davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-25

How pleasant are the memories OF the nights spent
sailing on thy rolling surface under the slvery luster OF
the summer moon!
Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-25

boat and with. his baton started the soft strains of some familiar
airs. Soon doors Of the cottages few open and the villagers began
to gather on the lake front to hear the enchanting sounds The
audience increased as soon as the word was passed back that the cot
tagers were being serenaded and every available seat in boats and
on the docks was soon occupied by an attentive audience. The
juvenile orchestra is famous for the quality OF the music it discourses
and no more attentive audience ever listened to sweet music.
With the close OF the overture a popular song was struck up and
led by Dr. j b. Fickes, the crowd in the boats had soon taken up
the air and the entire lake shore joined in. Great 1t was enough
to make the old feel young again.
Wen have to buy on that music" shouted Dug Bowie. Tie
up your skins and come in"
That was enough of an Invitation and soon the orchestra and
sailors from the Omaha Rod and Gun club were mingling in a joyous
group with the west siders and all went merry as a marriage bell
More music was soon called for and the old and new songs sung
while the lemonade and ice cream and other refreshments were
passed around.
Let's away" cried the skipper, and all soon had their places in
the boats, while farewells were said and sung by those in the
launches and on shore.
The singers practiced some new songs on the way back from the
west side and when the dock of the Rod and Gun club was reached
another serenade was sung. This was enough to call out all the cot.
tagers from the club house and tents, and these also did Join in the
chorus. But the skipper did not have much time to spend with the
home folks. He had another trip in view, and with a chug-chug the
Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-25

WI OEI LANE
- How pleasant are the memories Of the nights spent
sailing on thy rolling surface under the sivery luster of
- the summer mooni
Night, with its mysterious allurements Of shadow and
uncertainty. A spreading breath of waving pillows, swelling, toss
ing and undulating under the soft refulgence of the midsummer
moon. Is there a more charming scene in Elysium? Can there be
better enchantment?
What more beautiful and enjoyable than a sail around this lovely
inland sea, with its long rows of picturesque cottages. accompanied
by a few choice spirits of the most companionable sort? What more
pleasureable than to skirt around the edges of the lake with lights
in the distance shut out by the darkening trees? Could anything
be more fascinating and enicing?
Omaha folks have been somewhat slow In learning that they are
gifted and fortunate in possessing such a lovely spot at their very
doors; that a trip to distant lakes was not necessary for the enjoy
ment of a delightful sail over expansive waters of good depth, with
plenty Of wind at all times to send the gallant skif scooung over the
rolling waves.
Nature and the changing course of the old Missouri has placed
at the very feet Of the city a fine stretch of water in the shape of a
horseshoe, which gives an ideal course for a sail, day or night; and
1t is now up to the people of Omaha to continue the good work thus
started to make the spot famous all over the country for the jolly
times which will be the envy Of all not fortunate enough to have a
boat or to have friends who have one.
How changed is the old place in a few short years. But a short
time ago it was the dumping ground for the city, and now what a
Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-25

been replaced with soft susuTratton OF guitar and mandolin, filling
the balmiest air. With phantom song the night watchers break the
stiffness and the barber shop tenor vIs with the grocery store
bass in drowning out the melody. The stories Of the gentle zephyrs
are drowned by the gay laughter OF the delightful camaradere
which fills the numerous sail and row boats and launches, which are
becoming such a fad on the placid waters.
"Hows the wind, Commodore?" =
ASSoby so'east, ha'point So"
S'Wen, keelhaul by tafTan, IL it does not change before W can
get n our togs and get the Prairie Bell rugged up I'm going to give
you land lubbers a sail you viii. remember for some time to come"
said Skipper Jason Young as he entered the Omaha Rod and Gun
clvb grounds and accosted Commodore Brown, who presides over the
waters and the land around the club house quarters.
The wind was blowing quite a gale, but that did not deter a
hardy seaman like the gallant skipper from venturing out with his
'deadweight," as he called the bunch he had invited out for an even
ing's spin on the waters. Cut on lake is different from many inland
e in that 1t is we'll protected and the pillows do not roll as high
and dangerous as on many waters which might be named.
The skipper had undertaken sngle-handed to give an outing to
Isome friends who seldom get of the pavements OF Farnam street,
and what they did not know about sailing would take a long while
to tell He took them to his summer cottage along the edge of the
Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-25

