Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1911-08-11
To the Business Men of Grants Pass.

LOu HlAA iN~fAA sAN~
fact that went east last fall and
raised money to put the Colder. Drift
dam In shape to furnish wafer this
season After getting the money
subscribed | returned and actually
commenced work in a big way one
day after the court order, allowing
me to go onto the property was is
sued The winter floods and weather
conditions were such that the work
was not only tedious but it vas ex-
pensive and had to be done then II
water was to be furnished this year.
| had no more than started work
when a vicious attempt was made on
merchants and laborers to intlmidate
them about their pay. While that
condition existed here, the same fore
es were at work In Chicago in an at
tempt to prevent capital being invest
ed in your community, which neces-
STATED my going back there at a
time | could not afford to lea the
work, for the purpose of restoring
confidence This confidence was al
most shattered by the action of the
directors of the Josephine County Ir-
rlgation and Power company at the
stockholders meeting last February,
and by the vicious acts OF several in
dividual members of that board.
Prior to that meeting 1t will! be re-
called | urged the Officers Cf the
Josephine County Irrigation and
Power company to get their bitches
ready to receive water at the opening
OF the irrigation season. They were
unable to do this through Jack of
funds and on their invitation tc furn-
ish the money, | made a proposition
to the directors to purchase the ditch
es and they turned 1t down and at the
February stockholders meeting "lald
II on the table" without putting 1t be-
fore the meeting. This was in face
OF a sentiment among stockholders
that prompted them individually to
offer me thousands of shares OF stock
as gift II | would only furnish them
water this year. which offers we're
declined.
During my second trip east re-
stored confidence In the project and
the community by stating that the
business interests were anxious for
irrigation and had given me good
treatment In spite of adverse COM
ment and malicious efforts to injure
our credit and belittle the work we
were doing against distressing odds.
On my return | again tried to get
these directors to do something on
the dltches and by sheer force of
public opinion forced the issue and
the ditches were finally sold to us
on June 15--twenty-three months af-
ter the last work was done on them
(July, 1909), This public sentiment
! refer to was,expressed at that meet
Ing on June 10 and unanimous vote
was given our offer 10 buy. IL this
vote expressed anything II expressed
the good will of the stockholders and
an endorsement OF our undertaking
The very next day work was push
ed on the ditches and by June 80,
1911, we had water In the Grants
Pass ditch, and the Fruitdale ditch
has since been put In shape to re.
celve water. TO do this work We en-
ployed a force of from 40 to 50 men.
also engaged additional engineer
Ing talent and surveyed the Grants
Pass ditch to Gilbert creek and be-
yond,, as the people wanted this OK
tension made and water service given
this season, The first snag we en-
countcred was getting the tools and
equipment consisting OF graders,
scrapers, rooters, plows, picks, shov-
els, etc, that went with the deal un-
der which we were required to dig
additional dltches, These tools and
equipment were finally located in
the hands of G. II, Garner and ne has
refused 10 honor written order
signed by Secretary Riggs Of the JOS
ephlne County Irrigation and Pow
or company and we have since been
unable to get them aud have actual,
ly had to buy such equipment tor
use ON the Fruitdale ditch, and from
u lack Of this equipment have not
been able to extend the Grants Pass
ditch.
TO make good ON furnishing water
this year We expended for new equip,
ment alone, outside OF concrete work
on dam, over 100000 Since june
10 We have expended over $1,000. 90
on the dltchcs, exclusive of other
work on the dam itsoll aud In tho