The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1914-04-09
BIG LOST RIVER
SYSTEM SOLD

The Fig Lost river irrigation sys
TEN with its dam at Mackay, its fine
system Of cement canals and laterals
its drops and headgates, a system in
which it is claim d that practically
81 900, 900 has been invested. went
to the. Utah Construction company Sat
urday afternoon fer $4,000.
The property was sold by Rec liver
James Z. Clinton Ct Bose on author
ity conferred upon him by judge Diet
rich of the federal court to satisfy
Ii ms aggreea ting $650,000 held ty the
Corey Bros. Construction company Of
Ogden.
There was but ono bid, that of $35.-
600 by Ralph E. Hoa2, president Of
tn Utah National bank iof Ogden.
This lid was made on behalf of the
Utah Construction company, that will,
it is understood, complete the project
and protect the interest of the Corey
Bros. CONSTRUCTION company.
Warning to Purchasers
An unexpected and rather sonsa-
tlonaI developme mt CT the sale was
the warning served On all prospective
bidders by w. II. Puck tt of Boise J,
member CT the law firm OF Hawley,
Puckc,tt & Hawley. This warning was
40 cff hot u Ion if.h
the Mackay dam stands and some
800 acres surrounding it is the pro-
perty of c. c. Davidson, that he pro
posed To protect his rights III the
matter, and that whoever bought tho
Big Lost river project bought it at
his own peril and subject to these
conditions.
The sale was call d from the steps
of the courthouse promptly at 1880,
according to the terms of the adyer-
tisement Tn re were present from
outside, in addition to Receiver j. E.
Clinton, Ralph E. Hcag Ct the Utah
National bank, Judge H. H. Hender-
son, attorney for Corey Bros, w. H.
Corey, head Of the firm, and o. B.
Gilscn of the Utah Portland Cement
company, all of Ogd n, and w. H.
Pickett of Boise
W. H. Watts, head OF the Utah
Constructor company, announced the
last time he was in Boise that he
would not purchase the Zig Lost river
project at any price until it was dem
cnstrated to his satisfaction that the
Mackay dam would hol ! water, CT
until it was demonstrated that tn r.:
was some other feasible reservoir site
On the project.
On the strength of this statement
the state land board sent State Engi-
neer Frank |. King to make a thor
ough insp -ction CT conditions at
Mackay. This he did. What he found
has not been made public, for the rea-
son that Engineer King has not sub
mitted a report But as he. had a cen
ference with w. H. Watts in this city
since his inspection, it is presumed
that his report was such as 10 induce
Watts to buy.
1t has bcen given out right along
that if the Utah Construction com
pany bought the project that the. work
on the system would be rushed to
compilation and that the land would
soon be colonized from Utah and
southeastern Idaho. Under the irri-
cation system there is a body Of 80 ,GG(
acres, said to be unexcelled in thl
west.
The Mackay dam has been the bone
of contention around which most OF
the troubles of the Big Lost river pro
ject have rovolved. This dam has be- II
declared unsafe by some engineers aid
safe by others. Water is said to pass
undcr it when all of the gates arc
closed. 1t has figured prominently in
politics in this state. The Corey Bros.
Construction company had charge OF
it's construction and is said to have
spent $65O,OO0 on it and the project.
Several years ago the land board CT