The daily sentinel., 1906-07-31

Chamber of Commerce. read the call
for the meeting. -g
Chairman Rhone then in n brief
and pointed talk outlined the pur-
poses of the meeting. He declared
that there could be no more vital
question up for consideration of the
taxpayers of the city. He referred to
the old mountain water fight. Mr..
Rhone declared that he wanted it
strictly understood that every citizen
had a voice in this meeting If he de-
sired to talk, and he urged that the
decision be carried out in business
like manner.
The chairman then called for Mr..
O'Boyle, chairman of the water COM
mittee, but Mr.. O'Boyle had not yet
arrived. Mr. E. NJ. Slocomb, one of
the city's Oldest residents and leading
citizens who is heartily in favor of
mountain water was then called upon
but Mr.. Slocomb said that he would
wait until later in the evening and
that George Currie and others who
were fighting the proposition and
who had the meeting called should
open the discussion by stating their
position. Mr.. Currie was then call
ed to the floor
This gentleman had armed himself
with notes. newspaper clippings, etc.
and made preparation for a lengthy
speech although It had been announc-
ed that all speeches were to be very
brief.
Mr.. Currie said that he had no set
speech and seemed anxious to shift
the responsibility of being the lead
er of the opposition. He read the sig
natures attached to the petition which
was presented to the Chamber of
Commerce asking that a meeting be
called.
He had declared that he had liv-
ed here many years. had been on prac
tically all of the mountain streams of
the section and wanted to go on rec
ord as being for mountain water but
strictly and decidedly against the
proposition offered by present coun-
ell. He referred to the old water
fight. Declared that he was a noun
tain water booster then. bonds were
issued then. and he said "men that
are supporting the Hannah creek
source of supply today were the same
fellows that enjoined the sale of these
bonds and knocked the early noun
tain water scheme in the head. He
declared that the council in those
days made many mistakes.
hr. Currie declared that he was
against the present plan for the rea-
son tnat the council is going to the
wrong place for the water, assert
ing that the council had no intention
II the bonds carry to go anywhere else
but to Hannah creek for the supply.
Mr.. Currie declared that there was a
better place to go. to Mesa creek and
its tributaries. He declared that nat
ure is against the Hannah creek
sources, he asserted, There is only
one small creek between this city and
Delta and that is Hannah Creek from
when this council proposes to get the
water supply" He claims that Kan
nah creek has never been officially
measured, the council having ignor-
ed this work. 1t has been measured
he said by the railroad popleonly,
| that the only other measurments
made were measurements of the
amount distributed to various water
holders by the water commissioners
lie then went into lengthy explana-
tion OF some figures extracted from
an old water commissioner report
which sifted down had but little bear
ing on the proposition. He said that
Mesa creek has by far the heaviest
flow and ridiculed the idea of asking
for $500, 900 to spend on supply
from Hannah creek. The statement
that there were but few ranches on
, Hannah creek and they raising only
two or three cuttings of alfalfa each
/ season and that there were hundred,
E of acres of fine land not under culti