The Parker post., 1913-02-01
HOMESTEADERS
HOLD MEETING
(Palo Verde Valley Herald }

Twenty-Five homesteaders who live
i'm that part of the valley which is
adjacent to the town of Neighbours
signed their names to petition pray
ing congress to grant them a perpetu
al privelage to take an unlimited
supply from the Colorado river
at Black Point intake, at meeting
held in the Neighbours store Tues
day of Last week. They also sign
ed petition protesting against the
bending of the Palo Verde valley
lands for levee district.
The meeting was called by F. F.
/ Nelson and p H. Bodkim. The
motto es signed by these men stated
that the purpose of the gathering was
i the organization of a Bridgeford Ir-
iigation district
= I. Nelson called the meeting to
orde. and after the election cf e. A.
Mcdonald as temporary chairman
and l.. G. Fleischer as secretary. talk
el at length ON the problems of the
valley. He was vehement in his de-
nmciation of the present water com
pamy, classing it with the "lawless
and oppressive corporations of the
country. Nelson's style of oratory and
remarks generally were suggestive OF
the socialist "soap-box orator.
He Introduced letters. received
from director in the reclamation
serVi>" 1T Washington relative to
TIE l,lrans of securing water rights
from the Colorado river. These let
ters were largely devoted to ex-
plalDing the rights of the Yuma and
Imperial valleys to water in the Colo,
rado river and had very little bear
ing on the local situation.
At this stage of the meeting there
was violent protest on the part of
.. majority of those present as they
had attended the meeting with the
.dea of forming a Bridgford district
The suggestion that they form a
private company which for all pur-
poses would be similar to the
present water company did not sound
plausible and P. Fl. Bodkin and F.
F. Nelson who We're responsible for
the plan were forced to compromise
ON the proposition.
Il was finally voted to secure funds
by subscription to retain a lawyer
who should assume the responsible
ty of organizing Bridgford district
and at the same time; to urge con-
gress to pass bill giving the Home
steaders' Irrigation company a right
to water to be taken from the river
at Black Point. This, with the
understanding that the Homesteaders'
Irrigation company should turn all
water rights over to the district after
It was formed
| 1t was voted to make the organiza-
tion of the Homesteaders' Irrigation
company permanent and P H. Bod
kin was elected president, and l..
&. Fletscher, secretary and F.. A. Nc
Donald, treasurer. Meetings are to
he held every two weeks, the next
being a. Rannels.
Nho hio1 ic
In congress is as follows:
ITO grant perpetual rights and
privileges to the Homesteaders' Ir-
rigation Company of the Palo Verde
Valley, Riverside County, California
to divert irrigation water from the
Colorado river at or near Black
Point, being the extreme northern
end of the Palo Verde valley.
BE it enacted by the Senate
and House of Representatives in Con-
gress assembled, that the Homestead
er's Irrigation company, of the Palo
Verde valley, Riverside county, State
of California, be hereby granted the
right to divert water for their pro-
posed irrigation district The same
to be taken by gravity flow from the
river at. or near, Black Point where
solid rock heading is available.
Said Homesteader's Irrigation
company to be organized under the
Bridgeford Act of the State of Cali
fornia''s