Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1926-02-18
FAILURE TO GAIN ADEQUATE As
SURANCE OF TAIuINGS CONTROL
CAUSES B.C.V.P.A. TO START SUIT

!. ant there was a continuous flow Of q
: large volume of fresh, pure, healthfu
} anl usable water in and through said
stream, which for more than 80 years
has been used by these plaintiffs and
their predecessors in interest"
This condition, the complaint con
tinues, existed until four years ago,
when the Silver Dyke company CON-
] menced the operation ON mines, mills
and concentrators at it's present loca
ton. The waters of Belt creek then
became polluted and contaminated
through slack, slime and mineral in
gradients being deposited in Carpen-
ter creek, it is claimed. The plain
tiffs contend that an impervious coat
ing formed over the bed and banlA
iOf the creek, preventing water from,
seeping through the banks into the
adjacent fields; that springs and wells
Tried up, to the "great inconvenience
and irreparable damage and injury Of
owners and users" Of the water,
Hubber, the owner Of 4s0 acres OF
land near Belt claims that for more
than as years prior TO the alleged pol
luton of the water, he was enabled
to grow from two 10 three crops OF
alfalfa on his property. These crops
preducing an average IA tons Of hay
t5 the acre. Since the alleged pollu-
tion Of the water, he maintains thas
he has been unable to grow more thar
one crop a year, and the yield has
been only two tons to the acre.
The water he alleges, has become
unfit to drink and he has been com-
PEELED to drive his dairy cows twice
each day a distance Of 1000 yards t.
a small spring, in order that they may
have wholesome water. The supply
and quality Of milk, according to Hub
ber have been lessened. His lands
have been reduced in value from 500 {
10 e1b an acre, he says. K
Fischer, the owner Of 900 acres Of 4
and, makes similar charges with the
addition that in 1916 he installed a
1900 foot pipe line to provide an ade- i
Euate water supply. This system he t
:harges has been abandoned, and he
sas been forced TO haul water from
dighwood to his lands and premises.
lis lands, he alleges, have deprecated
rom s45 per acre to 500. !
Longeway states that he is the q
'wner Of 956 acres, IS miles from p
sreat Falls and that on rs acres he Z
reduced an average Of more than i5O II
ons Of alfalfa, prior to the alleged .
'ollution. His irrigable lands have p
een reduced in value from &75 to s35,
yhile the balance Of his land shows I
deterioration of at least $40 per 2
Gre, he claims.
Goodman, the owner of 1900 acres d
nd Mary E. Rice, who controls 48C a
cres, both make similar claims as to d
epreciation Of their property and re II
uctions Of crops. The Tuura lands. o.
,taIing 1,245 acres, it is alleged b. is
lille X. Rice, have deprecated in
albe from SIS to s25 on irrigated or
md. and s2s to s12 on that not irri- ia
ated. N. T. Wilson owner Of 400 in
res near Belt, makes similar charg. =
, in regard 70 his property. til
English, the owner Of three lots in til
le town Of Monarch, on which an
oartment house is erected, declares to
lat in common with other residents se
the town he formerly obtained pure Of
ater from the creek. Since 1922, he 81
aintains that the water has been an
Wholly unfit for human consumption tic
any domestic use,7 and that al per- wi
ms in the town are compelled to OBJ be
in water from a spring, located on
lie from the town. Due to these con. ST.
tons, II is claimed that the proper. ga
has been reduced in value, ard con tn
luarce Of the alleged nuisance vii. tn
nder it practically valueless de
In requesting abatement, the plain liy
4 stated @that the defendant threat
s TO, and will unless restrained by -
e court continue 70 deposit, dump Dy
d discharge refuse into said Car su
ntcr creek, from whence they are ba
scharged into Belt creek, and to con foi