The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-11-24
FARMERS TALK
FOR new FLUME

The stockholders of the Farmers Irri
eating company met Saturday forenoon
in the rooms ofthe Commercial club anC
discussed pro and con the advisability
OF repairing the high flume over Pine
creek or building new f1ume and ditch
along thebank Of the bluff, something that
would be permanent. The meeting was
called by the board of directors for the
purpose of ascertaining the sentiment
OF the stockholders regarding the pro,
posed improvements.
The board of directors realize these
improvements should be made, and
they have the authority to make them, ~
explained President Blowers as he
called the meeting to order, "but we
wish to make no large expenditure ol
money without the stockholders under.
standing just why the money was spent
and the extent of the necessity for ex-
pending any sum the board should ap.
propriate."
After much talking on and off the
subject at hand the board was upheld in
their action by motion that carried
unanimously.
The notice of the meeting place was
given as the X. OF p. hall, but with
such small number present at the
opening hour, and no one having a key
to the hall, the farmers adjourned to
the rooms of the Commercial club. Last
spring the spacious rooms of the opera
house would hardly hold all who want
ed to listen to the proceedings, but the
Commercial club rooms accommodated
all who were present Saturday morning.
Before the meeting was well under way
there were so or more there.
After waiting some time for Manager
Staten, who was to be present with a
detailed report of the findings of the ex-
amining committee who went over the
ditch, President Blowers called the
meeting to order and explained himself
the intent of the meeting.
"After careful and thorough exam
ination of the high tlume over Pine creek
the board finds it must make extensive
repairs to the flume, which is in very
bad condition, or expend a larger sum
in constructing tlume and ditch along
the bluff, something that would be per-
manent," went on Mr.. Blowers. "To
the casual observer, the high fiume may
be considered in fairly good condition,
but close observation will demonstrate
that the timbers are very rotten, and
that it will require large amount of
repair work. A ditch is expensive we
know, but it should last life time,
while repairs will last but a few years
at best. Joe Wilson made the survey
for us aruond the hillside. We feel that
the repairs should be permanent. We
do not wish to throw money away on
temporary repairs. Something must be
done-the fume repaired or ditch
built. We prefer to build a ditch, but
wish to get the sentiment of the stock
holders in the matter before expending
the money"
N. G. Evans, former member of the
board of directors, considered that the
whole matter properly belonged to the
board. "They have the power to do
what is necessary and should proceed as
they see fit," said Mr.. Evans. "If the
cost of repairs will exceed ten per cent
of the cost of the tlume anew one should
be built. The sale of the unissued stock
will bring in all the money required for
the building of the ditch, but if not at
present, it would be business PROPOSE
ton to borrow the money and make re-
pairs that are permanent. No fiume is
supposed to last over ten years"
President Blowers then stated that
one of the reasons for calling the meet.
ing was the fact that there are no funds
in the treasury. The sale of all addi-
tional stock that will be made this win
ter must go toward paying for the un-
sold stock in the Valley Improvement
company. To make the repairs on the
tlume or build a new ditch will necessi-
tate the borrowing of money or an added
cost to the price of water next summer.
1t was then brought to light that the
matter of settling up the affairs of the
o d Valley improvement company seems
to be in an undetermined status. "Mr.
Davenport" " said Mr.. Evans. "reported
having received 100 cents on the dollar
for stock in the old company, although
there is no record of it. 1t was also
shown at recent meeting of the stock
holders of the Valley Improvement COM
pany that more shares had been issued
than the company was incorporated for. !"
Mr.. Evans considered that the present
ditch company would have to pay for
all unissued stock, whatever it was, as
it could not well repudiate the balance
of the shares.
Mr., Blowers said he had attended the
same meeting of the Valley Improve
ment company and that it was finally
agreed that the stockholders would be
satisfied with 80 cents on the dollar, the
amount secured by the principal stock
holders when they sold tho property to
the farmers. This will have to be paid.
Lee Morse wanted to know if the
farmers would be held responsible for
the payment of 40 excess shares, since
the Farmers Irrigating company had
been given an indemnity bond of $l0,-
900 to cover all debts in excess of the
purchase price of the ditch as agreed
upon last winter.
Manager Staten had come in and
President Blowers called upon him
for his report. 1t was in substance
what Mr.. Blowers had stated at the
opening of the meeting.
The tume in many places is defective
anu VIII lSquIS uluCu NOIh lOE repairs.
The channel of the ditch has been
cleaned of all rocks. At the "slab pile"
the ditch is in very bad shape. Some
200 feet of new cribbing will be required.
The underpinning at Pine creek is in
poor condition. Vigilant watching last
summer located the weak spots and
kept the fume from falling down in the
middle of the summer,
The 1ume this year was taxed to its
utmost capacity, then why should it be
expected to carry 800 more inches this
coming year? Between Ditch creek and
the high trestle the cut is four inches
high, and the water was backed up in
the hume four inches. There is mar
ginal difference OF seven to ten inches
in the water level in the fume from
Ditch creek to Pine creek.
The east approach to the bridge is
very unreliable. Fourteen new bents
must be put in, and it will require 1900
feet of lumber in the approaches. The
main span is in good shape. The tlume
over Pine creek will require 5000 feet of
lumber. The timber on this high trest.e