Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-11-09
NO SETTLEMENT in
WATER MATTER AT
Meeting MONDAY
Water Users Shy at Organ
izing District
McPHERSON'S TALK
FAILS IN RESULTS
Ranohers on Tract Give Reasons for
Refusal to Bind Themselves at
This Time - Not Enough
Water in Camas Watershed

WdJSI III Odllldh WhJtISu6u
The meeting of the water users
held Monday afternoon in the court
room at the court house failed to
father any plan for the settlement
bof the vexing problems which now
'confront the ranchers on the Noun
tain Home tract.
These are sad words, but the un-
vanished truth.
Alex Mcpherson, who has interest
ed himself in the forming of an irri-
cation district here, was the first
speaker of the afternoon. He stated
before launching into his talk that
he would probably tread on the toes
of some of the users, but that his
idea was to wake them up from the
legarthy into which they had fallen
He went on to state that he had been
familiar with conditions on this tract |
for the last thirty years, and he
stated that the farmers were in no
better condition as class than they
were thirty years ago, except that
their number had increased. He said
that two-acre feet of water was not
enough; that the water users should
endeavor to find out just how much
water was in the Camas watershed
and how much land at three acre-feet
this water would cover. He also re-
marked that the people of Boise and
other towns were more interested in
the development of this tract than
the ranchers here seemed to be, and
asked them pointedly if they were
dead, or so discouraged that they
could not rouse themselves and get
busy in their own interests. He told
his hearers that a trust deed had
been issued in the past for the sum
of 100000, and that over $3.50, 900
in bonds were at the present time
on record in the Elmore county court
house as a lien on their lands and {
water rights. He urged them to I
form a district so that they could ]
talk business and stop milling around
without accomplishing anything, His t
talk did not seem to set well with a |
of the water users. C
General D. A. Utter was the next ,
speaker. He stated that while he
was not a water user himself, still I
le felt great interest in the welfare Z
If the ranchers on the tract. He D
lad listened with a great deal of in
crest to the talk of Mr. Mcpherson, r
md said that he had uttered many
ruths, but as an engineer he was
bliged to state that in his opinion
he Camas reservoir when full would
rrigate but 5000 acres of land with pr
hree acre-feet. He urged his hear Il
rs to have nothing to do with any p
cheme which was predicated upon 81
hree acre-feet Of water for this en- W
Ire tract, and remarked in his char tl
cteritic manner: 1T matters not tn
hat the Zion bank is interested in II
ais matter If it were to be carried tr
p past Zion to the very throne of
eaven, I would tell them to go to Gi
ELL" tn
Dan Mclaughlin followed the Fl
eneral and he at once took issue be
ith the statement of Mr.. McPher- 20
IN that the bonds on record in the H,
,unty court house were a lien on me
e lands of the settlers He cited
! extract from the constitution ne
hich upheld this view. He was of ap
e opinion that the Bradys had sold All
cir rights in the water system, and be
at it was useless to try and treat W.
th them. He was frank in his It
of a receiver for the ir-
cation system, and said that the a
oper thing for the water users to VIZ
at the present time was to "sit Le
sht" gre
John Gaines wanted to know if Poi
e committee of water users had thi
y plan which they wished to fol-
v in the settlement Of the problem. get
Mr.. Himebaugh was of the opin- tbi
] that there was not sufficient wa
in the Camas watershed for the j
ct, but admitted he was without a We
n for the untangling of the snarl. cas-
D. z. Norell stated that he had a b
ended about 100 water users wei
tings in late years, that nothing ava
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