| Show BIG CANAL HES TOM B HT TR au ne after tour four years and nine months of 0 service as s receiver of tho the hammond canal lion hon john D peters was given an honorable lionor ablo discharge last week by judge waughn and the property ot of the company went back into tho the hands of the owners ka in a solvent condition the aim and ambition ot of the receiver wore were fully realized and the owners now have their property unencumbered 0 or in other words in a position to take care of 0 itself and so the ser vices vicca of the receiver were no longer needed th the story ot of tho the II ammond canal is intensely interesting it it has come up th rought much tribulation to use a biblical phrase and by reason of 0 that tribulation the work placed upon the receiver was of no small moment and the successful adjustment of the whole matter Is an achievement that is worthy the highest commendation the hammond ammond II canal comprised that part of the old Doth bothwell well canal and contemplated laterals literals late rals beginning at the dear bear river canyon on the north and extending south on the east cast side of ear bear river to a point west of brigham city the work of construction began during the summer bummer of 1903 and aad the water was turned in the ditch in 1904 the men most prominent in promoting this big enterprise were jas T hammond ammond II D R hammond of salt lake city and israel hunsaker of honeyville the canal was constructed ted and operated under a contract with tho the utah idaho sugar company wherein the sugar company agreed to furnish a portion of the old bothwell canal constructed in tho the canyon and to deliver water to the said inal aanal company coul pany for or the ilam ham mond canal was to pay an annual rental of twenty live five cents per er acre for all water delivered and per acre for all water sold to the farmers along the line things went along nicely until 1 1 july ath 1907 on which date the big flume across deaver beaver dam hollow the largest hollow along the system was washed out the farmers were in need of water and the season was advancing so the situation was most distressing in order to repair tho the break in the least possible time and save the crops forthe for the farmers the plan to install a dyphon was considered and decided upon the work of construction being let to tho the danielsen Danl elsen plow company the dyphon plan proved and the season had so tar far advanced that all hope of 0 getting the water viator in time to save the crops was given up added to the anxiety of tho the members of the company and the distressing condition of the farmers came the tragic death of sir D R II If ammond who fell into the way and was dashed to his death on the rocks below this accident took away tho the active manager ol of the canal and the debts of the company were unpaid no part of the five dollar per acre duo due the sugar company nor the rental price of twenty five cents per annum lad had been paid and a bond Is glue of floated in 1901 1904 had been used and the bonds matured in 1307 1907 A judgment of upon laher labor llene liens lied been entered against tho the company jor or construction work QU the canal and the danielsen Danl elsen plow company filed it a lien in the sum of 00 for labor and material used in the attempt to construct the big hyphen and many unsecured creditors were cl claiming almini payment of their accounts for work on the canal all of which had not or could not bo be paid with a total indebtedness of something approximating and the canal some real estate not deliver water mr peters was appointed receiver and charged with the duty of straightening out the at fahrs ills appointment was waa made on deci dec 2nd and 1807 1907 mr peters upon as continued on page two to T o t BIG CANAL HE VERTS TO OWNERS OWNER S continued from first page suming control found that the canal had no money and no credit the estimated cost ot of putting the ditch in shape to deliver water to the farms farina along its route was and th only resources of the company were the canal some real estate mortgaged and the rental accounts due from the farmers which they refused to pay until the water was delivered to them the feeling among the farmers ran pretty high at this particular cu time and intimation was made that suit to recover for loss losi of crops would be instituted by them this action was never begun however and the receiver appointed attorney J D call as his ae legal al adviser and they went out among the farmers nd ind held meetings with them to in luce itice them not to IQ in anything that would retard the work of getting the water so necessary tor for the life of their arm crops A policy was ou outlined ine by y deceiver lec eiver peters and attorney C call 1 nd strictly adhered to as follows deliver water to the farmers and maintain the ditch restore confidence herein and thereby be able to col COI ct the amounts due from the farmers on their accounts 2nd and pay all the debts which were secured and which were a menace to lie he operation of 0 the system 3rd ard pay the utah idaho sugar for water and the 5 per acre or water sold and also pay os off all unsecured claims and ath to return the canal system unencumbered to the original owners in order to accomplish this as litle water rater as possible has been sold while the canal was undergoing repairs and also since it has baa been delivering water to farmers form farm during that time the farm lands increased in value and water has correspondingly increased in value so that the surplus water owned by the company Is today an asset of no small proportions I 1 this increased brict for water w will ill a aid id and has aided materially in paying off mortgages on real estate which under for closure bould not have realized the full value of same the matter of repairing paring re the flume across deaver beaver dam hollow wash was the first thing to accomplish and mr air A F r doremus a civil engineer of salt lake city was employed to superintend the work the dyphon plin aln was abandoned and it was decided to construct the ditch from the point where the flume went out ont east along the north side of the hollo bollo to a point where the depth was not so great then build a flume across the hollow and tunnel through the mountain the tunnel work was done by the wheelwright construction company of ogden who built a concrete tunnel seven hundred feet long and seven and one halt half feet from the bottom to the top making it large I 1 arge enough tor for a man to walk upright through it this was really a great engineering teat feat and the wisdom of 0 building the tunnel has been de demonstrated M on every day since its it completion the work was completed in time tor for the farmers to get the use ot of the water in the summer of and things began to move along a little nore more satis the wat er contracts on tracts were collected from the farmers and deeds were issued to au parties who had paid up their water rights in the early spring of 1910 the great floods that swept away so many bridges throughout the county carried away part pan of 0 the flumes blumes ol of tho the canal system entailing nn in outlay ot of for repairs but the work was wag competed and the water turned into the canal in plenty ot of time lor for the farmers to irrigate their crops when the necessity came sace the big washouts wa shouts in 1910 there has been very little trouble in keeping the system in good condition and the result is the receiver has been enabled to pay ot off all the obligations in making his bourth report to the court last week mr peters showed that the present indebtedness ot of the hammond canal company as near as ho he is able to ascertain I 1 is in tho the resources of the company are about thirty miles ot of canal in good condition acres acrea ot of land independent ot of the canal right of way tools and chattels to the value of about money due on water contracts for which no co deed has hae been issued money due tor for annual rental which must be paid before wat er will be delivered notes and cash on hand to make the total resources or thereabouts 1 at the hearing bearing of the report witnesses were placed on the stand by the owners who testified that the can caa al was now cow solvent and an order was i prayed tor for for the discharge 0 of f t the h e y receiver and a return of the property to the owners which was granted in closing up this matter the highest praise was expressed by the attorney for the company and members aliers of the company themselves tor for the splendid work of mr air peters and in relinquishing the trust imposed upon him he did so with the full confidence and acid arpio bation of the canal owners and the court to whom he has been ros responsible pon sible during his receiver I the canal is now under the manage 1 r ment of the II hammond ammond canal corn com pany the officers of which are dr E D woodruff president A 0 kyde hyde vice president F E mcgurren mccurren sec detary and treasurer mr peters stated that he Is thankful to be released from this great responsibility and he Is naturally pleased that the affairs of the company are in such good condition |
