The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1914-07-07
GREATER HUM
BOLDT HISTORY

E. c. Mcclellan, president of the
Greater Humboldt Corporation, has
furnished the following information
to representative of the Silver
State:
He stated that he had been con-
vinced of the possibilities for irriga-
tion development in Humboldt val
ley for many years, and felt that
should outside parties secure control
of the surplus water the old water
users would be dominated by them,
but could see no way that might be
able to control new works until the
Carey Act became effective in Ne
vada, and chance was given in the
fall Of 1909
The next summer Bradford Leavitt
came up from San Francisco to visit
him, and learning of the proposed
project, became enthusiastic over it
and offered to get together COM
pany to help work it up; and the COM
pany, composed of Mr.. Leavitt, G. E.
Grunsky, Thos. Fl. Means, Leslie w.
Symmes and VIM. Denman, was Or
ganized Feb. Is, 1911. The follow
ing May Mr.. Grunsky was sent up to
examine and report upon the project,
and after having collected mass Of
information showing the feasibility
from an engineering point, and being
convinced it was also feasible from
financial point, Mr., Mcclellan was
appointed manager of the company,
with full powers to present the plans
to the people of the valley.
Considering that as the project
was to be offered the water users and
residents of the valley, it would be
good thing to have the approval Of
the state officers having charge Of
Carey Act projects, Judge E. 8. Far
rington secured an interview with
Governor Oddie, and went with the
manager to the Governors Office,
when the Governor called Commits
sioner Norcross and General Deadly in
to consultation; and after going into
the plans as fully as they wished, all
questions being answered to their
satisfaction, they expressed their ap-
proval of the plans and promised their
support when the company was ready
to come before them. This was on or
aobut June l, 1912.
Later the plans were submitted to
the late Senator Nixon, Senator New
lands, Congressman Roberts, Senator
Massey and prominent men in Hum
boldt valley, and endorsed by them
all as just what should be done; and
to the best financial authorities in the
state for their opinion, and report by
them that the plans were perfectly
feasible from financial standpoint.
One man in the whole state has
held contrary opinion from all the
rest-the State Engineer. BY some
system of reasoning, he has decided
that it would be dangerous for the
people of the valley to unite in this
work, so he has attempted to stop it
by denying them the right to use Of
the surplus waters. The company has
a number of applications field in his
Office for storage and use of the wa
ter and he has turned them all down
in the following language:
stThis is to certify that I have ex-
amined the foregoing application,
and do hereby DENY the same on the
ground that the approval of this ap-
plication is considered detrimental to
the public welfare
This action has forced the company
to bring suits against him, and while
it has ben detrimental to the country
to have it held up, the final result in
favor of the company has never been
doubted by large number of the
best lawyers in Nevada and Califor-
MIA to whom the question has been
submitted. The courts of other states
have passed upon this point, and de-
cisions made that if there is any sur
plus water in stream bona fide ap-
plicant must never be denied its use.
The people of the upper end of the
valley have financed the costs up to
the present time. but it is the lower
end of the valley that will receive
the principal benefits. While the wa
ter shed and storage reservoirs are
there, the land is not, and the water
will have to be brought down to the
lower end for use The preliminary
surveys have been made and part of
the final, and it is estimated that
81 800 will complete all work neces-
sary to submit to the United States
for segregation of the public land.
Personally, have always con-
sidered this project as trust con-
tined Mr.. Mcclellan, .tto be worked
up by me as well as I could and de-
livered to the people of the valley for
their benefit and the upbuiding of
the valley and state; and have felt
that if | were able to close my life
work with this object in fair way to
completion, I would feel that l had
done something for the good of the
world
John Makris. Western Pacific see-