Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1920-04-02
LINCOLN COUNTY IRRIGATION
PROBLEMS

PROBLEMS
SO many things have been happening
the past few weeks in connection with
our irrigation problems that the Jour
nal has refrain5I from publishing any
thing about it until things seemed TO
have settled down to a working basis
From the chaos that has prevailed the
following seem to be the facts on
which our farmers may rely for their
future actions and farming operations:
When the Idaho Irrigation company
announced some time ago that it had
turned the operation Of the system
over to the Big Wood River Reservoir
and Canal company the Big Wood
company discovered that it had no legal
right to operate the system until au-
thorized by the State Land Board to do
so, which authority was withheld be
cause Of the system not being yet com
pleted. The management of 1he frriga-
tion company insisted that il had turn
ed the operation Of the system over to
the Big Wood company and therefore
refused to take any steps toward the
operation. This resulted in much price
less water going to waste The attor-
neys for the Farmers League then ap-
piled TO the court for a receiver TO be
appointed for the idaho Irrigation com
pany. The Irrigation company then
got busy and changed management. 1t
selected r. E. Shepherd of Jerome, |
president of the company and gave the !
entire management of the company in
to his hands. Upon the promise of |
Mr. Shepherd 10 complete the system |
and take charge of its operation until
it was ready to be turned over to the /
settlers, the court denied the applica-
tion for receiver
Mr.. Shepherd is now in full charge
He has reorganized the mana cement
of the system. Mr.. Kays and Mr..
ScAwaner have resigned as directors ol !
the Big Wood River company and Ben
Darrah and Fred w. Gooding have been
appointed to fill their places on that
board
Bear in mind that the contract be
tween the State and the Irrigation
company provides for the formation OF
the Big Wood River company to be
composed of the water users and that
there are number of other duties for
it to perform aside from taking over
the operation of the system when COM
pleted, and that the appointment of
Ben Darrah and Fred w. Gooding on
the board of directors, with Mr. Sine
already a member, places the control
of the Big Wood company in the hands e
of the members of the Farmers
League. The former management of
the Irrigation company was instrument
tai in the organization of the Big
Wood company and has always man +,
aged to control its board of directors :
so that the Irrigation company could :,
use it as an instrument with which to >
fight the Farmers League. Under the
wise management of Mr.. Shepherd the
appointment of Fred w. Cooling and "
Ben Darrah as members of the direc- s.
.orate of the Big Wood company indi- ii
,ates that Mr.. Shepherd does not Y
propose to interfere with the rights of
he water users to manage their own
lffairs but intends to confine his ac- IL
ivities strictly to the problems con- T;
;erning the Irrigation company. ii
Mr.. Shepherd is q man in whom an fl
vho have had dealings with hold him
n high esteem as man we'll calculated
o untangle the irrigation difficulties III
4 Lincoln county. He will maintain p'
eadquarters at Richfeld ard he will nc
e accessible to every farmer on the w
ract. Below is a letter from him in
Thich ne outlines the plans of the COM
any and suggests lines of cooperation %
n the part of the farmers in view of S''
lie serious shortage of water appa.ant- "
confronting us for the season.