The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1915-08-12
TAKE LONG TRIP
North Side News.)

Lake SlOId5S ISSSTNOlI III w yOmlnS
the party having left here on Wednes-
day evening of last week. Those ii
the party were: Mr.. and Mrs. r. Il
Shepherd and daughter, Irene, A. }
Wiley, consulting engineer of the Nortl
Side company, and Dick Mcdowell
chauffeur. The trip was made in ths
companys six Buick car.
The route lay by way of Richficld
Arco, Idaho Falls and Ashton. Tho
trip from RichfeId to Ashton going
was made in one day, the distance be
ing nearly 300 miles. Leaving the
valley of the North Fork of the Snake
river at Ashton, the trip was made
over the government road going in.
and coming out by the Teton pass
route by way of Victor-the same trip
taken last month by the North Side
editors on their trip to the lake. The
distance of the trip is close to 600
miles. Coming out, the ladies quit the
party at the railroad as they were
pretty well fatigued by the journey
Dick Mcdowell. who has driven autos
wherever an auto is presumed to be
driven, admits it is a strenuous trip,
II little the most strenuous of any he
has ever undertaken. Local showers
fall every day in the higher attitudes
about the lake, keeping the roads wet
and slippery and preventing some mud
holes from drying up. The party ex-
perienced the same delights of siding
roads, high centers and unavoidable
mud holes that the other party from
hero did, but they made the trip and
to make it by auto.
En- route the party was met by +.
f. Weymouth, government supervis-
ing engineer and the engineers and
Mr.. Shepherd thoroughly inspected the
work and went over it carefully with
Engineer Banks and Superintendent
Grove. Mr.. Shepherd is highly pleas
cd with the work, and is very compli-
mentary of the ability shown by the
men in charge. especially of the re-
sourcefulness and ingenuity of Super
intendent Grove in planning and exc
cutting the work laid out by the engi-
neers.
The plans of handling the immense
fill known as the dixie have been chang
cd somewhat since the visit of the
North Side editors, and Mr.. Shepherd
states that since this has been done
he is willing to go on record with the
statement, that barring an earthquake
or some other cause not now forseen
which it would be impossible to cir
cumvent, this tract will have 10000
acre feet of its own storage water
OF 1916.
En- route to the lake Mr.. Shepherd
observed closely the water conditions
of the agricultural sections of the
North Fork of the Snake river above
Idaho Falls, and he confirms the opin-
ion of the North Side editors that there
is wanton waste of water by the
users in that country. He stopped and
talked with some Of them along the
way going in and in many places found
the users quite arrogant and indepen-
dent concerning the needs of anyone
else. But he is going after the situa-
ton vigorously and believes these US
ers can be shown that such a needless
waste of valuable water cannot be
practiced. AS a result there will be
today between representatives of the
North Side company, of the govern
ment users on reclamation projects be-
low Idaho Falls and the users COM
planned against and it is likely that
vigorous and effective steps will be
taken to convince the water hogs of
the upper country that there is some
one else on the river entitled to con-
sideration.
A great number of the people on the
upper reaches of the river appear to
be still laboring under the long ex
ploded theory that they own certain
amount of water and can do what they
want with it-waste it or dissipate it
or withhold it-regardless of anyone
luSII s.suo lBql 81 Mou eInI eqL '9sI9
to water is determined absolutely by /
beneficial use, and unless such use is
made of it water may be denied such
claimant. 1t is very likely that the
various interests which could and I
would make beneficial use. of this wat
er will be able to stop this waste and
put this valuable natural element to
beneficial use.
W. B. Kurtz Of Portland was in the
citv Sunday the g1lest Of r A Rlaclx-