The daily sentinel., 1905-12-01
LETTER FROM t. c. HENRY.

LETTER FROM t. C. HENRY.
Editor of The Sentinel
have been shown a recent issue
OF the Sentinel containing Congress-
man Hogg's address in which he as
serts that the efforts of private cap
ital' to build the proposed High Line
/ Canal has finally defeated construc-
/ ton by the government. / am moved
/ to reply because myself and assoc
I iates have been persistently charged
as the parties interfering. Since
| there is absolutely no foundation for
the charge, | propose to protest.
When | was invited to organize the
/ High Line Irrigation District a couple
of years ago. and addressed your
Chamber of Commerce, not a citizen
there but understood that the govern
ment had abandoned the project upon
determining through Its engineers
that the Utah feature was imprac-
ticable. Besides, my own outside in
formation confirmed that supposition.
However, after the initial steps were
well under way, there developed local
opposition to the district plan, strong
enough to influence the board of
county commissioners to ignore the
terms of the petition for the district
in my opinion the plain disregard
of the statute.-and so modify the
boundaries proposed that at once de-
clined to proceed further. Upon per-
sonal assurances of Judge Caswell.
who came to see me here, that way
could be found by which the great
territory north and west of Fruita
might be reclaimed, consented to
go ahead again.
The district was organized, later.
bonds voted and an active effort
made by myself to enlist eastern
capital. Bankers proposing to handle
the bonds visited the valley. | was
practically assured they would take
the bonds, provided the legality of
the district and the constitutionality
of the district law were approved by
the supreme court. Accordingly n
suit was brought a year ago last
August, and preparation made to
press for a speedy and final hearing.
Every conceivable obstacle was inter-
posed to bar our progress. Mr.. New
ell. Mr.. Fellows and the government
employees also took occasion to visit
the valley and half encourage the
movement to reinlist the government.
Within thirty days from the time the
district affirmed the validity of the
bonds, ETC.. before the papers could
be prepared for the appeal and while
| was actively at work in Chicago, the
local opposition which increased in
proportion to my efforts and prospects
for success, began an apparently or
ganized fight upon me as the party in
the way of the government taking
up the work.
When Mr.. McMullin's oommunica-
ton emphasizing this position appear
ed, | decided | would no longer stand
and take all the fire. Hence | an
nounced my withdrawal altogether,
and gave the government full oppor-
tunity. | did not then say could not
finance the project. nor have | ever
said so. Quite to the contrary.
did not then believe the government
would undertake the enterprise. Nor
has there been movement since
then when | thought so. l ventured
to say as much to the business men
of Grand Junction last spring. Your
people know the Sights and ISLANDERS
in consequence leveled at me.
When / retired, at once Mr.. Eel
lows was invited to Grand Junction.
| suggest, in the light of what has
since occurred. your readers call up
on Judge Carnahan and read the
stenographic report of what he prom
ised on behalf of the government, and
then recall the outlay of time and
money under Mr.. Wallace's admins
tration, involved in the attempt to
carry out Fellows instructions in the
matter of the Water Users Assoc
iation." etc, etc.
This experience of the people of
your valley is nj different from that
of scores of other localities all over
the arid west Newell ct al, will do
and have done all they can to throt-
tie and discourage private or local
public irrigation developments. In
stead of making their department
contributory and subordinate to gen
eral irrigation development, they as
pire to monopolize the work and i'm
prudently and arrogantly assume to
be 1.-THE whole thing"
Mr.. Editor, you are entirely right.
There never has been an hour since
the government began the Gunni-
son tunnel, when Newell or Fellows
sincerely expected to undertake the
High Line. And, too, they were
openly committed to the tunnel pro-
ject months before ! agitated the
I formation of the High Line district.
Meantime. irrigation districts all
I over the state have been organized.
millions of dollars of bonds voted
and sold. You can start from Platte
canon and travel the entire South
! Platte valley and a practically con-
tinuous line of such districts-every-
one organized since l began my alb
ortive attempt in your valley. The
trouble is not because the High Line
cannot be financed and built. / sug-
Z gest you make an effort to ascertain
the real cause. and then courageous
ly tell your readers what 1t is.
Respectfully,
T. c. HENRY,
Denver. Colo, Nov. 20, 1905.