, 1922-11-15
SUNSHINE DAM WILL
PROVE NIGHT MARE,
SAYS D. B. Mann
Meeteetse Rancher Answers OF.
to Man Who Believes Reser-
yoir Benefit to GrybuII Valley

Mr.. FRED Harmon OF Otto, Wyo.,
who takes exceptions to my letter UP
on the building of the Sunshine dam,
boasts of being an old resident and
declares that he has watched the pro-
gress of the valley for 81 years. Any
n who will live in Wyoming for 81
years and then locate upon a dry farm
N want meon to build him a
reservoir to irigate it, is surely worth
listening to.
Mr. Harmon thinks we lost $780,
100000 worth of hay in one year; that
would lei 100000 tons of hay at
1910 per ton, which has been about
the average price, or about 2 tons per
acre for every irrigated acre in the dis,
trict.
l doubt very much il there has
ever been such a crop in the valley.
l do know, however, that Park
county has never had a crop failure.
If there have been failures in this
locality those failures were due more
to the method of farming, or not
farming, b any othe + cause-fail-
ing to get the crops in early, not hav-
ing a ditch large enough to carry the
water when there is plenty of water
for everybody.
There were thousands of feet of
water going to waste as late as July
10th this year, and there was not a
single farmer who could not have
raised and matured a crop before
that time.
He speaks of the thousands of ac
res which could be irrigated but does
not say anything about the thousands
that have been turned into swamps
and made worthless from too much
water. 1t is not the lack of water
lack of proper means of handling it
Good bitches and good manage
ment are all that is necessary.
From Mr.. Harmon's beautiful dream
of sugar factories, of railroads and
such, / fear there may be an awaken
ing resembling a nightmare. Then
he, like others, will realize that there
is but one thing to do-move on
join the exodus-and make roc for
thse who will come to take our
homes for the taxes we cannot pay.
Mr.. Harmon says that efficient en-
gineers declare that the reservoir
will hold. Why wouldn't they say
so? They are getting $4,000 to say
1t.
What is it to them whether ii
holds or not? Is there any one OF
them who would say, when this res
ervoir is completed, and a proven sue
cess, then you can pay me?"
Mr.. Harmon asks what a farmer
can know about such things. If the
Court would permit, l would like to
make a wager with James B. True,
Fred Harmon or any other dry l
er pinIing for a reservoir, that a far
mer's guess Of so cents per cubic
yard for the dam as advertised, is
closer than True's estimate or what
he said he could construct it for.
And 1 will make another wager to
the effect that the reservoir will new
er be successfully built for True's es-
innate.
Love thy neighbor as myself"
says the Good Book. l contend that
this is hard to live up to when your
neighbor is trying in every way to
destroy inc take your property under
the guise of law.
Mr.. Harmon says, 1--WE. "he major
ity of us, want a reservoir" Then
1 ask, why should not 1--WE, the major
ity," pay for what they want as other
people do? Why expect, and try to
force others to build 1t for them?
While wet the majority" may want
this dam, men like the late Constance
Webster. the largest Individual land
owner, and the two next largest
Cicero Avant and George Renner,
with scores of others, are strongly
opposed to It because they know 1t
means ruin to the entire valley.
o. B. MANN.