La Junta tribune., 1909-10-02
FEW weeks ago X. w. Pat
terson left for Chicago to
attend the annual convention


WOV attend the annual convention
~ OF the American Bankers
Association. At present he Is visit
ing his mother In Bloomington. H.
Although La Junta Is out OF sight 1t
! is evident that II Is not out OF mind,
so far as he is concerned. as during
the past week the Tribune has re-
ceived two epistles from him en-.
closing letters that will be OF inter.
est to our readers. The first enclose
a copy Of letter written by Mr.. Pat
terson to the engineers who were
employed to go over the Otero canal
needed to improve its physical condi-
fion. The letter contains much In.
formation concerning the Otero canal.
with some OF MI. .Patterson's opinions.
forcibly presented, as to what he
thinks ought to be done to improve
It's physical condition and insure a
service which neither the acts OF
Providence nor the Negligence of indi.
viduals can put out OF commission.
Mr.. Patterson's letter to the engi-
neers is as follows:
Messrs. Field. Fellows and Hinder
leider, Denver, Colorado.
Dear Sirs: l ordered to be de-
livered to you by the state engineer.
a copy OF the record Of the flow Of
water in the Hollrook. Highline and
Otero canals. during the years 1898
TO 1908 inclusive.
These data, as you observe. are
nei'her accurate nor reliable for the
purpose desired. viz. TO ascertain.
first, the number OF days each year
the Otero was entitled TO receive
water from the river. and second. the
length OF runs when the Otero could
have had 450 feet or more. ! wish
you to know the facts regarding the
water supply from the Arkansas
river for the Otero canal. The table
simply shows the number Of days
the Otero actually received water.
As the canal was very often broken
and out OF repair II was entitled to
receive water often when II II shown
to have received none. By compar-
ing with the Holbrook tLake) canal. q
rough estimate may be made. There
should be an allowance OF something
more than twenty per cent from the
Holbrooh for the Otero. The High
line comes te,ween the Holbrook and
the Otero, but has an old priority Of
seventy.fiye feet or more. so that Il
can not be used to determine the run
Of the Otero.
think there may be an error In
the 1905 III feet, rs l have another
table giving 1t 1t eighty feet.
think II would be safe TO estimate the
flow to which the Otero WAS entitled
about as follows:
Year 1898. 80 days; 1888. 75 days:
1900, 20 days: 1901. 100 days; 1902.
-; 1908. 30 days; 1904. 55 days:
1905. 80 days: 1906. 35 days; 1907.
s5 days; 1908. II days: 1909. so days
10 September IL. 1909.
The above includes the entire flow
for each year. What concerns us
most vitality Is the water supply for
April. May. June and July. the crop
growing season. The canal has no
now In April and but seldom In May.
You will see that during the last
seven years the 1ow viii not average
fUrty days. during these months. You
would probably learn further that
there would seldom be . year when
there would BE- . full supply for more
than thirty days.
The reason I had the above data
sent you and the reason write you
this letter 10 70 impeess upon you the
absolute necessity Of the canals be.
Ing enlarged % - 70 deliver. At the
lateral headgatss. water upon the
bash Of two sscosd feet for each
eighty acres Of land. Allowance
must b. made Tor loss On account Of
.sespase. svaporatios and unsvoidabls
waste, hence. The casal must be sn.
largsd 70 carry this surplus. from the
.stast II aAditioa 70 The above two
second spst. TAsss ars si.7se scrss
70 b. vassssd. Sls watss risAts. vhicA
1t two feet voul1 b s4s fsse u
the canal II enlarged 70 take IN 100
test q ~ hssAgats end . Ioss Of
twenty-five pss esat allowed there
wouA b bue SIS test available. This
would not yisiA enough 70 naks The
water rigAts q ths rate q two seopnd
test. fU
TAs nee1s u ~ river are Osasral.
y short. eetss q but oae wsss -
49, A~s~ n~A A~m>~AA>~a aama ~