Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-11-24
OGDEN VALLEY
DAM PROPOSITION
.--.~-----------.----------
1hrashed Out in Mass Meeting
At Huntsville, Majority Fa-
voring Project.
FRANCHISE WILL BE GRANTED.
Vtah Light & Ry. Co. VIII Get Power
And Farmers of Weber Much
Needed Irrigation Waters.

Ogden. Utah. Nov. IA very largely
attended and representative meeting Of
the citizens Of Weber county Interested
IN the proposed power and irrigation
dam project for Ogden canyon, was
held al Huntsville yesterday afternoon,
The meeting lasted for three hours
and proved very interesting, as many
facts pertaining to the proposition not
heretofore understood by the people
we're explained.
The meeting was called to order at
I p. m. and Mayor Nelson OF Hunts
vile was selected as chairman, Joseph
stanford, first vice chairman, Mr.. Fro
rer, second vice chairman, and Robert
T. Wilson, secretary.
Mr.. Stanford read the call and briefly
outlined the program arranged, setting
forth the object OF the meeting being
to secure an expression pro and con on
the proposition from the residents OF
the county, that the county commits
sioners might carry out the desires of
the majority of the people In consid-
oring the franchise asked for by the
Utah Light and Railway company to
that the board of county commissioners
favored the proposition, believing that
It viii solve the problem of securing
sufficient water for the irrigation of all
the land In Weber county, which for
several years past has suffered greatly
for the want OF sufficient irrigation wa
ter. causing thousands of dollars loss TO
the farmers, also that he believed by
the building OF the project a great deal
81 litigation almost yearly fought out
in the courts would be saved. While the
power company would certainly receive
benefits from the dam and reservoir
in increased power ana other ways yet,
the people in general would derive the
greatest benefits, Bishop L. w. Wade,
manager Of the local office Of the
power company, addressed the gentle
men, showing map of the proposed
dam and reservoir and the new roads.
which he fully explained and answered
many questions to the satisfaction of
a majority of those present He said
that the company was ready and willing
TO indemnify all whose property would
he damaged by the reservoir or In any
way affected by the same.
General Manager Campbell OF the
company spoke for about 10 minutes
on the vast amount OF good TO result
from the same. lie assured the people
that the company would build them
roads Just rs substantial and safe as
those they now have and would pay the
owners of all land that would be in
undated by the reservoir or otherwise
destroyed
George Hall Of Huntsville spoke quite
favorably on the proposition saying
that while the new proposed road might
not be SO convenient for the people Of
the valley. and that some might suffer
slightly through the same, yet he be-
lleved 1t was the duty of the people to
support that which would do the great
est amount OF good to the greatest
number OF people. and felt that the
project should be supported.
Mr.. Barker of Eden opposed the prop
osition believing that 1t would be bet
ter to build number of smaller res
crvoirs in South Fork canyon and was
opposed TO ceding To the power COM
pany any land or other rights for its
project.
Mr.. Fuller of Eden was also opposed
10 the proposition and said that he had
been told by n well known civil eng
neer that the reservoir would be a
breeder of malaria and other sickness,
that when the waters receded it would
cause swamps and other marshy
places where diseases would germin-
ate proving very unhealthy to the peo-
pie of Ogden Valley.
General Manager Campbell stated
that leading men Of the community
who have the interest of the people
and their health at heart were sup
porting the project and that they
would not do anything to jeopardize
the health and life of the people and
that II such results as mentioned by
the last speaker were going TO follow
such project they would not be back
ing II.
Chairman Stanford stated that if
such unhealthy results were going TO
follow the building of the reservoir the
commissioners wanted To know II as
they also have the interest of the pco-
pie at heart.
Green Taylor. Levi ]. Taylor, repre-
senting Harrisvile, Bishop Bramwell,
representing Plain city. Bishop Stew
art OF Warren. Bishop Robert McFar-
land of West Weber and other repre-
sentative men of the western portion
Of Weber county favored the building
NJ the dam for the storage of water,
and argued that such n project IL abso =
lutcly necessary for the farmers of
their portion OF the county to enable
them to get sufficient water for their
crops. They stated that the farmers
IN the western part of the county
have during the past three years lost
crops enough to pay for the building OF
such dam, and that unless something
Is done to protect them against sucl