Graham guardian., 1909-12-31
RATES OF LEGAL ADVERTISING
DECEMBER 81, 1909.
THE SAN CARLOS DAM SITE

According to petition now &c
ing the rounds of the valley fo
signatures, which is to be sent late
to Hon. Richard A. Ballinger, Sec
retary of the Interior, protesting
against the government giving pri
vate individuals the right to con
struct a dam in the box canyon a
San Carlos, certain individuals pro
pose to locate a dam across the Gill
River at San Carlos for the purpos,
of impounding the waters into
large reservoir, the ultimate pur
pose of the promoters, so they state
is to furnish water supply for irri
eating lands in the Casa Grandt
Valley in Pinal County.
Impounding waters into lake o.
reservoir for the purpose of irrigat
ing lands will appeal to most people
especially the farmer, as yer.
worthy object. But there seem
to be "nigger in the wood pile,
that will probably only come t,
light if the plans of the promoter
of the dam succeed.
In the first place the proposed
height, l42 feet, would mean the
inundation of the entire San Carlo.
basin and the destruction of the
buildings and grounds of the Sar
Carlos Indian Agency. besides sub
merging the tracks, depot anc
yards of the Gila Valley, Globe &
Northern r. R. and the two bridges
that cross the river, which would
practically mean the abandonment
of the transcontinental line dowr
the Gila Valley and through the
box canyon at San Carlos.
In the second place the proposed
height, 142 feet, would not be need
ed If the waters are to be impound-
ed for irrigation purposes only, but
the nigger" makes his presence
known here. A height of 142 feet
would give horsepower sufficient
to operate machinery and electric
light plants, and there would be
very little water left for irrigating
lands, for the reason that to main
tain sufficient horsepower at all
times, some system of returning
the waters to the lake would be put
in operation, and this would have
to be Done because the water supply
is too small otherwise for generating
horsepower for commercial pur-
poses.
In other words, there appears to
be a scheme on foot to secure the
dam site for the purpose of impound-
ing the waters of the Gila River to
generate horsepower and not for
irrigating purposes.
The people of the Gila Valley are
opposed to any such scheme. They
know that there are several good
sites higher up the valley where
water could be impounded to give
a plentiful supply, not only for the
Gila Valley, but for the Casa
Grande Valley also, by creating a
diversion dam on the other side,
and this would not interfere with
the building of a railroad through
the box canyon.
Careful estimates by engineers
show that if the box canyon is given
up by the government for a dam
site that the destruction of proper
ty would amount to over a million
dollars, and that the transcontinen-
tai line, as well as the line to
Durango, Colo, would have to be
abandoned.
In order to make the protest
strong against the granting of this
land for a dam site, it is proposed
to hold mass meeting of the peo-
pie of the Gila Valley in Stafford
next Monday evening, when the
whole matter can be fully consider
ed and resolutions adopted to be
sent to the Secretary Of the Interior.