The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1914-09-24
PROPOSITION TO FINISH
BIG LOST RIVER PROJECT


Construction company of Salt Lake,
was made to the beard by w. H. Wat
tbs representing that company and in
no uncertain terms was turned down
by the representatives of the set
tiers present, w. F. Rathbun, spokes-
man, and c. c. Sherman The board
took the proposition under advise
ment. The owning company and the
settlers fell out over the proposal of
the former to substitute a new con-
tract annulling the old contracts held
by the settlers, reducing their water
supply from three and seven-tenths
acre feet to two feet The settlers
main grounds for refusal was that the
cut In the amount of water to be sup
Piled would not give them sufficient
water with which to successfully
irrigate their crops.
Long Series Of Trouble
The Utah Construction company
purchased the Big Lost River project
at a receivers sale at HALEY al
most year ago after it had passed
through series of troubles, political,
financial and legal and was left strand
ed with no apparent possibility Of it
being completed. Trobridge & MYERS
first financed the project and lost.
The Corey Brothers Construction COM
pany, which had charge of it's con-
struction and the building Of the Mac
kay dam above tho city of Mackay,
sunk $750,000 into it. The project
went into the hands of a receiver. It's
troubles passed through the federal
district court of Idaho and to and
through the United States court Of
appeal where Corey Brothers Con-
struction company had established the
priority right of their lien over and
above those Of the bondholders who
had spent 100000 in it.
When the receivers sale was held
the Utah Construction company
through Mr.. Watts bid in the prof.
ect for the nominal sum of satisfying
the receivers expenses and court
costs. Since then and up to now a
definite proposition for the compile
ton of the project had not been pre-
sented to the land beard.
What Proposition Is
The proposition as made by
Mr. Watts is substantially as follows:
The Utah Construction company
will proceed forthwith to complete
the Mackay dam at cost of ap-
proximately 100000 and the project
at cost of approximately $4,000, 900
to supply water for $4,000 acres of
land conditioned on the acceptance of
new contract on the part of the
settlers calling for delivery to them
Of two acre-feet of water instead OF
three and seven-tenthsl acrerfeet
which their present contracts call for
to have the use of all surplus water
over two acre-feet as called for in
the new contracts to be used for the
irrigation of additional lands which
the company will ask the state tc
segregate; not to ask for a segrega
ton of additional lands if it is found
that the two acre-feet is not sufficient
to agree to the creation, of board
for the economical administration O
the water over the land; to provide
sufficient water for the settlers t.
raise q crop.
Both Sides Firm
1t was over the proposed new con
tract that the hitch came, placing
the company and the settlers at ap
parent logger heads. Mr.. Watts
made it plain that his people would
go no farther; that the proposition
could be accepted or rejected.
accepted the company will go aheat
with the work. If rejected they wcul'
pass up the project.
The Representatives of the settler
declared in just as definite terms tina
the new proposed contract calling 70
the delivery of but two acre-feet Il
place of the amount of water calle
, for by their cid contracts would no
3 be accepted by one out of every hur
dred settlers; that they had los
enough money in the project to ris
placing more in it; that the forme
companies had not lived up to thei
0 contracts but had, through their fai
0 ure to deliver water, ruined them
. that they had purchased a "gol
: brick" once and did not propose
0 do SO again.
w. F. Rathbun set forth that
had been demonstrated on the ira
= where land has an underlayer of or
vel and where in the summer h,
& winds prevail that two acre-feet