The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-04-03
Word Passed That Waters of
Mink Creek Must Be Di-
yerted to Farms.
THIS WOULD CAUSE THE
DESERT TO BLOSSOM AS ROSE
Desert Has Been Watered, Not
From Mink Creek, but by
WOmen;s Tears.
BY STAFF CORRESPONDENT.

DAYTON, Idaho, April I'm the
snrinq of 1901, all that portion
OF Upper Cache valley, north OF weston,
was practically unirrlgated, save Tor
The small and intermittent streams that
flowed through it. These were all ap'
propriated. and there lay some 3O,ooO
acres of available land destitute or
water; which, if irrigated. would be
most valuable The scattered popula-
lion was wholly Mormou-good, falth.
full tithe-paying, believing members OF
the Church of Jesus Christ OF Latter
day Saints, leading the severely simple
life, obeying the Word of Wisdom; IN
many cases following the example OF
Joseph +. Smith in living their religion
in that they had married many wives,
and were continuing TO do so-ooeylng
without a murmur the counsel OF the
priesthood, which was presided over by
his satanic majesty, George G. ParkIn-
SON. who held the honor in the state
Of Idaho as regent of the state unlVer
city at Moscow; while Arthur W. Hart
presided over the Young Men s Mutual
Improvement association, and greater
scoundrels that this evil pair have not
been seen,
In the spring of the year 1901, word
was passed down through the meeting
houses of the wards; the school houses
of the districts, the Mutual Improve
ment associations, both for the young
men and women alike; the Relief asso'
Citations; the prayer circles; from mouth
TO ear, wherever Mormon met Mormon,
that their one salvation, both here and
hereafter, was the diversion of the wa
tiers of Mink creek; the construction of
q sufficient ditch TO bring such waters
finally to rest upon the bosom of the
earth in the Upper Cache valley; and
that complete the settlers JOY would
thereupon ensue and the desert of the
past should blossom as the rose in the
future. That desert has been and is
now being watered not with the waters
of Mink creek, but with the tears of
the mothers and daughters that remain
in the Oneida Irrigation district.
With the priestly word gone forth,
President Parkinson of the Oneida
stake, and his other and even more evil
self, Arthur W. Hart, both of Preston.
neither as yet having any interest In
the lands to be irrigated, came to the
front. and at meeting held In the
Dayton school house. sought subscrip-
tions for the stock Of the Oneida Canal
company, limited as forerunner to
another and later incorporation. Right
here it may be Just TO say that the
people. most of them, are poor AS any
must be who, living on dry farms, still
pay 1.-THE of ali they earn to those.
who like Parkinson and Hart. render
no account of their stewardship, which
may convey anything Of truth 10 the
payer OF the tenth
Game of Graft Begins.
AT this very first meeting. presided
over by Parkinson, the game Of graft
began, and which from that day to
this has tainted IN some wav almost
every transaction of the company. its
heirs, assigns and SUCCESSORS The first
man TO tender his virtual donation, or
who agreed to take stock in the con
cern, was one Jack Murdoch, who sub
scrlbed 800, for which he gave his
promise to paw, and which he redeemed
a few DAYS later. For the DELAY, he
was charged 25 cents accrued interest.
as shown by the receipt in his posses
sion; and the credit TO his account
shows only Sl00. The money was paid
- Arthur W. Hart. the president of the
Young Men S Mutual Improvement as
sociation Of Preston, Ida, and the secre.
iary OF the newlv-incorporated Oneida
Canal company, limited. This was the
very first monetary transaction Of the
organization, and the faint of graft
was already seen.
During the ensuing months engineers
were employed. SURVEYS made. and the
feasibility of the project proven. Esti-
mates were rendered for the cost of the
port of Auditor Rumel upon the point
shows that there were subscribed to-
ward this preliminary work S2672.S3 in
cash There also appears to have been
donated one cow. the disposition of
which is not stated; but should the
Sheriff look closely, il might be found
no doubt in Preston.
Commission Twenty Per Cent.
On September 8, 1902, at a mass meet.
ing held in DAYTON, Ida. the officers OF
the Oneida Canal company, limited
transferred all their holdings, whether
OF water filings on Mink creek rights
of'way, map and plats-everything they
owned-lock. stock and barrel, to the
Oneida Irrigation district for the sum
the stock subscription Of $2672.s3 and
floating indebtedness OF S2I22.T2
making total of $5395.55 The differ
ence, s1604-45, must have been credited
to Parkinson and Hart for commission
amounting to 20 per cent.
About this same time the officers oi
the district were declared elected. Ar
Isaac Bright. director. district 2; A
D. Henderson. director. district 3
Stephen Callan, director, district 4
Peter Nicholson, director, district )
OF these, A. D. Henderson was mad
president. About this time Evadnue be
came the plural wife of the lecherou
thief. Arthur w. Hart Isaac Bright
Stephen Callan and Peter Mickelso
were just Mormon nonentitles. subordl
mates In the priesthood to Hart an
Parkinson.
Faith Strong, Works Abiding.
With the organization Of the distric
apparently complete the next step wa
to drive the work. Public enthusiasm
was at it's zenith. The settlers of tn
district no longer gauged each other b,
their standing in the priesthood-fait
might be strong, but works were NOR
abiding. The prime factors in the com
munity were expressed in Terms o
teams and scrspers. convertible MONTH
into cubic yards of earth and rock, i
turn to be cashed into dollars and cent:
materially; while spiritually, all tn
hlessinps of timn and eternitY shnul