Arizona republican., 1904-03-08
VALLEY SRECEPT TION
Demonstration in Favor of MesSrS. Fowler and Kibb6y
The Speeches Were Brief hut Express siVe of Gratitude for Great Accom- plishments.

return from their successful mission to Washington in the interest of the Wa ! ter Users association. Judge Kihbey had returned more than a week ago, but il was decided to postpone any pub | lie demonstration until the return of | MT. Fowler. It had been feared that ! inGSmuch as the people had been dis ! appointed on Saturday they might not be induced to come again. But they were there, whole families. The meet iuG was larger than the original one of eighteen months ago when George Max well pointed out the way for securing water storage. and larger that the i meeting of last June when the water users of the valley were called together to celebrate the signature of the num- { Der of acres required by the govern ment for the beginning of negotiations. The people were called together at 2:50 o'clock by the Indian school and Pioneer bands.
 The meeting was called to order by Hon. T. A Marshall. He spoke of tha object of the gathering which was to rejoice over the assurance Of the build
  come to MT Fowler and Judge Kibbay and to express to them the gratitude Of the valley for what they had accom- plished. Frank P. Trott was elected secretary of the meeting and Judga Baker was called to the stand. Judge : Baker said that the meeting mad been , called for last Saturday but Mir. Fowlzr had availed himself of the solitary privilege of the man who is to be ! hanged. that of keeping the audience waiting until he comes. But now. said l Judge I;giler, he is here, and the hang ing will proceed. He paiG a tribute to the work of Judge Kibbey in the val ley for the last fiften years in the in- l terest of irrigation. in the strengthening out of seemingly impossible prCb'emz. Tn his opinion there was no man who SO 1 thoroughly understood the legal ph2sas and difficulties of the situation sS Judge Kibbey He also spoke of the energy and ability of Mr Fowler, with ! out which the pleasing position of the valley might never have been attained. l Judge Baker said 1t was the fashion to honor returning military heroes by public demonstrations. It was quite proper that should be done as it had been done on the return of Dewey from Manila bay and on the return of the Rough Riders from their successful campaign in Cuba. The speaker would not withhold from these heroes any of the honor which had been bestowed up- nn them. Hut no man could be deserv- tnr of greater honor than those who promote the good of a country. Ger tainly all the Rough Riders, he said, had not done as much for this country IA
 The next speaker on the list was Captain George D. Christy. Chairman Marshall said that it had been prom tsed that one of the results of the con- struction of a reservoir and the conse- quent abundance of water, would be an increased population. That result was already becoming a fact. He had just received a message from Captain Chris ty tkat he had been detained at home by the arrival of new daughter, whom be was at that moment engaged in nursing.
 A. p. Davis was next called for Mr Davis. having spoken Of his con- necti0n with the irrigation movement in this part of the country. said that the work accomplished by Mr Fowler and Judge Kibbey was greater than could be realized by those unfamiliar with the method of procedure in gov crnmemt offices. They had induced the government to commit itself to a plan In advance of a definite understanding on the part of those with whom it was dealing. The most that could have been reasonably expected would have been q tentative and conditional agree ment on the part of the government, but in this ease. the government was proceeding upon it's faith in the people represented by Messrs. Tibbey and Fowler. as if all the negotiations had been completed. The relation, he said, which they succeeded in establish ing between the, government and the people of the valley was one which the valley might well be proud of.
 Judge Kibbey appeared next. He said that he was somewhat embarrassed hy inc fact that he was involved in the , compliment which was being paid He !, would. therefore. speak very briefly. He reviewed the history of irrigation in the valley since he came here and the . events leading up to the present. A SatisfactCry arrangement had been made. There had been no interference with any vested right and an abund- ance of water had been assured. He went over the points of the agreement , with the government and said he would refrain from saying any more until the water should actually be turned upon the land.
 The speech of MT. Fowler was also brief. He spoke of the resDonsi bility which had been put upon the people nf the Salt River valley and of the con- l fdence which the government mad ex- l pressed in them by its approval of the memorandum of agreement which when ratified by the members of the Water Users association would be a binding contract
 The future of the valley was row as sured. The reservoir was certainty and within ninety days he believed that 1000 men would be employed in fhe construction work. But. said MT. Fowler, if this had not been accom- plished something else had been done
 Continued on Page Three.)