Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1910-11-04
SANDERS ON IRRIGATION.

II has been learned that certain
gentlemen in Chicago have organ
lied what they style the Chicago
Rogue River company for the pur
| pose of irrigating the land adjacent
to Grants Pass. Geo. E. Sanders,
who is quite well known in this city,
! is the manager of this new corpora
tion and he has recently sent out
letter to large number of property
owners of Grants Pass and vicinity.
This letter is very lengthy and we
are unable TO give it in full but
make the following quotations;
ITO the Fruit Growers and Business
Men of Grants Pass:
Assuming that you are really de-
sirous of promoting the cause of ir-
rigation, We respectfully ask you to
cooperate with us at this time, it be-
ing the most practical and quickest
way to put water on the lands ad-
iacent to Grants Pass.
The primary requisite of an irri-
cation project is to have the water,
and you can ascertain it to be a fact
that the Golden Drift Mining COM
pany has and controls the prior
water rights to all of the water in
Rogue river at its lowest stage and
the low stage is practically the irri-
cation season.
The Golden Drift dam and power
plant will he repaired and available
for pumping water by next spring so
that water can be obtained from this
source for the next irrigation sea-
son by an additional investment and
expenditure of less than $4,000.
This amount will repair the dam,
which can be done at cost of S25,-
600 and give a substantial fund with
which to improve the bitches already
partly constructed, and construct ad-
ditional bitches so that there will be
a system of bitches that will cover all
of the land around the city and the
river bottom lands below Grants Pass
and permit of its irrigation and cul-
: tivation in the year 1911.
, with this accomplished at an early
date, II would be such practical
business-like start on a big irrigation
system, that additional money could
easily be made available for the con
| struction of system of bitches that
| would cover the whole district by the
| following irrigation season, that is
| the year of 1912.
| There are Just two ways open &c
| land owners in the north Rogue
| river valley to use the water OF
\ Rogue River for irrigation or other
l wise: The first is to let the owners
of the Golden Drift property furnish
the water, or let some other corpor
: alton or association do it that Is
willing to buy the Golden Drift Min
i ing companys water rights and pow
III er plant.
III ANY association or company thai
III tries to furnish water other than tn,
III owners of the Golden Drift property
III would have to make an initial invest
N ment of at least 100000; tn,
III amount necessary to acquire III,
III Golden Drift Mining company
III water, water rights. power plant
III pipe lines and the necessary land II
III connection Herewith; in addition e
II which the ditcheseconstructed by III,
III Josephine County Irrigation anC
III Power company must be acquire,
N and the necessary extensions made
III All Of these things must he done b,
III any company or association (othe
III than the present owners Of the Gold
III en- Drift property before water cal
NJ be furnished for the season of 1871
III We have been advised that som
N Of the merchants and land owners o
II Grants Pass are willing 20 put som
h money into any proposition that vii
N bring immediate and permanent irri
II cation That being the situation an
III your present opportunity, as we nm
VI derstand #, We are going TO let yo
II invest with us such money as yo
may see fit'
III This new corporation does not @,
H plain how it acquired the proport
of the Golden Drift company vi
Sanders has for a year past repr,
W sentod me owners Of 100000 shar,
= in the Golden Drift Mining compan'
and as there arc 100000 of th5
v. company's stock issued It is hard {
< understand how this new orcanlz,
Z tion can acquire title 10 the propo
Afv. II Mr. Sanders can show fit'