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Show 630 STOCKHOLDERS IN DRY GULCH COMPANY IDy R. S. Collet t) The Dry Gulch Irrigation company is, without doubt, one of the best examples of co-operative effort in the stale of I'tuh, if not in the west. 1'nder this co-operation 030 farmers farm-ers in the broad Uintah valley of the former Pintail Indian reservation, have built and are operating a sya-telii sya-telii of six general cuiials crrrtf.Vng" aT "area of SO, 000 acres of land and costing, ii) to January 1, 1915, $164.-000, $164.-000, in expenditure yet carrying today to-day but .5:15,000 of indebtedness. These G30 farmers were and are the common homesteaders. About all he possessed on entering this new-land new-land was a wagon load or two of household goods and clothes, in most instances a wife and babies, rugged health and plenty of western grit and determination. The company was organized on a plan that while each stockholder was to bear his proportion if the general and administrative expense of the company .each natural subdivision of ihe territory owned was to receive re-ceive the water at actual cost. It was decided to be most, economical economi-cal to take the water from the two rivers furnishing the supply tho Uintah Uin-tah on tho east and hake Fork on the west, from three diversion points, or canals, on each river. These canals were laid out and decided upon and work commenced in April 1!0G. From this date lo January 1, 1 !i 1 5, this company of homesteaders has built approximately 4 7 miles of main canal and I! 5 0 miles of laterals at an aggregate cost for construction construc-tion and maintenance, covering this period, of ? 4 0 4. 000 or an average of $ 7 ."J II . 5 0 to the stockholders. However How-ever some hold but a small amount of the slock while others hold larger blocks, but at this writing about 350 shares of stock, or :5."0 acres of water right, is the maximum amount held by any one individual. The territory covered by the system sys-tem is divided Into ten general classes or areas. The areas conform to natural topographical conditions in a measure and the stock classified classi-fied to represent these areas. Thus class "A" slock covers a small area near the Lake Fork river and the water wa-ter here has cost but $4.GG per acre, while (lass "J" is a mesa or table land area in the heart of the valley val-ley near Roosevelt, and tho water here has cost $11.10 per acre, these two divisions representing the maximum maxi-mum and minimum of cost per acre under the system. "Hut,'' you ask, "how has It been possible for these homesteaders with their limited capital, to put more than $400 000 into these canals within with-in less than M years?" They have done it principally with their labor. Kncli owned his team. The officers of the corporation would levy an as-s-essrnent of say 75 cents per share on the stock of Ihe corporation 15 cents cash. GO cents labor. Stock holders were given a limited time in which to work up this labor and pay In the cash and it was usually accomplished with the net aggregate aggre-gate result of a splendid canal system, sys-tem, economically operated and owned own-ed and controlled absolutely by the farmers, who are the owners. The company has been honestly and economically handled and controlled con-trolled from the beginning. Good strong business men have given their service al a fraction of what it was worth. To Illustrate, there is a hoard of seven directors, which In-Hudes In-Hudes the president and viceprcsi-dt-nt. It cost the company $40G Tor the services of these seven men for the year 1.14. It ,.osl ,)Ut - a; cents per share of outstanding stock for the expense of maintaining the 'ompany's office during lfl4, in-Hading in-Hading the secretary's salary and all incidentals connected there with. There has never been one share of stock given as bonus or one dollar of the company's means wilfully squandered. The company has been one of the largest factors in redeeming redeem-ing the desert lands of these dry valleys and has now grown to a strong, selrreliant corporation with Kilt edge financial standing and credit. The individual units composing the corporation are greatly strengthened hy being united in one whole. Should a canal break or hillside slip the corporation cor-poration is in a position to borrow money at G per cent and 7 per cent. The break or damage is immediately repaired and that particular class charged with the outlay and the interest in-terest al just what it cosls the-company. Thus while the credit of the whole corporation is behind such a loan, the money goes, at an easy rate of interest, to perhaps the smallest class in the company with an advantage ad-vantage to that class which would be Impossible if it stood individually and alone instead of a unit of a great whole. Another great advantage lies in the power to conserve and central water matters. Were these ten units ten individual companies In times of water scarcity there would be a tend-ancy tend-ancy to quarrel and possibly bring in law suits. Deing but a unite of large whole, the matter is peaceably and economically adjusted within itself. As an example of what may be accomplished ac-complished by scattered, weak, units consolidating into a compeel, efficient, effi-cient, centralized company, the same working through co-operation effort for the benefit of the whole number involved, the Dry Gulch Irrigation company stands out as a concrete ey.mplo of signal success and ar.com- |
