The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-03-01
WEIRS WOULD Save
ALL The TROUBLE

ALL lnt IkUUDLE
Hundreds of thousands of dollars
would be saved and neighborhood
rows, hard feelings and endless litiga-
ton would all be avoided If the far
mers on the irrigated tracts of the
state would simply put in a properly
designed weir for the measurement
of their water and keep their flow on
ly up to the mark to which they are
entitled under the water rights, &C
cording to Don H. Bark, engineer in
charge of the irrigation investiga-
tons that the government is con-
Quoting in Idaho.
The cost of one of these weirs is
$3.50. The expense of the litigation
and troubles that ensue over the wa
ter rights runs into the thousands of
dollars, the engineer says.
II am advocating the use of this
simple little box of wood and tin ev-
erywhere that l co." said Mr.. Bark
yesterday. 1T is wonderful how SIM
ply the thing is made. how exactly it
will measure the water that is used
and how it settles all of the disputes
rows, fights, jealousies and general
hard feelings that prevail in many
parts of the state over the water
rights.
Il believe that the farmers ought
to be put on measuring system when
they first settle on the tract and then,
when the country becomes thickly
populated and the value of the water
rises all of the time, they won't feel
that they are being robbed when the
system and business-like methods are
finally adopted. The trouble is SIM
ply that they now are without these
simple devices. and they don't know
the water that they really are getting |
In the more populated districts, where
water is valuable, the farmer believes
that his neighbor is getting more than
his rightful share and is cheating all |
OF the other fellows out of what is
coming to them. If every farmer had |
one of these little things on his main |
ditch, all of that would be settled.
They would know how much was
coming to them and they wouldn't be
able to use any more than that amount
given under their various water
rights.
Weir as a Peacemaker.
II have just returned from one of
the movable schools and have brought
this model weir with me. All of the
time that | have been running around
to these schools I have taken that
model with me and have shown it to
the farmers, explaining it to them and
its magical powers to keep neighbor-
hoods in peace and the spirit of jeai-
ousy out Of them. l believe that they
will use them a great deal this CON-
ing season and that there will be lessi
friction in the future than there has
been in the past.
Il have furnished full information
to all of the farmers in the places
where l have talked and they seemed
to be willing to give the device a trial.
1t is the simplest method of getting
the results and any farmer can make
one ina short time.
Storms Have No Terrors.
AT Aberdeen had surprising ex-
perience that showed me how inter
ested the farmers are in what infor-
nation we have to bring to them. III
1rove from American Falls through a
snowstorm to Aberdeen,
where ! found 50 farmers waiting for
ne to begin the lecture. I was as,.n-
shed. A cold wind was blowing out
ide and the snow was fierce. l said:
Men, l wouldn't drive FIVE miles
through such storm as this and in
uch weather to hear the greatest
nan that ever grew hair on the top
If his head And l wouldn't either.
appreciated that interest and it gave
ne IN ;occ:,,<:or - l>i:,,~. -. - |