The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-12-14
INSPIRING SPEECH
OF A. J. SPLAWN

jects, there is not a man in all the
state of Washington that excells, or
even equals Fl. j. Spiawn. He is
conversant with every issue that con.
fronts the people and his speech at
the court house Tuesday convinced
even the most skeptical on that
point. The court room was crowd
ed to its utmost capacity, the people
were packed in as so many sardines,
there was hardly breathing space,
and yet hundreds were turned away.
In sum and substance Mr.. Splawn
said:
You lost your water in the old
days by quarreling among your
selves and pickering over few dol
lars. 1t should be a lesson to you
Now, | have no axe to grind here but
let me tell you, this is positively your
last chance Below us is the great
Indian reservation with thousands
of acres needing water. Only the
differences between the Indian SER
vice and the reclamation service has
prevented them getting it SO far.
Then there is the big Wapato prof.
ect. then the Benton project and
finally the Yakima high line. Do
you think for one moment these
people are going to quarrel over a
They are just waiting the chance to
say Give us the water and We'll get
the money" Now take this lesson
to heart. 1t is your last chance and
don't throw it away. If you do your
children will condemn you in the
future
He told of starting the plan for
irrigating the Tieton lands and how
he went to Washington and lost out
ing for the Palouse district. how he
had to give it up for two years or
until friend told him that the Pa
louise project was to be turned down
within 30 days. He then told of
how by the filing of the proper data
he was able to interest the depart
ment and how when on Monday
morning he was told that by having
1000 acres signed up the follow
ing Friday. he could push the prof.
ect ahead at least a year. He said
he got busy and by Friday morning
he had $4,000 acres signed up out
of the $4,000 in the district. He
said that the people in Yakima who
had learned the value of water
never thought of haggling over the
price that they simply said Get us
the water and let the price be what
1T may" He told how the TietOn
cost $93 an acre and said that own
ers of land under it would not let
the government have the water back
for several times that cost"
DR.. j. A. Mahan in introducing
Mayor Jack Splawn of North Yakima
stated that not only was he the old
est resident in this valley but that
Splawn came here before work was
started on building Craig's hill and
before the architect had finally de.
cided on the courses of the various
creeks across the valley.
Joe Watson made an interesting
| talk in which he stated he thought
the people should take hold of the
matter at once and push it to a
speedy completion.
w. H. RAIDER, one of the pioneer
| farmers of the valley. said that only
in recent years he had learned that
creek rights were not to be relied
upon and could not be compared
with the canal rights. He stated
that farmers under the various can
ais in the valley realized more per
acre from their lands than do those
who have only creek rights, and this
statement can be verified by most
farmers of the valley.
w. d. Bruton stated that he was
not in favor of the canal as an in
vestment. especially to the farmer
who has a creek right, but he would
not use his Influence to have any
man vote for it Saturday who was
not now in favor of it and advised
all to study the matter over care
fully.
w. #. Sheldon talked at length on
the issue and urged every land own
er TO present solid front for the
bond issue that the majority for it
Saturday may be as big as possible.