The Parker post., 1914-07-18
FIGHT FOR
LEADERSHIP
THE CHUCIkAWALLA PROJECT
COMPRISES A QUARTER OF A
MILLION ACRES OF LAND CON-
TlGUoUs TO THE COLORADO.


awalla and Palo Verde Irrigation AS
sociation has ben carried to Wash
ington by Harold A. Gilman, an at
torney and former secretary-treas-
urer of the concern. Now there
looms, in Los Angeles, another round
in the spectacular struggle of 600
the general wreck of their long de-
ferred hopes, says the Los Angeles
Times.
The Chuckawalla project comprises
a quarter of a million acres of arid
land contiguous to the Colorado river.
1t is individually owned, though the
owners have formed the association
for irrigation purposes. The associa-
ton is sleeping under a blanket res
pite from the COVE ernment, extending
until 1916, the time for making proof
on the settled land.
Until that time, perhaps, there will
be no activity in the great tract.
Some day, however, the owners hope
to see the land worth great fortune
by virtue of the diversion of water
from the Colorado river with govern
/, ment aid.
The Chuckawalla has had a career
as varied and spectacular as that of
any tract in the whole history of set
tied lands. The whole feature of the
project depended upon the outcome
of a dream to dam the Colorado river
above Parker and flood the land with
irrigation water. The settlers who
went into the scheme believed that
this could be accomplished but the
government, whose aid was necessary
to carry it out, turned it down as not
being feasible
This left the members of the asso-
citation who had banded together to
further their interests i'm a ticklish
situation in 1912. Failing to get
their government or state aid to
bring water to the land, the assOcia-
tion members pledged themselves in
1912 to raise $6,OOO,0OO to build
pumping station sufficient to water
100000 acres. But the money was
never Forthcoming and the settlers
were compelled to ask for an exten-
sion of time in which to make proof
of Improvement of their property.
They were given three years from
March, 1913, by act of Congress.
The original plan by which the en-
tries to the land were secured had
been fathered by the Chuckawalla
Development Company, now extinct.
1t was this company that undertook
the gigantic task of building a dam
across Bull Head Canyon, above Par
ker, using the power developed at the
dam to transmit to pumping station.
The government engineers reported
that there was no bedrock at the
point upon which to anchor the dam.
Two years remain for the settlers
to perfect their claims under the gov
ernment laws, and in that time the
association hopes to see passed by
congress the Newland bill. This is
the remaining hope of the associa-
ton
Believing that the government will
do this and seing in it's possible per-
formance a great raise in the value
of land, those who have had any con-
nection with the association are re-
luctant to quit.
Wherefore the fight for control Mr..
Gilman, now in Washington, repre-
sents some of the directors l.. V.
Shepherd who succeeded him as sec
retarytreasurer, has warned Con-
gressman Raker that Mr.. Gilman re-
presents no authority in the asso-
ciation.. Gilman was in office for
a month. The new directors elected
by the association elected Mr. Shep-
herd in his place last November.
Friends of Mr.. Gilman assert that
they will carry the fight for control
into the courts, if necessary, to es-
tablish their rights. Mr.. Shepherd,
on the other hand, says that the as
sociation has declared the Gilman
element out of it.
A Big Pumpkin.
A fine specimen of a pumpkin was
on exhibition at the bakery in this
place during the week. 1t weighed
27 pounds and was grown at Philip