after a couple Of more songs dancing was proposed and the musicians
were moved from their perch in the boats to the raised platform of
the dance hall, where the dancers were soon gliding for a while to
the rhythmic music of the youthful Strauss.
And such is the joyous life on the placid waters of Cut OF lake,
Cares Of the busy city ire cast aside-when once the bank of the lake
is reached and fun and fresh air reign supreme. The outdoor life
II growing more and more popular and where formerly one business
man thought he could afford to take a little time from the sunlight
hours for a little outdoor recreation, hundreds now break away from
the Office a little early for a game of golf or tennis or a row or sail
on the lake, or a swim in the ever-freshened waters.
The waters of both Cut on lake and Lake Manawa arc three or
four feet high this spring, following the river IN its rise, and this
seems to prove the theory that the waters OF these lakes are fresh
ened by water flowing in through the quicksand below the surface.
Although the water has not flown into the lakes overland. they have
followed the rise in the water Of the river and are thus entirely
freshened in this way as we'll as by the hundreds of springs which
are known to be under the lakes These continually evidence them
selves in the winter by melting holes in the ice by their warmer
water continually rising.
The waters of both Cut on lake and Lake Manava are dotted
Continued on Page FouE)
Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-25

young men and women, jolly companions. and the start made.
How changed the lake was from the time when the early evening
sail was made. Now all was quiet, and even the wind had died away
to a soft whisper. The glare of the sun had gone and the water
shimmered under the paler light of the moon. To the south could be
seen the bright iluminations of a large city, and all around the lake
were the dim lights of the cottage windows.
The caravan wendell its way like a huge serpent across the lake
and again the cottages on the west side were approached. How
changed was the sight again. Lights in the windows of the cottages
and a few lights on the docks were all that were visible from a dis
lance. AS we approached the village life was seen on all sides and
from the different cottages could be heard strains of music, for many
OF these bungalows are provided with pianos and most of the inhabi-
tants can play on the different string instruments. Many more
think they can sing. We had a surprise in store for them.
AS the caravan neared the cottages the launch was slowed down
and the boats all brought into a bunch. Leader Morris rose in his
Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-25

lake and al were soon supplied with real sailors clothes. Who
they belonged to does not matter as far a this tale is concerned, but
they were sufficient for all purposes, even though they did not fit,
and showed on their face that they were purloined for the occasion.
1--WE will have three extra chaps for dinner wrote the skipper
on a note which he pinned in a conspicuous place in the cottage,
which meant in palmer English that his bunk mate was to hustle
grub for a hungry lot and have it ready by the time the bunch re-
turned from the sail.
A start was made and the trials of that skipper we're many. The
land lubbers insisted in getting their heads and bodies in the road
every time a tack was made and several good turns were thus
spoiled. The skipper kept his patience and gave the bunch a
splendid sail around the lake. He took a be. line for the west shore,
which is covered with the cottages of about 100 lovers of the out
door life. Here were large numbers of busy toiers from the city,
clad in their outing clothes, which had been donned in exchange for
the more formal garments which had been worn in the city all day.
Hustle and hustle and life were to be seen on all sides. Some were
preparing the evening meal and others were fixing up the rigging of
the boats. Groups of fair women and brave men were standing
around on the docks, waiting for some skipper to prepare the boat
Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-25

to give them a sail on the waiting waters. Row boats darted hither
and thither and little girls and small boys were seen guiding these
with the skill of old sailors. The west side of the lake has a big
colony, an entire village in itself, and for nearly a quarter of a mile
docks of various kinds extend into the water to provide landing
places for the boats.
THE winds fine and hornbuckle my bowsprit If l don't take you
lads around to- the east side, where you can see the new Young Mems
Christian association park. We have plenty of time before the prog
is ready"
No sooner said than away went the Prairie Bell on its long cruise
to the far end Of the lake. She seemed to fairly fly over the water,
and soon w were gliding by the home of the Omaha Rod and Gun
club and the fifty cottages and fifty more tents which go to make up
this village. On the other side was the famous Wool Soap" the
deep swimming hole where the expert swimmers love to dive free
from entangling grasses and weeds CORTLAND beach, with its new
improvements. was soon given the go-by and a start on the final leg
The Greeley tribune., 1909-05-12

