The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-03-02
SPLASH DAMS
HARM DITCHES
FARMER STATES GRIEVANCES
Interests Of Mill Company and Irri.
gators Conflict Seriously at
Trout Lake.

trout Lake, WASH. r6D. IS, lJOO. - Ed
itor Glacier: AS the Menominee Lum-
Der Co. has presented its side of the
controversy between them and num-
Der of the farmers of Trout Lake val
ley, it may not be amisE shat the side
of those farmers also be stated. II was
in 1883, when the first settler save one
came here. 1t was in those days a
veritable bowling wilderness. Even
no wagon roads existed only a pack
trail and poor one at tlIat.
1t was hard struggle at first to
make bare living, until the settlers
found out that with and by irrigation
they could raise anything in abun-
dance which the climatic conditions
would permit to grow at all, mainly
that foundation of all successful farm
ing-red clover.
Eventually two sawmills came here,
and, though both we're small concerns
and one left again before long, it gave
the people chance to secure build
ing material at such figures as they
could afford to pay. More settlers
came in, the old log cabins and barns
gave way to neat and substantial
anu bLIC
prospered to such an extent that
when representative of the Golden
dale Sentinel visited this settlement
during the hard times In the '90s, he
declared that he saw more money in
circulation right here than in any
other part Of the county.
Now, something like two years ago
the Menominee Lumber Co. came in
and began operations. About the first
thing they did vast to blast out rocks
in the river bed without regard to
the riparian rights of those farmers,
who own the river bed as well as the
adjoining land. Nobody objected at
the time, though 1t became soon ap-
parent that the change in the current
of the river caused by the removal of
these rocks, in places the high and
steep banks to cave into the river
anu wash away.
Later in the same year the company
started to build splash dam in the
river just above where the settlers
had taken out four different irrigat-
ing bitches. Then some of the people
here who had seen the effect of the
operation of such dams, sounded the
alarm and foretold the consequences
of such operations But, az is fire.
quently the case, those who had no
experience in the matter would not
believe them and there the matter was
allowed to rest for the tine But
when the time came to irrigate, they
found out to their loss, that the re-
suit of using the dam was exactly as
predicted. Whenever the gate of the
dam was closed, there was no water
in the bitches, for the river bed from
the dam to the junction of Trout
creek would be practically speaking
dry. But when the gate was opened
volume of water rushed down which
could not be controlled, washing out
head gates at the upper ends of the
bitches; showing gravel bars up in
front of some bitches so that no
water could get in; removing, aided
by the action of the logs on the bot
tom of the stream, bars which had
raised the water sufficient to flow in
to other bitches taken out of the river
further down and washing out and
destroying young clover not sufficient
ly rooted.
Acting under advice of counsel, re-
tanned by those farmers who had fore
seen the natural consequences of the
proceedings of the Menominee Lum-
Der Co., there were meetings held of
those most directly affected and the
matter discussed. AS frequntly in
such cases, there we're few, who, for
reasons best known to themselves,
opposed not only any and all action
to be taken to defend the rights and
property of the farmers injured, but
also eXerted themselves to keep the
rest from uniting for such action.
Their only advice was to compromise
the matter.
Now, anybody who knows anything
about the matter must be well aware
that it is for the farmers of the great
est Importance to have an uninter.
rupted flow of water in the stream
they depend ON for irrigation, and tC
be able to divert as much of the
water onto their land as they can use
for that purpose. On the other hanC
it is the interest of any logging com
pany to hold the water in the stream
to stop all the flow at times entirely
and then send it down in flood.
The Menominee Lumber Co. made
proposition to furnish the farmers
water for irrigation, which looked
fair enough on the surface, but going
deeper into it showed very plainly
that if accepted by the farmers, ii
very easily could be turned in such a
way as to cinch the farmers good and
tight After the true inwardness OF
this proposition had been shown u[
at the next meeting of the parties in.
terested, it was rejected by vote OF
some 20 odd to 2.
Still the desirse for a settlement
without recourse to the courts being
very strong, the MenOminee Lumber
Co. was invited to send representa-
tives to meet farmers delegated fol-
that purpose and discuss the matter
with view to come to an under
standing in regard thereto. The
meeting took place on the banks o.
the stream, where four Of the si1
bitches affected have their heads. II
was of course out of the question tt
deny that damage had been done OIL
that continued use of the dam would
cause more damage.
Mr.. Frost of the Menominee Lum
Der Co. admitted himself, that when
ever they began to run logs through
the dam nothing would save the ditcl
headgates under any circumstances
The last words of Mr.. Cameron of the
same company we're: "We see that w
are doing damage by using the dam
but We shall continue to use it, because
we have too much money invested
therein. If you want to go to Law
about it, the sooner you begin TIN
better We shall like it.
Even after this very plain and EN-
phatic statement of the Menomine
Lumber Co. ad been reported at tn
next meeting. it WAS impossible to ge