Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1910-12-09

out of Rogue river above the Golden
Drift dam. which has been in use for
several years by the Golden Drift
people, and thus attempt to ruin the
Golden Drift company, If it could be
done, only after years of litigation
and the people going without water.
Now that the Golden Drift plant
is to be repaired it appears that the
practical thing to do would be that
the Golden Drift people, through its
receiver, and the local company be-
gin again where operations were
checked by the flood about one year
ago.
THE eastern investing stockhold-
ers have no matured plan as to the
irrigation situation other than the re-
pairing of the dam and preserving
the water right, except that they want
to keep their contracts and meet their
obligations to the public, which the
receiver Is In a position to do. not
withstanding the litigation, and that
1t will not be difficult to devise a
plan whereby the receiver will be
able to supply water to all those who
want 1t, as the Golden Drift has an
abundant supply to sell and will be
in position to make use Of 1t.
The new permanent work on the
dam will be the building of sub
stantial wall along the north end
OF the power house now exposed, in
to which the timbers of the present
structure will be tied AT right an
giles with that wall and across the
break where the river now runs will
be built substantial reinforced con-
crete water wall, through which will
be flood gates, and back Of this wall
VIII be pump house, all of concrete,
80 feet square, which will hold two
big pumps like the one the company
now has, so that there will be one
pump for each side of the river and
so that water can be pumped to both
sides of the river at the same time.
AS the bottom of the present cut
made by the water is down to solid
granite, that low level will be pre-
served by three big arches the ton
of which will be the floor Of the pow
er house, and will be big enough to
drain the river at any time, except
at flood stage. North of these three
lower gates will be three more
arches with iron flood gates at
higher grade where the bed rock
raises and one of these gates will be
used for the intake of the gravity
canal, taking the water directly out
of the river. From these gates the
gravity ditch can be filled 10 over
flowing and still be three feet high
er than the old intake and not me-
cessltate any flume. and 1t will be
flood proof. The first 900 feet of
the gravity ditch will be through
natural channel in the granite which
will be enlarged to the desired cap
acity.
| believe the Josephine County
Irrigation & Power company should
Immediately buy a steam shovel and
go to work on the bitches, as they
could, working three shifts with four
men each, make great headway and
build a substantial system before Jun
LIST, and all OF the land near town
would be covered. Wet weather does
not interfere with steam shovels.
"In the meantime, and before the
next irrigation season, the water
rights in Rogue river will be adju-
dicated as set out In the petition for
receivers certificates. The tribu-
Drift dam is diverging dam for an
irrigation system installed by the To-
taries of Rogue river have all been
surveyed and early the coming year
the board of control, state officials
whose business It is to regulate the
water In the various streams, will
pass on all the water rights in Rogue
river, and through this last court or
der, allowing the repair OF the Golden
Drift dam, the owners Will make
showing that will not only show the
use Of the water for several years
past, but actual use and approprla-
tion. There is nothing that could
lnjure north Rogue river valley more
than the loss OF these waters, and Il
is the interest OF every citizen that
these old water rights be preserved.
Mr.. A. e. Reames will make such
showing that the Golden Drift water
rights will be established for all
time to the people Of this locality"
The receiver is authorized TO take
up all the former certificates and is-
sue In their place the present series
THE court instructs that the plain.
tiff or their apanta auhiac4 10 thn