The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-04-28
FIRST WAITE ON
LANDS IN 1916
contract for Building System Let in
1915, Ditch Finished In June
OF Following Year.


Originally the local irrigation pro-
| Iect was organized as dual enter
PRISE. the residents of the west side Of
the Okanogan river taking the first
step toward forming district AS the
movement looked good to the east sid
ers they signifed desire to get into
the game. and the two districts be-
came known as the West and East
Okanogan Valley Irrigation districts.
In the first and crude stage of this
double organization there were two
sets of officials, known as boards of
| directors, II. II. Granger. e. Truax and
Ralph Pheasant constituted the board
of the west side, and r. Fl. Picken, A.
j. Blackler and II. r. Edgerton the
east side board. Then those interested
in securing the water concluded that
the organization was too top heavy
that with two distinct districts the
chances of accomplishing the object
paramount in the hearts of all land
owners were far less favorable than
hey would be by combining, and the
result was general reorganization in
to single district under the name Of
the West Okanogan Valley Irrigation
district
The first board of directors elected
by the land owners under the new
corporation was made up of ii. H.
Granger, e. Truax and Ralph Pleas.
ant. This board conducted the affairs
of the district until January /. 1915.
when l.. F. Pourtales was elected to
fill the vacancy made by the retire
ment OF Mr. Granger. On January l,
1916 Mr.. Pheasant retired, and NJ. X.
Bowen, was chosen to fill the vacancy
February /, 1916, Mr.. Pourtales re-.
signed and Geo. |. Cole was selec ed
to fill the vacancy. The board as or
ganized at the present time consists
of F. S, Beal, president and r. F..
Hershberger and M. V. Picken.
From the organization of the district
Earnest Riste has acted as secretary,
giving his undivided time and atten-
ton to the business of the district
with the exception of a few weeks dur
ing the summer of 1916. when he was
in the east During Mr.. Riste's absence
J. F. Samson acted as secretary Later
Mr.. Samson became director On
account of his unbroken service and
the keen interest he has taken
throughout every stage of the fOrma-
ton of the district Mr.. Riste is an en-
cyclopedia of information regarding
the various acts and transactions of
the several boards, and when any in
formation is wanted, thanks to his
business like and methodical methods
of conducting the office he can at once
turn to the records and produce that
information.
On the It'll day of July, 1915, the
contract for the construction was sign
ed between A. Guthrie & Co., and the
board of directors of the district At
that time l.. f. PourtaIes was chair
man of the board and his associates
were r. Truax and Ralph Pheasant. J.
F. Samson was acting as secretary.
Since the inception of the move
ment those acting as directors of the
district have worked earnestly, faith
fully and with personal disinterested-
ness for the success of the venture,
receiving such nominal compensation
for their services that it could hardly
be dignified by the name of salary.
They have given much of their time
to the work, and have acted in all
things pertaining to the affairs of the
district according to their lights, al
ways having the best interests of the
land owners who are called upon to
pay the shot, in view. Letting such a
contract. representing the expenditure
of 100000 was great responsibility.
and the directors have endeavOred at
all times to secure the best results
for the money expended. And when one
comes to think about it, the handling
of a business involving the expenditure
of so large sum by men not in the
habit of spending money by the thous-
ands in any venture of industry, is a
grave and trying responsibility, one
that few men in the ordinary walks of
life are called upon to assume.
During the several years that the
organization has been in active exist
ence Earnest Riste has held the posi-
sition of secretary of the board, and
this has been no sinecure. Mr.. Riste
has devoted all of his time to office
work, carrying on all the vast amount
of correspondence prior and subse-
quent to the letting of the contract.
and that accumulation of doccumen-
tary evidence of things done, and at
tempted to be done, would fill numer-
Gus volumes Like the several men,
bers of the board Mr.. Riste has been
sustained and supported in his efforts
by the desire to see the enterprise car
ried to successful conclusion, and
now that the end has been reached he
! is just as anxious to see the full adj
vantage taken Of the means provided
| the land owners and every acre unde.
the ditch in state of cultivation and
| ;,nn MT