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Show THREE LETTERS ARE SELP-EXPLANATORY They Are Reproduced to Show to the Public of Ogden That William Glasmann Was Ready and Willing to Build the South Fork Reservoir Jointly With the City, as He Proposed When He Was Mayor Eighteen Months Ago. Open -Letter to Mayor. "August 14tu, 1912. A. G. Fell, Mayor and Comrabslon-er Comrabslon-er of Ogden Cftv, Ogden, Utah, Sir: I notico in the Morning Examinor an intervfoW with jou in which you Bay that ''thero Is no desjro on our (Iho city's) part to prevent the farmers farm-ers from having water for Irrigation purposes. After the city has boon made secure, satisfactory arrangements arrange-ments can bo made for raising the dam for Irrigation purposes." If that is all the city of Ogden i wants, our companywlll grant that immediately. We doinot claim anything any-thing the city owns. We own the-. the-. land on which is located the sito for tho dam. We will give the city a free permit to build a dam for itself on our land, providing the city will lqt us furnish tho additional money to build th0 dam wldo enough at the beginning to make the dam foundation founda-tion sufficiently strong to permit the irrigation part of the dam to continue con-tinue on top of the city's work. Such a proposition, of course, would necessitate a joint arrange-monL arrange-monL a joint agreement. Our company com-pany is ready to enter into a written agreement recognizing all the rights of Ogden City, and if Ogden City will net before wc start the work. on the dam we are willing to let the city lo Its water at what It will cost to storo water in , 120 foot dam above the bed rock, even if tho part you build gives you less wator, and at the same time granting to Ogden City the first and prior right for the city's water We are willing to make It a public record and to 6ccure the city in any just way, recognizing, by binding contract, all tho city Is entitled en-titled to. Only ono thing wc insist - on and that Is that the dam must - not be delayed. Wo are also willing that your city engineer or other city agent shall audit all expenditures. Wc will give and accord you every right to fully protect Ogden City "All we ask Is that the irrigation part of the project shall not bo delayed The whole subject re3olves Itself Into an agreement to be signed by Ogden City and the Ogden River Resenolr company Our company is ready to make such agreement and wo will not nsk a cent or any concession from Ogden City. I am sure, after reading the above, you must admit that it Is up to the city to act Jf you can get every drop of water Ogden is entitled to without the Joss of a cent, why should you threaten to stop us from building the dam Our company wants tlio dam built to get irrigation water for the lands in Weber county. We will build with the city's aid. or we will build alon Tho city can talco Its choice. We do not wish to harm Ogden City to the valuo of one cent. We will let Ogden City havo the water wa-ter for less than it can get It for itself Why Tiot settle this by agreement agree-ment at once? We will give the city moro thnn tho courts will grant Very truly yours. THE OGDEN" RIVER RESERVOIR COMPANY WILLIAM GLASMANN, President, Mayor Replica. Ogden. Utah, August 1G. 1912. "William Glasmann, President Ogden River Tteserv.olr Co. "Dear Sjr Your letter of the 14th Inst., addressed, " to the Mayor and City Commissioners of Ogden City, has been received and contents caro-fully caro-fully gone over and informally discussed dis-cussed with the' Commissioners "I assure you that the Ogden City Commissioners are fully alive to the Importance of the farmers having water in abundance to safeguard their maturing crops. Wo also fully appreciate appre-ciate tho great advantage that will na- t ..rally accrue to Ogden City through the farmers of Wober County having an amply supply of water, and feel that we would falj far short of our moral obligations to the community should wo neglect to fully consider their interests in connection with the city. "In the Judgment of tho Commissioners Commis-sioners Ogden City should have, before be-fore expending any money to construct con-struct a dam, the absolute title free from any claim whatever upon tho lnnd upon which the dam Is to be constructed, con-structed, as well as the land upon which 'the water in to be Impounded "I am advised that the deed executed- by Mr. Peery convoying tltlo to this property contained certain reservations reser-vations therein that would, of necessity, neces-sity, have to be removed beforo Ogden Og-den City could, with any assurance of having pure water for its Inhabitants, Inhabi-tants, use the same for Impounding water. "Whatever may bo the present status sta-tus of the tjtle upon which bedrock has been oxposcd, It Is unquestionably tho general understanding among the people that at the time the Work was done by the city to locate bedrock, bed-rock, that the city owned the property prop-erty upon which its money was being oxpended. "Possibly after the dam has been constructed and a sufficient amount of water Impounded