Arizona republican., 1910-02-26
BIG WAFER ENTERPRISE
Appropriation of Water is Made and Capital at Hand For Construction-Work Will Begin On Ditch at An Early Day

". C Greene and associates have filed an appropriation on all the pre- viously unappropriated water in the Gila river near Florence, and will pro- ceed to construct a huge canal for the irrigation of all that area known as The canal will be designed to extend ultimately as far as the town of Casa Grande; perhaps farther. Mir. Greene. it is understood. has no considerable land holdings there and possibly does not intend to acquire any, his project being primarily a water enterprise for the irrigation of the lands in that sec tiOn. most of which are now patented or held by settlers.
 The above facts are stated on au thority that is believed to be absolute ly reliable and it is also stated that Mir. Greene proposes to begin work at once. The charter of his company calls for the digging of a main canal 200 feet wide for distance of sev- eral miles back from the river. a ditch that will handle practically all the wa ter available in the river at that point
 
 will naturally involve the building Of permanent bed rock dam for the di version of the water The new project is for watering. if 1t secures the patron age. practically the same land supposed to be served by the Casa Grande Canal company. Naturally the project of MT Greene suggests a battle for Suprem acy between the two canal companies.
 John w. Sharpe of this city, when seen in regard to this matter. said he believed the report of the Greene enterprise. Mir. Sharpe is the Ican who sold the Caso Grande Canal company 10 Charles R. Sligh and associates. while the property was in the hands of a receiver. and which receiver is still in charge at the request of the buy CTS. MT. Sharpe says the Slish man. agement has failed tO make the i'm prOvementS promised in fact has done little to carry out the plans proposed. and now Greene and his associates have stepped in and will undoubtedly wage a finish fight. Mir. Sharpe says that half the money spent on the Utopian scheme of a storage reservoir. by the present management of the Casa. Grande Canal company. would have put the canal in good shape and furnished water tO the lands in cultivation un- der it.
 Concerning MT Greene it was mat ter of common report a year or so ago that he was broke and it is true that many of his big mining enter prises did slip away from him. Never theless he was bit prudent during tue days of his prosperity and it is said put million or so away where II would be safe against a rainy day In the wrecking of his plans, however. he saved an immense area of the finest timber land in the world. in old Mex iCO. This il is understood. he has now sold to an American syndicate for big sum. 50 that altogether he is rated as worth between two and three mil lion dollars. eV--n though he is now 9 "comparatively" poor man
 of that amount it would only require the odd change between the millions to build a pretty likely sort of d ditcn. and the gentlemen he is associated with, whoever they are. are reported to have good credit at the banks. The most appealing feature of the case. however. is that MT. Greene. who has rid himself of all his big mining projects. so far as his personal man. agement is concerned. now proposes to personally take charge of the new canal enterprise and push il forward with the same vigor he used in ex- plotting his mines.