The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-10-20

were both pioneers in the fight for
better water.
In June. 1919, Prossoy submitted
| HIS report. lie had Investigated
/ Shell creek. Bird creek. Vcfdlg5s.
| the Arkansas and Grand riycrs and
Spuvinaw. Many insisted that Shell
| creek was good enough for Tulsa,
but pressey rejected It ~ entirely
| Inadequate. Bird creek. Nerdlgris
| and the Arkansas were all rejected
tor the same reason and the Grand
because its water was not entirely
pure. Spavinaw, Pressey. as
the logical place for Tulsa to go for
water.
Tho engineer In his catimate pro-
| yhled for three pump stations aud
| 80 the cost at {5.O0O,OO0. The possi-
mists got busy, but after hitter
/ fght the bond election was called.
I And finally after ono OF the mos.
| bitter contests ever staged IN the
southwest. election dav rolled
around. The bonds carried by a
/ big majority
Then came a hitch. W. Tate Brady
| filed tan Injunction suit ln district
court against Issuance ~ tho bonds
on the grounds that many people
| had voted for them who were not
legal voters and that the city could
not 20 more than five miles beyond
/ Its limits'in any civic Improvement
In the lower courts the Injunction
was denied but 10 was appealed To-
the upper courts where. II was sus-
talucd.
Hut those Tulsans Who had
dreamed "a dream were not dis
outraged, nor were the thousands
who saw possible fulfillmont OF
that dream. SO an amendment TO
the charter. allowing the city to 20
anywhere for It's water. was pro-
posed and this carried In Nosmbvr,
1870, after another bitter fight by
"A big vote This same election pro-
vidod for the mayor 10 appoint four
men on a uonpartisau water board
The present water board was APP
! pointed by Mayor Evans. Then TO-
see II the Spaylnaw plans were feas-'
.blo, engineers were engaged to make
another preliminary survey. after
$4,000 had been voted to pay ey-
penscs. The firm OF Trommol 4
Holway was employed for the pre-
liminary survey
During the lime tho survey was
being made tho opposition 30 Spayi-
nav carried on the fight. Attempting
10 get the city to 20 10 She'll creek.
Finally II was proposed that the city
accept Charles Pages proposition 10
use Shell creek until Spavluaw wator
was obtained. But Pages prOpoeui
was rejected.
Trammcl n Holway made their
report, which stated that sparnaw
was the only adequate supply and
placing the cost OF the entire project
at $G.SO0,00O. Their report discard
ed the pumping stations and suR-
gested the gravity flow system. SIN
the opositlou was not satisfied and
| engaged other engineers 90 go over
the ground and plans of Trn mmel n
| Holway.
The city engaged Col. George W.
| Gocthals. builder Of the Panama
canal, who after careful study ~
the preliminary plans prepared by
| Trammcl & Holway and - trip TO
SpaV.nlw and Shell creek, placed hiH
stamp Of approval upon the noun
tain stream. The Retail Merchants
/ association and other organizations
called in engineers OF their own, who
made the same reporH.
The bond election was called.
After another fight ia which certain
| interests urged the defeat OF the
/ Spaviuaw bonds because they we're
/ too big load for this city. ana at
tho game time suggested She'll creek .
! tho election was held November 20,
| 1921, and the bonds went over by
| "A lnrger majority than before. The
/ success OF the bonds was the signal
| FOR a city-wide celebration.
Again the opposition attempted
| 10 tie up the bonds by q court In
| junction. But before tho case wac
ever heard II was dismissed and the
! slgnor OF the petition explained that
he had been mlslead.
The fret $4,000 900 worth Of
| bonds have been sold at II $4,000
premium. The firm Of Trammcl q
Holway were engaged April ~ OF
| this year az engineers for the prot
| ect. They have completed the final
| survey and are overseeing tho Job
/ Of construction.
Tho work of building the dam,