The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1923-01-05


pounded in a reservoir? Why did
they not call in East Fork farmers
who have full water rights and ask
them whether they were willing to
have their farms subject to a $780,
900 bond in order that sagebrush
lands might grow crops to compete
with theirs? The people are entitled
to know the reasons for these things.
Who is working out the scheme
which they say they will submit in
its entirety? Not the farmers. Not
the men whose farms with full water
rights would be subject to the $780,
900 mortgage. Oh, no, not they. The
farmers might have ideas which
would interfere with someone's pri-
yate jlans. There is no public meet
ing of farmers. There Is no appoint
ment of committees to investigate the
report. For all the world knows, the
three directors and their engineer de-
eide everything behond closed doors,
in most approved star-chamber fash
ion. When they get their plans in
shape to suit themselves, what is to
prevent their calling an election at
psychological moment and saying to
the farmers in effect, Here you are,
farmers of Carson Valley. Here is
delicious morsel we have ready
for you to swallow. 1t is only a
$3.50, 900 bond issue which will be a
lien on your farms with full water
righs and which you will have to
pay If the sage-brush lands cannot do
so. Only the lands which are al
.oodu ,,dar ronrtQopa oat tho hama
fit And If you do not like it, well
then we will cram, jam and ram it
down your throats.'
The three gentlemen who sign
themselves directors,-it is not GER
tain that they still are in office or
that there is still district, but only
court can decide hat,-are resort
ing to the old-time, familiar smoke
screen method OF insinuating that l
oppose the scheme because | want
the reservoir located in Long Valley,
which Is owned by the Springmeyer
company. Why the devil do they not
say so outright? They ask the farm
ers not to be ''swayed by any prejud-
ice, animosities, the failure to locate
the reservoir In any particular place
mANu god VI Jodi liAChdo Lhi6ht
have desired" That Is very close to
hitting below the belt; at least the
insinuation is as unfair as it is un-
true. And | propose to explode the
bombshell right here.
The directors and their engineer
know, and the representatives of the
| United States know that the Spring
meyer company steadfastly refused to
sell Long Valley for reservoir site,
and the reasons were that there
were other better sites and that the
company needed the place. Many
people, | am sure, will recall that
! Senator Newlands over thirty years
ago that Long Valley and Diamond
Valley were not suitable reservoir
sites. II the directors do not know
it they ought to know that only a
| few years ago engineers and experts
for the United States turned down
bith Long Valley and Diamond Valley
as reservoir sites because they capac-
| ity was too small, because the sand
gravel and general formation would
result in too much seepage, and be-
cause expensive tunnels would be
required to carry East Fork waters to
the reservoirs. | am informed that
| Biologists Jones of the University OF
Nevada was among those who turned
down the sites named. The experts
reported that the only feasible site
| is Hirsehoe Bend, which has a
capacity of $4,000 acre feet or almost
twice as much as Diamond Valley
| Why, after the district pays $780,
900 or thereabouts for Diamond Val
| ley, and $4,000 for Mud Lake, and
| fees for lawyers and engineers, they
may not even have good reservoir
And while We are passing around
| boquets as to Long Valley, may
make so bold as to wonder If the
Diamond Valley site is chosen to
satisfy the selfish purposes of the
engineer who made the report and
who own land which might not be
SO readily irrigated from Horseshoe
Bend? And speaking about selfish.
ness, II the Springmeyer company is
IS bad as intimated, any blockhead
knows 1t would favor Diamond Valley
for with a reservoir there hundreds
or acres of barren sagebrush in Long
Valley would get not only seepagt
but Irrigation water to make then
productive and valuable.
The three directors write that
assume things which are not true
What in the world are they? SPEAK
out! Come into the open! If make
any misstatements l ought to be
called to account and face the
music. IL | am wrong, / am sorry
and | ON not so petty that | will
not admit my errors. If they are
mistakes, they are honest ones. Only
tell me what they are. Let us gel
away from the smoke and fog Of
dark insinuations. Let us settle this
vexed question once for all. Because
one has the CUTS to fight 1t not say.
ing that he would deliberately wrong
or injure anyone. A man does not
usually do such things from pure
malice, and If / may be pardoned fol
saying SO / am not so indecent as
hear some whose feeling l have huri
are saying.
1t may be that | assume proposi
tions of law which are contrary tc
the statutes and unsound. do moi
pretend to be infallible as to the law
or anything else. | make many mis-
takes. But they are honest mistakes
and I do want to say again that the
courts will have an opportunity tC
pass upon the legality of the various
proceedings, for the interests | rep