The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1909-08-12
WHERE THE HILL
WATER COMES FROM

The following evidence is taken from
the public record in the trial OF N. G.
Evans vs.. The Hood River Electric
Light, Power and Water Co., ct al, tried
before Judge Bradshaw at The Dalles,
September IA to 10, 1908
j. l.. Henderson, direct examination
page 1862.
Q, We will talk about the pump, Mr..
Henderson, but before quit | want to
ask you whether there is a stream run.
ming from the Smith tract down to the
pondP
A. You wouldn't hardly call it a
stream; 1t crops out all along the edge
| think the water strikes the hardpan
from there clear TO Hoo River and
crops out in places all the way along
up tt at ravine, all the way up, and all
along the lwater flows as far as this ra-
vine and runs quite stream along that
elevation. don't hardly consider you
would call 1t stream, that comes out of
there because the water stands, but it
makes the soil 80 wet it can't be plowed
scarcely any season OF the year until
this pipe was put in.
Q. Would you describe that soil as
boggy or not2
A. Yes, sir, would call it decidedly
80.
q. You would describe it as what is
commonly known as boggy or otherwise?
A. Well, yes, that is, would call
this boggy; that is, it might get dry in
pT l.n
you might be able to work it; most of
the year it is positively boggy.
q, About how much of the Smith
tract is of that nature2
A. | should think there was half of
it anyway.
Q. About half of it?
A. Yes.
Q. Since the Light company acquired
title or right to drain that property in
January, 1905, do you know what, if
anything, has been done by the Light
company in regard to that2
A. Yes, they put pipe in, and after
they put pipe in on what they call the
Lyman Smith spring, because while
was in there wanted to buy, and we
couldn't get a right of way across the
"
man Smith spring and couldn't get
right OF way across the man that owned
it, and we did pipe finally the Lyman
Smith spring, but the pipe was put in it
at the time; at the time we put this in
there we were negotiating with the peo-
pie who owned the water on the place
that used to be our place and trying to
get that water. | think he wanted
$500 for that. | don't think that was
since that time Mr.. Stearns interrupt
ingl-Pardon me for interrupting YOU.
You are going little farther than my
question. ! ask you what the Light |
company had done with this land since
they had right to drain il, if ANYTHING?
A. ! bought this in and acquired it |
for the Power company, but they got it
all grubbed and cleaned at least it il in
that condition, whether that was done
by the fellow tha rented the property
or not don't know. All the stumps
had been taken out and the land has !
been drained.
II. f. Davidson, Direct Examination,
Page 730
Q. How were you paid for the water
rights that was conveyed to the Electric |
light Power & Water Company?
A. got eighty shares of Stock.
q. Two thousand dollars in Stock.
A. Yes, sir.
q, After you acquired the Smith prop
erty what if anything was done in the |
way OF developing it or obtaining water
on itP
A. We went to work and extended
well made some right of way arrange
ments with Ordway and went right to
work and put in line of Pipe up there
and took the water.
q. What was the result? Page 7IO
A, We had plenty of water for the
people on the hill thereafter that is we
increased took care of the business and
the increased business up until last year
we were trying certain ways we had q
pump at the reservoir and pumped some
water up into the system probably a
month or six weeks.
q. Now how is the water taken up?
A. How is it gathered2
Q. Yes.
A, In the ordinary tiles and wooden
pipes, tie pipe extends from this curb in
the old Lyman Smith place and the
Dorence Smith place up and up into the
bank and we cut into the bank some ten
Or eight feet deep in the gravel and made
a wye, extended this tile in two differ
ent directions, the tile extends up from
the wood pipe; from the one line goes
and one line goes up south