for the use of Ogden City, that arrangements could be made with those having rights In the waters of South Fork to increase the height of the dam, po as to Impound Im-pound additional water, upon the making of satisfactory arrangements with tne city for the use of Its dam and the reservoir site upon which tho additional water would bo Impounded,! and doubtless the city, in putting in the foundation and In building part of the superstructure necessary, would make it of sufficient strength so that additional helghth couid be added to the dam and wator furnished to others oth-ers wishing water from that ftourco But as indicated aboe, the city would not feel disposed, and wo do not see how It could at this time, enter into any contract binding itself to any joint agreement o. joint arrangemenL "The Commissioners think that they would not be justified in spending the city's money without an absolute ownership own-ership of the dam site, the necessary land east of it to impound water, and be In position to control absolutely without interference from nny one the water impounded by Its dam, and freely use that water for nn purpose It might desire without beln; subject sub-ject to any other interest whatever "Any arrangements that mlscbt ho made looking to the additional use of the foundation and superstructure by Ogden City could only be after the city has constructed a doiu and , its cost ascertained and the value of the rights to be acquired by the subsequent subse-quent users. "Very Respectfully Yours, (Signed) "A. O FELL, Mayor." Wm. Glacmann's Reply. "A. G. Fell, Mayor. Ogden, Utah. "Dear 'Sir In roply to your letter of 'the ICth Inst., will say I cannot furnish a better title to tbc land I purchased In the South Fork canyon than I recclvedj and. as you do not wnnt that, I am willing to keep It You do not wish to join us in tho building of the dam; you have that ri?ht You say, "It was unquestionably' unquestion-ably' the general understanding that at the time the work was done by the city to locate bedrock that the city ovned the property on which the work was done.' You are mistaken) because tho newspapers announced that tho city was doing the work on the property of M. S Browning and Alexander Brewer. It was also so utated at tho public meeting, and also in the city council. "You say, 'Possible arrangements could be made with those having rights In the water of the South Fork to increase the height of tho dam so as to Imppund additional water, upon the making of satisfactory arrangements ar-rangements with, the city for tho use of Its dam.' That leaves the matter very doubtful. 1 am willing to let the city build its dam, even on my ground, and I shall make no charge for such. use. provided arrangements can be made oy the South Fork Res-orvolr Res-orvolr company to enlarge the dam. Surely such arrangements can bo made before the dam is built, If the city itself really wants to buiid the dam. I already have offered to let j our -attorney draw the contract to protect the city, In, any wn that is fafr and reasonable. I further am willing to give tho city the absolute ownership of the dam site and deed my land to the city, if the city wijl In turn lease to our company the rijht to impound such waters as the city cannot use. "I wish to assure you that our company Is roady to enter Into a binding bind-ing contract to rodognizc the city's first and prior rights in the South Fork canyon. Our company does not claim anything that lawfully and legally belongs to,. the city and we are leady-jto sign binding agreements to that effect. Wc do, however, claim to dwn a tyator Tight In tho Sputh Fork canyon that is second or subsequent to any water right the cjty may own. That Is all we claim and Wo shall maintain the same. "We have offered all we can consistently, consis-tently, and at the same time protect our own rights. Moro we cannot offer, Our company only claims thcsurplus water for Irrigation purposes nothing noth-ing more ''Now let me ask jus.t one question, Mr, FelL Why do you object to this comrany storing water for Irrigation purposes? , Do you want the water to continue to flow In a wasteful stream la to Great Salt La'c? You know the city oannnt impound water for any other 'than city purposes. You know t'no -water that will he Impounded Impound-ed by our company wjll not interfero with any water the city can lawfully use. Then why do -you oppose this company doing that wh.Ich tho law gives It a right to do" "OGDEN Rr'ER RESERVOIR CO. "By WILLIAM GLASMANN. "President." J?efpro leaving fov northern Utah, Mr. Glasmann said...' I "I suppose because we arc pro-ceeding pro-ceeding tp-,3mUd th,e dam,, mai. Ing our contracts, etc., we will be compelled to decline and refuse what wo have offered the city In tho above letters and that we will be charged with not living up to our offers. The facts arc each day creates new conditions. con-ditions. Each day takes us a step nearer to the big expenditure of money. Our offer to the city is only good for Immediate acceptance. If not nccopted promptly, wo must conclude con-clude that they havo declined. |