Sou' 'he same carrying capacity. at
tno intake, although longer. being 85
'es IN length against 55 miles for
.ae Larimer & Weld. 1t bears about
tho same relation to the Platte River
tnst the Larimer L. Weld does to the
fouare' that is to say, it was con-
structed about the came time. and at
20 iate a period that its river apprc-
pFIatlon is not enough of itself to in
sure good general crops. Usually A
wnea' crop can be made, although
tne supply, like that of the Larimer
4 Weld, may run short for second
irrisauon. One crop of alfalfa can
always be made. and often two, but
seldom third. And potatoes and
beets, and similar crops, cannot be
successfully grown because of an en-
tire lack of water in the latter part
OF the season. Nor can gardening
be carried on protitably in normal
years, like it is on the northwest
side OF the Platte to the west of
Glitch Gardens under the Rocky
Mountain ditch. But with good
supply of stored water for late use
1t Will become as safe a ditch to
farm under as the Larimer & Weld.
and the Larimer County; and the
water that can be stored in normal
years in the great Antero basin, will
make the supply of water, under the
High Line, early and late, all that
can be desired. Why it is that Den
yer has allowed the farmers under
the High Line Canal to burn out
year after year for thirty years, while
the northern part of the state was
expending millions for stored water
for its bitches, passes my compre
hension, unless it be that Denver't
The Greeley tribune., 1909-05-12

widow o. the Chicago traction mil
lionaire, had applied to the court to
protect her against the attachment
of her furniture by her husbands
creditors. Yerkes, at one time. was
regarded as one of the wealthiest
men in Chicago, but the municipal
ownership idea became popular with
the taxpayers of Chicago, Mr.. Yerkes
street railway franchises ran out.
and he couldn't get them renewed.
and so we see his great wealth, es-
timated at several hundred million
dollars at one time, vanish like a
| lump of ice in midday sun. But
you won't lose your money IL you
put it in land. Panics may come
and panics may go; railroads may
go into the hands OF receivers; banks
may go down like a row of bricks.
but the land will be there, and while
it may depreciate temporarily In
value, the moment prosperity re-
turns to the country it will go up
again, and in time reach higher
figure than when the trouble took
place.
Denver people are asleep. They
don't even now realize what sup
ply of reservoir water for the High
Line ditch means to the country. nor
the chances there are to make money
on the appreciation of land at their
very door. They will wake up about
two wears from now and be ready to
buy the land at two and three times
the price it is now selling for. They
don't appreciate the possibilities un-
der the High Line Ditch. because
they have not had the experience
that we have had in northern Colo
rado.
| extend a cordial invitation to all
my acquaintance to visit me when
in Denver. when ! Will take great
pleasure in putting them on to the
good things in the way of land. ana
will give them free auto ride all
nave c time a little later on, ""
expect to run some excursions to the
Antero reservoir, and l will be very
glad TO have any of the Greeley boys.
who are interested in the subject, go
up there with me and take look NJ
the greatest reservoir in the ara
west When you have done so yo.
will agree with me that Antero res
ervoir is in class by itself; and
three of the Antero company's d.
rectors are graduates from Terry
Lake and the Larimer & Weld Canal.
the Wyatt Brothers and the writer.
4O5 Symes Bldg, Denver, Colo.
The Greeley tribune., 1909-05-12

Poudre,-and. those who are LIVING
five wears from, now will see maeni-
ticent farming country under the eN-
tension of the big Poudre Valley
the highest up" ditch on the Pou-
DIRE. n monument to the pluck ana
enterprise of Moss and Dave Wyatt
and others, who began a system TOO
great to be carried to complete irul-
tion by private capital, and when Is
now being prosecuted by means OF d
great irrigation district. didn get
into the Poudre Valley at the start
but subsequently acquired some sto'N
in 1t. 1T was commenced ana car
ricd along to its present status at an
eypenditure of s750,000, by the olu
Terry Lake crowd. So when II Is
finished, and thousands of prosperou9
farmers are cultivating the rich sou
under the proposed system II ca"
be said that "lerry Lake did 1t
wish now to invite the attehtio"
of the investing public to great CIV"
terprise now being prosecuted pH
Greeley men, in the main; Inc N'
tero & Lost Park Reservoirs ana INV
High Line Canal This canal VIZ
brilt by Gov. Eaton for the EnE'''"
company in 1879 at cost 'oi SOM
thing less than thrce-quartefs ''
million dollars. and 1t is SAID tha' Wy
Governor lost heavily on tne 'V.
tract. In consideration of whieh W
company gave him chance TO
coupe his loss in building the La -.
mer & Weld. Gen. Nettletoh "1s
the engineer for both bitches !"
almost every respect the High LIN
10 like the Larimer 4 Weld mas
The Greeley tribune., 1909-05-12

