Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1916-07-17
RULE
BLESSING To
WATER-USER
LAWYER MORLEY GRISWOLD
SHOWS HOW TO ADJUST
FARMERS RIGHTS

MORLEY GRISWOLD, attorney for
the ranchmen OF Star Valley, has sue
ceeded. by Golden Rule methods. in es-
tablishing the water rights OF the resi-
dents Of that community The Girls
void plan avoids long and expensive
adJudications and protests. Star Val.
ley residents are being. congratulated
for having established their water
rights as between themselves, and for
showing the rest of the county what
community spirit and neighborly good
will really amounts to.
Star Valley is the only valley on the
Humboldt river and its tributaries. at
the present time. that has its water
rights settled, and settled to the sat
is faction of all those Immediately con-
cemed.
The Griswold plan has done away
with ill.feeling among neighbors in
Star Valley over water questions. and
saved the users a large expense. 1t
brought results, the farmers say, far
more satisfactory than anything that
could have been accomplished had
they gone into protests and adpudica.
tions, for each of the witnesses at the
hearing felt perfectly at liberty and
was allowed to tell all that he knew
about the respective water rights.
Water Users Get Together.
One Of the persons interested In the
Star Valley settlement was asked to-
day for a statement OF the main Idea
OF the Grlswold plan. He said:
"Mr. Morley Griswold was attorney
for the water-users. His plan was
common-seisible = simplicity itself-a
plan based upon the Golden Rule, and
II works TO perfection.
Through Mr.. Griswold's kindly in
fluence, several of the waterusers of
Star Valley expressed a desire to have
their respective waterrights settled
peaceably and without protest or ad-
judication before the State Engineer
They entered into an agreement be-
tween themselves to adjudlcate the
matter amically, as good neighbors
should, and TO see if they could not
arrive at proofs of their water rights
that would be satisfactory to all the
residents on Star Creek any its tribu-
taries.
"On June II. the water.users all met
in the hall at Deeth and reviewed their
respective rights. The proofs Of each
were carefully considered by all OF the
water users of Star Valley and a dis.
cussion followed concerning the date
when each piece OF land was put in
cultivation. The recorded water rights
of the various users also were ex.
amined and the recorded rights were
discussed
THE respective waterusers agreed
on the number of acres of land In cul.
tivation on each of the respective
ranches and the date VIXEN the land
was put in cultivation.
"The number OF acres and the date
when the land was put in cultivation
was decided on a fair basis and TO the
best knowledge of the respective wat.
cruisers. .'1
"The whole matter was settled
amicably and to the satisfaction of
every wateruser In the valley
'In many cases where the present
owner had not been on the ranch for
many years, he simply turned his
proofs over to his neighbors and asked
them to examine his proofs and make
any changes which they considered to
be fair.
I'm no case In the thirty.five did q
conflict arise where the parties could
not settle the matter among them.
selves. It was satisfactory not only TO
the owner, but also TO his neighbors.
THE State Engineers task Of ad.
Indicating the waters Of tho Humboldt