, the bonds for the purchase of
1000 water rights would require Il
greater levy than 80 90 per acre.
As to the impression that seems to
prevail in some quarters that the
Camtield company would not build the
reservoir until the bonds for the pay
ment of water rights had been issued
and had been turned over to the con-
pany. we will say that it is entirely er-
roneous. Mr.. Camtield and his asso-
ciates have the money already in hand
to build the reservoir, and they do not
ask a dollar from the district or from
any ether source until the reservoir is
completed.
All they ask, and the request seems
to us to be a reasonable one, is that 4
district be formed, and that this dis
lrict through its regularly elected Of
fcers agrees to purchase the reservoir
after it is completed.
1t twould, it seems to us, be unreason-
able to expect any body of capitalists
TO invest two or three hundred thous.
and dollars in an enterprise, unless
they had some assurance that they
could sell the product Of that enter
prise. The only manner Mr.. Camiield
and his associates can be assured of Il
sale OF the reservoir is for the people,
as a corporate district, to agree to pur-
chase the reservoir. Unless they are
willing to do this we do not believe
, that the Camtield company, or any 9TH
cr company, will construct reservoir
in this county.
Mr.. Cantield has signitied his will
lingnes to come to Julesburg and sub.
nit his proposition in person to a dis
trict organization when formed, and
he is confident that an agreement be-
tween this organization and his COM
pany can be reached. In other words,
itS soon as the people have signitied
their desire to entertain proposition
from Mr.. Camheld, and have placed
themselves IN a position TO do business
by organizing Il district, or corporate
body. with power to do business, he
will submit his propoSitson to that or
ganization.
The formation of district organi.
cation is simply preliminary Stel
toward buying the reservoir: it is a
step that must be taken before action
could bc taken upon any proposition
which might be submitted by Mr.. Cam
field or any other person, and the tax
ing of this step does not bind the or
ganization so formed to accept any
proposition made by Mr.. Camiield
II MIR. Camticld's proposition is no
considered favorable one, it could b,
rejected by the diStric, organization
and nothing further need be done
The organization could continue ant
could transact any other business it
members might decide upon, or i
could decline to contract any obliga
tions and could go out Of existence.
Under these circumstances we be
lieve that the people should not hest
tate to take the first step towards tn
purchase OF the Jumbo reServolr-tha
uf organizing an irrigation district
Petitions for this purpose nave bee
of local parties interested in the sue
ross of the reservoir. These petition