monied men were. until the past few
Years, devoting their time and means
TO mining and other enterprises car
ing nothing for agriculture. AS loi
ibe original builders and owners OF
this ditch, the English compan.'
their course is easily understooo'
Angered by hostile legislation eu,
acted especially to reach them, ana
Iy adverse court decisions. ana an
Unfortunate feeling that preNa''e''
ouite generally for many years 'niu'-
ical to anything English, they s'npI'
gnit. The Larimer & weld hau W
mild its own reservoir system 'hes
could not. The Loveland N Greeies
v1s n failure until the farmers so'
hold of it. And the High Line Is q
rapetition of the Larimer N WEN
and the Loveland & Greeley CahaIs'
1rr English and Scotch cousins SIM
,ry soured on us. and said II we
5rlu't want their money we neeun
brre IT. That was all And So lu'
over quarter of century
.lrsrrace to the capital city oi Noio-
,.r8o has continued, and 40, ,ooo acres
nj AS fertile land as the sun eNo'
shone upon. lying south sou'"e"s.'
..sf northeast, and north OF Denver
irtanded by James Dun GOV r'sr
and their associates to be p'ous"'
,r1er cultivation. has renamed TO q
crFpt extent part of the e'e''
A f1prican Desert.
here is an opportunity OF me
tf,.e for investors. don't care I"
ion of the above directions IRON
panver you go. land. anywhere unu..
.rn High Line Canal. from intake "
The Greeley tribune., 1909-05-12

four. Thousands upon thousands of
acres of this land, now classed as
cheap farm lands, will be cut up into
five and ten acre tracts within three
years, and instead of quarter sec
tion supporting one farmer it will
maintain from sixteen to thirty-two
families; for here is big city grow
ing by leaps and bounds, city des-
tined to have a population of a half
million souls within decade, and
the growth is in the direction of
these lands, south, east, northeast,
and north Go over the Platte in
the direction of Glitch Gardens and
i Manhattan Beach, and thence west
toward Golden, and you will see
country that will make you think of
the best orchard and vineyard sec
tiens of the Eastern states. Here
YOU will see hundreds of five and
ten acre homes. with magnificent inn
provements, brick houses and barns,
artesian wells, beautiful walks and
drives. every foot of soil intensely
cultivated to small fruits, celery, to-
matoes, asparagus, or the like. Ana
they not only make living, but a
good living, and support and educate
their families, having all the advan-
tages of both city and country HE.
Their holdings are worth from $lOOo
per acre up. And their success IS
due entirely to the fact that they
have fair water supply, not the
best, mind you, but just fair, from
the Rocky Mountain ditch. With
still better water supply under the
High Line, of both early and late
water, now absolutely assured, lanas
now on the market at from $1,000
to S2O0.00 per acre, according 10
proximity to Denver and street car
line, will command from 5000 TO
$4,000 per acre in the very near Iu-
ture. Mark the prediction.
In conclusion | wish to advise all
my old friends and neishbors VINO
have known me for years, and VINO
have been associated with me IN
some of the various water enter
prises ! have been connected Win
during the past twenty years 10 IN
vest their surplus funds in lands uh-
der the High Line Ditch. 1t VIII
beat any other investment you can
make. The Good Book says that
"Riches take unto themselves WINGS
and fv." and IT is just as true todaN
,os If was when it was written. BANKS
fail and depositors lose their none!
the stockholders lose the value d
their stock, and are liable FOR any
daicit there may be between the as
The Greeley tribune., 1909-05-12
A Reminiscence mdu Prophecy
By
HORACE C. CLARK

