The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-11-20
DENY AND AFFIRM
ATTEMPT TO Elk"
FernstrOm, Thomas and Cole
Talk on Water Proposition.
NO MINORITY REPORT COMING
COUNCILMAN A. ]. DAVIS Elk
PLAINS HIS POSITION.

Opposition to the city council to the
proposition TO solve the water problem
Is scattered. There is some of it yet.
but 1t lacks cohesion The minority
report that was expected to serve as a
rallying point for /the directors has
fallen by the wayside. OF the council
men who were supposed to be opposed
10 the scheme in the whole or in part
no two seem 10 be pulling in the same
direction. Some would favor the
scheme If the Spring Creek item were
cut out; others would support it il the
purchase of the lakes and reservoir
SITES IN the CottonwOods was provided
Tor. The indications are that these viii
De unable to agree on any line of battle
before the meeting Of the council Mon
day evening.
j. NJ. Thomas and II. b. Cole submit
statement that speaks for itself The
argument is emphasized that The prop
efty held By them in the COttOnwOOds
is Of great value to the city and they
cannot understand why their propo-
sition is not accepted. A. ]. Davis sub
mits statement, giving some of the
reasons why he is opposed to the prop
osition as il was presented to the city
council.
In the statement submitted by
Messrs. Thomas and Cole reference is
made 10 the charge made by r. 5.
Fernstrom OF an attempt to influence
his vote in the committee and i'm the
council. This statement is given in
fun and Mr.. Fernstroms version of the
episode is also given
Who Made This onerp
Councilman Fernstrom gave the de-
tails last night OF the offer made to
him.
"A man drove out to my home in a
buggy to see me- Mr.. Fernstrom said.
He came three times. The first two
times 1 was not at home Ny folks
tried TO find out what was wanted, but
he said he had 10 see me personally
The third time he came 1 was at home.
He introduced himself To me as H. b.
Cole. | had not seen the man before
and l do not know Mr.. Cole personally.
But this man introduced himself to me
as II. b. Cole: he said h was the part
ner of j. NJ. Thomas In the property in
Big and Little Cottonwood that had
been offered to the city for S35 600, and
that IL l would support the PROPOSE
ton there was a good thing in it for
me- He also told me that he was the
only one authorized to do business with
the council in this matter and that
would not be approached by any one
else III the matter. This was I'm the
latter part of September, about two
months ago. Three or four days after
this the same man rode out with me
on the street car as far as the Warm
Springs and renewed his proposition.
He said he was going out of the city
for time, but that my interests would
no of I 70,
the purchase of his property by the
city"
They Give Their Side.
The signed statement by J. NJ.
Thomas and addressed TO The Herald
under date of yesterday. is as follows.
In justice TO ourselves and that the
citizens and taxpayers of Salt Lake
City may not be blinded by a lot of
noise and smoke, 1 desire to say that
ii. b. Cole and myself are the only ones
owning interests in the proposition of
which the following is an abstract:
I'VE have in Little Cottonwood five
lakes and three reservoirs with a COM
bined area OF 10 acres; nine lakes and
one reservoir site in Big Cottonwood
with a combined area of 1l2 acres. These
have been secured by water filings and
locations since 1892 The lakes and res
ervoirs i'm Big Cottonwood have a stor-
age capacity OF 697. 1856 300 gallons: those
of Little Cottonwood 954.192. 800 gallons.
At the mouth of Little Cottonwood
canyon we own a reservoir on deed
land, known TO old settlers as Beaver
Dam. When completed with a dam
30 feet high This win make a reservoir
of a. acres I'm extent and greater than
80 feet in depth Nearly all of these
lakes and reservoir sites have already
been surveyed and cross-sectioned by
the city engineer 50 that ali statements
as to their extent can be verified by
official records. We will sell all Of
these rights to the city for $4,000.
Deny Offer to Fernstrom.
This statement in The Herald: -
Councilman Fernstrom was assured by
another person interested i'm the Little
Cottonwood scheme, that If he would
support the purchase OF the Thomas
interests in the committee and in the
council there would be a piece OF
money for him" is not true in one single
word, line or sentence. Nor can any
thing that ether of US have ever said
TO Mr.. Fernstrom be twisted or con-
torted, SO that it would have the sem
blanCe of what was published Mr.
Cole never spoke one word to him that
lie knows of regarding the proposition.
And the only conversation that |
ever had with Mr. FeTRstrOm, relating
in any way TO the water question, or
our proposition to sell our lakes and
Is reservoir sites in Big and Little Cot
tOnwOod canyons TO the city. occurred
on Thursday night at the council meet
ing, and was as follows:
Mr. FernstrOm said: Mr.. Thomas.
why will you not bond your lakes and
reservoirs 10 the city for nominal
consideration. and let the committee
put them into our report p When |
said TO Mr. FernstrCm. There are two
reasons. First, it looks like this com
mittee was going TO report. and try TO
foist on to the people a proposition Of
pumping water. To buy Spring Creek
would cost the city 1925. 900 and an an
nual cost for pumping of $1,000 to
$4,000. And / am so opposed TO it. and
think the proposition so absurd. and am
so confident that the people will not
vote the bonds that ] do not want our
proposition coupled with it. or with any