, 1906-05-31
\ CASE THAT SHOULD BE TER
MINATED. g.

The delay of the law is proverbial
and people have in some instances
come to look upon the courts with a
feeling that it is extremely desirable
to keep out: to effect n settlement
with the other party at almost any cost
rather han to sue or be sued, This
has been brought about in partthrough
the cumbersome court machinery that
has been built up through ages OF prac-
tice and in part through the desire OF
one side TO almost every controversy
to stave of the final decision.
There is n case under way ut the
should be anxious to have concluded,
and that is the adjudication of the re
spective rights of the appropriations of
water from the Big Laramie river.
The case was started some three years
& the principal litigants being the
Wheatland Development company and
the owners of the Pioneer canal. There
are, however, something like three hun
dred other parties directly interested
and all the people having anything to
do with lands or property along the
Big Laramie from the Colorado line to
its mouth at Fort Laramie are indirect
ly interested. No one appears to know
just why this case is dragged along so
slowly or why it canno be taken up
and uatf1aJ NJ IN On rlNy Intp Thngn
who have given the matter attention
do know that 1t is costing the interest
ed parties and the entire people draw
ing their support from the adjacent
country a vast sum of money. Land and
titles are held up, water rights are
worthless, the state IL the counties
are deprived Of taxation because final
proofs upon desert lands cannot be
passed upon and the people generally
have felt the depressing effect of the
delay. Many farmers have been pre-
vented from fling upon lands under the
Pioneer canal because of the uncertain
ty of the water right that might be Sc
cured from that source of supply.
There has e but one or W desert
entries using water from that canal
upon which proof has been made dur
ing the past eight years, although there
are thousands of acres that could be
filed upon n proved up were the title
of the canal settled.
Again, pending the wrangle over the
respective rights of Wyoming people,
Colorado appropriations are hastily
grabbing all that they car get hold Of,
either legally or otherwise. No more
does the Big Laramie overflow its
banks in high water. No more does 1t
wash the base of the old Uenitentiary
buildings in the early days of June.
The surplus is going down the Poudre
to enrich the lands adjacent to Fort
Collins and Greeley. Meanwhile we
are %quarreling with each other, or at
least delaying the settlement of rights
that ought to be adjusted in a single
year.
When this case comes . trial it will
be before the cou of the First Judicial
district, although the greater number
of litigants reside in this county. The
judge of that court is young, active and
DESTROYS of giving the people the very
best service possible. The attorneys
connected with this case are mostly
young men who are not averse to do
ing good, hard work. Then why delay?
Why can't this case be settled, so thai
land titles may be worth something and
the rights of water ;ppropriatnrs be
definitely fixed?
Gentlemen, it i u the people from
you to take this matter up and push it
through to q speedy termination.