Branstetter v. Williams

67 P. 800, 8 Idaho 257, 1902 Ida. LEXIS 11
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 28, 1902
StatusPublished

This text of 67 P. 800 (Branstetter v. Williams) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Branstetter v. Williams, 67 P. 800, 8 Idaho 257, 1902 Ida. LEXIS 11 (Idaho 1902).

Opinion

STOCKSLAG-EB, J.

— This case is here on .appeal from a judgment and an order overruling a motion for a new trial by the district court of Boise county. The action involves the prior right to the use of the waters of Elk creek, in said Boise county. All parties to the action claim the right to the use of the waters for mining purposes only; plaintiffs alleging that their appropriation, through their predecessors, dates from November, 1862, and in the winter of 1862 and spring of 1863 a ditch was constructed of sufficient capacity, and known as the “Carmody Ditch,” to carry three hundred inches of water under a six-inch pressure; that continuously since the spring of 1863, during the mining season of each year, the plaintiffs and their predecessors in interest have used the waters appropriated as aforesaid. Allege that on the eleventh day of July, 1898, defendants, without permission of plaintiffs, or any of them, and without right so to do, turned all of the waters of said creek flowing at the point of their diversion into their ditch, known as the “Channell Ditch,” and thereby deprived plaintiffs of the use of said waters, and have ever since continued to deprive plaintiffs of the use of said waters. Then follows a prayer for a decree declaring them to be entitled to the prior use of three hundred inches of the waters of said stream; that defendants he enjoined and restrained from interfering with such use, etc. [259]*259Defendants in their answer deny the appropriation as alleged in 1862, and deny that at any time prior to 1870 the plaintiffs or their predecessors constructed a ditch of any kind, and aver that the ditch described in plaintiffs’ complaint was not constructed until the year 1870, and was at said' time of the capacity to carry one hundred inches, measured under a four-inch pressure. Admit that on the eleventh day of July, 1898, and for a long time "thereafter” (evidently meaning "theretofore”), they were using the waters of Elk creek through said Channell ditch, as alleged, etc. Aver that on the twenty-eighth day of December, 1863, defendants’ predecessors in interest located and appropriated five hundred inches, measured under a four-inch pressure, of the water of the certain stream known as "Elk Creek,” for placer mining purposes, and immediately thereafter, in the year 1864, constructed a ditch of sufficient capacity to carry five hundred inches of water as aforesaid, and did actually divert said amount of water for such purposes, and have continuously each year during the mining season used such amount of water from said creek for placer mining purposes. Aver that defendants and their predecessors in interest have for more than five years prior to the commencement of this suit, continuously, openly, notoriously, peaceably, uninterruptedly, and adversely to all other parties, used the water of Elk creek through their said ditch to the amount of five hundred inches, and have during all of said times been in open, continuous, notorious, peaceable, and uninterrupted and adverse possession of said ditch and the waters of said Elk creek, to the amount of five hundred inches. During the progress of the trial the plaintiffs' asked leave to amend their pleading by inserting the following in paragraph 7, immediately following the figures “1863”: "But said right was abandoned by nonuser prior to 1876, and the right of the defendants to the use of the waters of said Elk creek dates from said year 1876.”

Dpon these pleadings and the evidence introduced, the court found: That in the month of June, 1864, the grantors and predecessors in interest of the plaintiffs appropriated one hundred and fifty inches of water measured under a four-inch pressure, of the flow of the waters of Elk creek, and constructed [260]*260a ditch of sufficient capacity to carry said water; said ditch being commonly known as the “Carmody Ditch.” That since said time the plaintiffs and their predecessors in interest have continuously used said amount of water during the mining season. That in the year 1865 the grantors and predecessors in interest of the defendants appropriated two hundred and fifty inches of the flow of the waters of said Elk creek at a point about six miles from said Carmody ditch, belonging to plaintiffs, and did in said year construct a ditch generally and commonly known as the “Channell Ditch” from said point of appropriation along and upon the westerly side of Elle creek, and over the dividing ridge between Elk creek and Grimes creek; the head of said ditch and the point of diversion of said water appropriated as aforesaid being at a point about six miles above the head of said Carmody ditch, belonging to plaintiffs, and said ditch being of sufficient size, grade, and carrying capacity to carry and conduct said amount of water so appropriated. That the waters flowing in Elk creek from and after the month of June of each year are not sufficient in amount to supply the aforesaid ditches of the parties hereto with the amounts of water appropriated and claimed by them.

Defendants specify the following alleged errors: Insufficiency of the evidence to justify the decision of the court, specifying the following particulars in which the evidence is insufficient to justify the said decision: 1. That all the evidence and the pleadings show that the appropriation of the plaintiffs for their ditch and water right dates from not earlier than January 14, 1865, and that there is no evidence showing or tending to show use or appropriation of the waters of Elk creek through the plaintiffs’ said ditch and water right, or by the predecessors in interest of the plaintiffs, prior to, or of an earlier date.than, January 14, 1865, and that there is no evidence showing an appropriation by the predecessors in interest of the plaintiffs of the date of June 4, 1864, as found by the court. 2. That all the evidence and the pleadings show that the appropriation and right of the defendant to the waters of Elk creek date from December 28, 1863, and that it is prior in time and superior •in right to that of plaintiffs, whereas the court finds that the [261]*261defendants’ rights and appropriations dated from the year 1865, and are subsequent in time and right to the plaintiffs’. 3. That there is no evidence showing or tending to show that the plaintiffs or their predecessors in interest appropriated any of the waters of Elk creek prior to January, 1865. 4. That there is no evidence showing that the defendants or their grantors or predecessors in interest were ever requested by the plaintiffs or their predecessors in interest to turn out the waters of Elk creek from their said ditch, and there is no evidence showing that the defendants did from 1876 to 1896, during low-water season, or at any time, turn out from their ditch the waters of Elk creek for the plaintiffs’ ditch and water right, or that the defendants or their predecessors in interest ever acknowledged the superior right of the plaintiffs.

Charles Mann, called as a witness in behalf of plaintiffs, testified : Has resided in Idaho City since 1876. “George. Hanson is my partner. When I purchased the ditch it was called the ‘Hanson Ditch.’ Purchased from Lauer and Swinn. The other plaintiff is the Buena Vesta Ditch Company. My partner and the other plaintiff have never used the water in common. Divided the water under certain conditions. This ditch takes water from Elk creek. Taps Elk creek about four miles from Eldorado gulch, and about one-fourth mile above the junction of Forest King gulch with Elk creek. After this ditch reaches Eldorado gulch it runs from there into what I call the ‘Eldorado Ditch,’ onto Gold Hill. That is, running to the Gold Hill, both ditches connect in Eldorado gulch.

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Bluebook (online)
67 P. 800, 8 Idaho 257, 1902 Ida. LEXIS 11, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/branstetter-v-williams-idaho-1902.