The Colorado statesman., 1909-02-13
SALE OF GREAT
HIGH LINE DITCH
ONE OF THE OLDEST AND LARG-
EST CANALS IN COLORADO
CHANGES HANDS.
UNDER new RESERVOIR
DITCH WAS DUG BY PLATTE LAND
COMPANY, KNOWN AS THE
ENGLISH COMPANY.

Denyer.-Expectatio of years for
the Intensive cultivation of arid land
within Denver and in the immediate
vicinity of the city which led to the
construction of the High Line ditch,
were practically realized yesterday
says the Republican of Sunday morn
ing in the sale of that canal by the
Platte Land Company to the Antero &
Lost Park Reservoir Company. Since
its completion twenty-five years ago.
the canal had not been supplied with
sufficient water to meet the demands
of the owners of land along its course.
AS the result of yesterdays transac-
tion the reservoirs of the purchasing
company will supply all the long
needed water to the farmers in its
territory.
In the annals of Denver the ditch has
become historic because of the hopes
which many men held for the benefit
it would bring to the city. for the i'm
mensity of the task at the early date
of its beginning in the completion of its
eighty-five miles length. and for the
controversies which have since arisen
regarding it.
That the supplying of the ditch with
water will meet the wants of many
has been well illustrated in recent
summers by the agitation. which farm
ers east and south of Denver have
raised concerning their lack of ade-
quate irrigation facilities. And with
the two large reservoirs of the pur-
chasers as a source of canal will cas-
ny furnish the necessary water for the
cultivation of $4,000 acres of land. All
of this property is but a few miles
from the city and is owned in both
large and small tracts. Receiving the
full benefits of the ditch, the farmers
will undoubtedly be enabled to raise
as good crops of their kind as are pro-
duced in the state. In other words the
immediate territory about Denver will
in all probability be transformed into
as rich an agriculture region as that
surrounding Greeley and other north
en Colorado towns at present, verit-
able garden spot.
President H. G. Clark of the Antero
& Lost Park Reservoir Company, esti-
mates that within three years pota-
toes and beets will be grown under
the ditch as profitably as under any
bitches in northern Colorado.
Since last May the Antero & Lost
Park Reservoir Company has been con-
,I,n Air IL,
Park Work on the dam of this reser-
voir has been temporarily delayed be-
cause of the cold weather, but will be
resumed as soon as possible in order
that the entire labor may be finished
by the first of June. During the com
ing season alone the company will be
able, it is said, to store in this reser-
voir over 100000 cubic feet of
water. At extreme high water line the
capacity will be about $4,000 acre
feet.
The company also owns the Lost
Park site on Goose creek, a tributary
of the South Platte, and it is their in
tention to begin the construction of the
outlet of this natural reservoir during
the coming season after the Lake An
terO reservoir has been completed. The
Lost Park reservoir has a capacity of
between 25.OO0 and $4,000 acre feet
and requires only the building of
discharge gate to its natural outlet
tunnel.
The transaction yesterday was COM
pleted by S. j. Gilmore for the Platte
Land Company and the officers of the
reservoir company who were author
lied by the directors to make the pur-
chase. The officials of the Antero &
Lost Park Reservoir Company follow:
H. G. Clark, president; d. C. Wyatt,
vice president; William Mayher. vice
president; p w. Allen, treasurer; Ar
thur d. Wall secretary. and George A.
connected with the company as men,
bers of the board of directors or in
other capacities are: f. j. Relthman,
j. C. Mosher of Greeley C. f. Tew and
S. J. Peary. Those who form the com
pany are all Colorado people, live prin-
cipally in Denver and Greeley and have
been interested widely in other sim
liar projects. P. w. Allen, the treas
urer. is treasurer of Weld county.
The late Abner B. Mckinley, up to
the time of his death, was working to
bring about the purchase of the Antero
a Lost Park reservoir sites by the
High Line Company, but the reverse
has now taken place.