utilized the water from Windsor ReS-
ervoir by and exchange with No. 3
ditch. az he could fill the lake from
the Larimer & Weld. but of course
couldn't get the water out of 1t onto
lands under that ditch. So he took
by consent No. 2 river water for tho
Larimer & Weld and replaced 1t with
windsor Reservoir water. delivered
directly into No. ditch. But one
year the Poudre was unusually low.
and No. had no river water to ex-
change for Windsor Reservoir water
for the last irrigation OF potatoes
The owners OF Terry Lake loaned the
Governor water, or exchanged, TAX
Ing chances on the river coming up
and getting it back; or possibly they
had pooled with him earlier in the
season, using river water the Gov
ernor had secured from No. 2 in the
early part of the season, and saving
Terry Lake for the last of the season
but however it was, Terry Lake water
made the Governors big potato crop;
potatoes brought high figures that
year, and the proceeds of the Gov
ernor's immense potato crop put him
on easy street, besides demonstrating
to his creditors the great value of his
land, and his financial troubles were
thing of the past. Terry Lake did It,
Looking to the north of Greeley
we see an enormous body of land ly-
ing on both sides of the U. P. r. r.
above the Larimer County Ditch. Il
can be watered by means of storage
reservoirs. and the exchange of
water, and with water brought across
the Medicine Bow range from the
Laramie liver to supplement the in
sufiicient supply available from the
The Greeley tribune., 1909-05-12
PAGE THRsis
ets Of the bank ana liz dsbss.

sets of the bank and it, debts. I
have in mind . friend who ownsd
one-fourth Of the capital stock Of
One Hundred Thousand Dollars. in .
prosperous little Denver bank. He
told me about ten days before the
bank closed it, doors. that he thought
his stock was worth One twenty-five.
and that It represented all he had
been able to accumulate by hard
work all his life. Now the bank was
prosperous, but In lees than ten days
after this conversation. owing 70 the
fact that the estimable Mr.. Imboaoa
had been buying stock In this baak.
and the public had become aware OF
1t. run was made by frightened de-
positors and the bank broken. Ny
friends stock became valueless An
twenty-four hours. and worse than
that judgment was recorded
against himself and other stockhold
ers for big deficit. read the
other day that Mrs. Yerkes. the
The Greeley tribune., 1909-05-12

but had broken and about bankrupted
the old Larimer County Ditch Com
/ pany. 1t seems to me 1t had not been
at that time rehabilitated. Long
Pond had been filed upon, and had
stuck up In q cut on the south bank
of same where the magnificent outlet
now is, door frame. have laughed
many times during the past nineteen
years whenever the vision of that
door frame appeared to me. l sup
pose Alec Mead put 1t there. and
have often meant to ask him what
his scheme was. but never got around
to it; l reckon 1t was intended to
perform the same function as four
2x4s do for a squatter on govern
ment land.
Rocky Ridge may have had little
work done on 1t, but not much. I'm
mediately after the construction OF
Terry Lake followed the No. 2 or
Timnath Reservoir. Long Pond.
Rocky Ridge, Windsor, Fossil Creek
| and others. But Terry Lake was the
pioneer reservoir, and its success
gave others the courage to invest
|
prises. We were told that our reser-
voir would break and ruin us and
everyone below us on the Poucre.
| Seems to me the JohnstOwn. Pa /,
horror occurred while we were build
ing, and that didn't help any. Suits
were started by frightened residents
below the outlet of Terry Lake to
restrain our filling same. Judge
Downer stopped us once at twenty
two feet. and we had to take out
perfectly safe U have always
thoughD lumber outlet and replace
it with masonry; and because or
law suit we were then prosecuting
as water right contract holders OF
the Larimer & Weld ditch against
the owners OF the property to en1ofr
the sale of any more water rights
we were denied the use of our own
ditch through which to carry our
stored water to our burning pota-
toes, and were compelled to secure
a court order to do 80. But we got
there finally The water was wet,
like any other kind. and it made
potato crop, Notwithstanding 1t had
been predicted tnat 1t would not be
as good as live water, or river water,
not as rich, and that 1t would alkaii
the land. And from that moment
reservoir building began for fair.
Land under the Eaton ditch was
selling at that time, when 1t sold at
all, at $4,000 per acre and less, this
with water rights in the canal. Be-
ginning with our first run OF reser-
yoir water it began to go up, until
today we see the choicest farms
around Eaton and Lucerne valued at
S250.00 per acre. Terry Lake Reser-
voir did the business. And when we
consider the great value it has been,
directly and indirectly. another pur-
pose 1t served should be mentioned.
Gov. Eaton built the Windsor Rese!-
voir after Terry Lake was completed
and in operation. Now. the Governor