, 1912-04-25

AAsA
FRENCH CREEK PROJECT WINS
dov:rn me az S.ss into wyoming and Recommends List No.
thins Settled Nothing to Stop French Peopie Now
Cheyenne Leader, April 20, 1927
State Land Commissioner Hopkins received some good 10 Lotto
yesterday evening iu the following telephone from Senator Warrsu.
Washington, d. @, April 10Th,
State land commissioner
The General Land Office now proposes On the strength Of Recls.
nation Chief Newells letter referred to in my telegram of YESTERDAY
recommend to the Secretary of the 1 terror the approval of French
Creek list No. II for 3,S46 acres with the proviso that the state rsl;n
pushes something like $4,000 acres in list No 20, as understood tn be
proposed by the state or the French Greek people, leavin, "a 7 o m in
formed, about $1,000 acres net, the amount beretofore dso;doa 80
Ii agreeable to you kindly inform Chief Engineer Davis.
(Signed) F. f. WARREN.
He Immediately wired Senator Warren this rsplv:
April l9, 1912.
Hon F; j.; Warren
Very much gratifed at action of General Land Office in receding
from it's position. Conditions stated in your message same as here.
bfore agreed upon and satisfactory. congratulate you and than
you.
sc HOPKINS,
Commissioner.
The change III front by the General Land Office is of GREAT i'm.
porance to Wyoming. Not only does it mean the irrigation of
thousands of acres in the upper Platte Valley, but it forms a prece.
dent which is invaluable. 1t means that Wyoming will be able to
get the benefit of the waters of streams above the great government
DAMS which lie in Wyoming but which store water for the irrigation
of lands in other states. Heretofore the government has claimed
prior rights n the waters of all the streams which feed the storage
reservoirs.
Both Senator Warren and Mr. Hopkins have worked hard on this
proposition and are to be congratulated on the outcome. 1t is a
signal victory for Wyoming.
In order to prove, beyond the question Of a doubt, but what Sena-
tor Warren has been constantly looking after the French Greek Seq
rgation all the time since the LIST of last August, and not neglecting
the matter in any way, as has been asserted by some of the democratic
press, we make the following clipping from a private letter to a citizen
oft this town under date of April IL, 1912:
81 have been endeavoring to assist the French creek people to
obtain the approval of their segregation from the moment my atten-
ton was called to It'll in August last up to the present time. Mr.. Will
son, Secretary and Manager of the French Greek Company, called
upon me in August last when the application was tied up in the office
of the Geological Survey. took the matter up personally with
the Survey, and I think 1 was of some assistance to Mr.. Wilson in
getting the matter straitene1 out. At any rate in a letter written
later Mr. Wilson acknowledged the courtesy which had been shown
him, the letter he wrote being dated August l6, 1911.
Learning aoout this time that Mr.. Dudley, Chief Of the Division
of Railroads and Lands in the General Land Office, the Division have
ing immediate charge of Carey Act projects, wac to be in Cheyenne to
confer with the State Engineer and the State Land Board concerning
pending Carey Act project in Wyoming, 1 wired Mr.. Wilson at En-
cament, suggesting that he get in communication with the State Engi-
ner, aud, if he desired, call on Mr.. Dudley while in Cheyenne.
"At the instance of DR.. Harry Irwin of Encampment l trans
mhted a petition signed by residents of Carbon County favoring the
additional segregation of land to the State for the use OF the French
Creek Company, and wrote DIR. Irwin on August 18th and again on
September 18th, 1911, giving him the status of the case on the latter
date in the General Land Office, and advising him whst steps should
be taken towards having further action taken. In my letter u MIN
Of September 18th, 1 wrote,
If you will advise me when you file your amended application, l
will again take the matter up with the General Land Office and do
what l can to have propmpt action taken upon the same.
"Mr. Irwin did not answer this last letter and my attention was
next called to the cas- by MI. j. A. Whiting, engineer for the French
creek Company at Cheyenne, who wrote me on January IL, 1917, ask
lug for the status at that time of the French creek application. L
Immediately took the matter up again, endeavering to have favorable
action taken on the application, and in order that the state Lana
Board should receive all the information which 1 vas ape to ootain'
sent Mr.. Hopkins, the Commissioner of the Land Board, mior-
nation obtained by me from time to time.