The daily sentinel., 1910-04-07
Denver. April /. 1910.
Editor Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
Grand Junction, Colo.


Editor Grand junction Daily Sentinel.
Grand Junction, Colo.
Dear Sir
May | say a few words concerning
an editorial which appeared in your
issue of March 2Gth under the cap
tion Republican Land Board Loses
Million for State"
The point OF the editorial is that
while Henry A. Buchtel was COVER
nor. the State Land Board of which
he was a member, by mis- aid sold to
Mr.. A. Z. Reynolds, trustee OF the
Denver university, or to the Fort
Lyon Canal company, in which Mr..
Reynolds was a heavy stockholder,
certain reservoir sites for $3.50 per
acre, which 1t Is said If not sold.
would have been worth to the state
at least one million dollars. Just
why Mr.. Reynolds was described as
trustee of the Denver university,
of which as 1t is well known, Mr..
Buchtel then was and still is, the
Chancellor, is not entirely plain, un-
less IL was to insinuate that the in
ducing cause of the giving away OF a
million dollars of state property, was
the fact that the beneficiary was a
trustee of the governors university.
But be that as 1t may. the serious
thing Is that the editorial youches
for the story that through the assist
anc9 Of Governor Buchtel, Mr.. Rey-
nolds either directly or as a heavy
stockholder in the Fort Lyon COM
pany, obtained and profitted by what
the state lost, which 1t Is said was
| the great sum of one million dollars.
This is very serious charge-ser-
ious to Mr.. Buchtel, serious to Mr..
Reynolds, serious to the state, and II
untrue, il ought to be serious to the
editor of The Sentinel.
| Now, what are the facts? | think
| | can give them with tolerable ac-
curacy. There are about three hun
dred and sixty owners of lands in
| Otero. Bent and Prowers counties
who own the Fort Lyon canal through
which they obtain water diverted
from the Arkansas river, for the irri-
cation of their holdings. They in
corporated themselves as the Fort
Lyon Canal company to secure an
organization which might make and
collect assessments and expend the
same in the care, management and
/ Improvement of the canal. The com.
pany they formed Is strictly mutual
II neither buys nor sells water rights
nor does 1t in any way shape or form
make profit for its members. 1t Il
absolutely limited in its operation.
to the government and improvement
of the canal and its reservoirs, for tn,
sole and only use and benefit of ths
lands lying under 1t.
Mr.. Reynolds is land owner nm
der the canal and therefore a mem
ber of the company, and 1t Is prob
able that at the time of the trans
action referred to, he was n directo
"a position which is held withou
pay or reward. The canal is on,
hundred and twenty miles long, ant
his land is but few miles below tn,
intake, and his only source of waite
supply is from the water taken int
the canal from the Arkansas river
The water stored in the reservoir sit'
purchased from the state, cannot b'
used on his land, being available Unl!
for lands under the canal east o
Horse creek
When Mr.. Reynolds appeared be
fore the land board, he was accom-
panied by two other gentlemen, IN,
was Mr.. John X. Mullen. the othe
the writer of this letter. We haC
been appointed by the canal compan,
as committee to appear before tn,
board and present reasons why tn,
reservoir site should be given to tn,
company, or at least sold at fai
price. Mr. Mullen is or was a Dem
ocrat-if that means anything in con
nection with the history of thi
transaction-Rnd either by himsel
or the milling company which h
represents. was the owner of larg
body of land under the canal Ii
fact, ] think he represents much NOR
land than Mr.. Reynolds. Besides
his land was east of Horse creek: ant
therefore, he secured some advant
ages from the Horse creek reservoir
| may also incidentally say of Mr.
Mullen, that he is one Of the bes
and purest men / have ever known
and not likely to be a party to an,
fraud practiced upon the state, o.
even to accept the benefits of fra "
perpetrated by others | also held
| l6Q acres of land east of Horse creek
and was therefore "particeps Grim.
inis' with Mr. Mullen In uartaking OF
the benefits of the purchase. we
then believed and claimed that the
state of Colorado as. to its lands
should follow the policy adopted b,
the general Improvement, viz: give
a right of way for bitches, canals and
reservoirs to those who wefs willine
to build works of reclamation.
The board, however. refusal g.