115 P. 983 | Mont. | 1911
delivered the opinion of the court.
This action was brought by plaintiffs against thirty-sis' defendants, including appellant herein, to have adjudicated the rights of the parties, respectively, to the use of the water flowing in Flint creek, in Granite county. Appeals by the defendant James McGowan, from the decree and an order denying his motion for a new trial, have heretofore been heard and determined. (See Featherman v. Hennessy, 42 Mont. 535, 113 Pac. 751.) Reference is made to the opinion delivered on those appeals, for a statement of the issues tried. In his answer the appellant claims
“Finding No. 1. * * * That each of the plaintiffs and each of the answering defendants herein, and they and each of their grantors and predecessors in interest, have since the respective dates of the several appropriations mentioned in these findings to the present time used the amounts of water mentioned in these findings, and which are found to have been appropriated and diverted by them and each of them, respectively, for irrigating their several lands and for mining, domestic and other useful purposes, and the use of said waters to the amount stated was and is necessary for the purposes mentioned. # * *
“Finding No. 49. * * * That on or about the 6th day of October, 1883, the defendant George W. Morse and his grantors and predecessors in interest appropriated and diverted from said Flint creek, by means of a ditch of sufficient capacity to carry the same 1,500 inches of the waters of said Flint creek, for the purpose of running a flourmill and a mill for chopping feed; and that said mill has since said time been operated by the said defendant George W. Morse about two weeks in June of each year, and in the months of September and October of each year. That the said waters so appropriated and diverted on October 6, 1883, were not appropriated or diverted or used for any other purpose than for operating said flourmill and mill for chopping feed; and after said use said waters flowed back into said Flint creek a very short distance below said mill, except that on or about April 1, 1905, the said defendant diverted and used about ninety inches of the said 1,500 inches of water for the purpose*313 of irrigating certain lands belonging to him and described in his answer herein. And the use of said water must be confined in the future to such purposes and to the manner and times in and at which it has heretofore been used except that such may be changed to some other without injury to any other party to this action. "When the said George W. Morse is not using said water for the purpose of operating said mill, the said 1,500 inches of water so appropriated and diverted by him shall be available to any and all junior appropriators on said creek, excepting said ninety inches used by said defendant for irrigating his said lands, which said ninety inches of water the said defendant is and shall be entitled to for irrigating his said lands and as of date April 1,1905.
“Conclusions of Law. * * * 50. That the defendant George W. Morse, for the purpose of irrigating his said land and for other useful and beneficial purposes, is the owner and entitled to the use of 1,500 inches of the waters of said Flint creek as of the date of October 6, 1883, for the purpose of operating the mill mentioned in findings of fact No. 49. Reference is hereby made to said finding of fact No. 49 for the purpose of making it part of this conclusion of law No. 50, and for a more particular statement of the rights of said defendant Morse, and the manner and extent of his ownership and use of, in and to the said 1,500 inches of the waters of said Flint creek.”
The decree is in conformity with these findings and conclusions, and declares the restrictions subject to which all the parties are entitled to the use of the amounts awarded to them. It requires the appellant to limit the use of the 1,500 inches awarded to him subject to the rights of prior appropriators, to the times specified in finding 49 and exclusively for the purpose of generating power for his mill, except that, subject to a like restriction-in favor of other rights used for agricultural purposes, he is permitted to use ninety inches of this amount for agricultural purposes, dating the initiation of this right on April 1, 1905. The appeal is from the decree.
Contention is made that finding 49 is indefinite and uncertain by reason of the use of the word “about,” with reference to the
The word “about,” used in connection with expressions of distance, number, etc., ordinarily signifies “nearly, approximately, almost.” (Century Dictionary.) In the same connection, too, it is sometimes construed to mean “not exceeding.” (People ex rel. Bettner v. City of Riverside, 70 Cal. 461, 11 Pac. 759; Simpson v. New York etc. R. Co., 16 Misc. Rep. 613, 38 N. Y. Supp. 341; 1 Words and Phrases, 25.) When used in statements of courses and distances, if there are no other
Complaint is made that paragraphs 1 and 49 of the findings quoted are inconsistent in that, in paragraph 1, the court found in effect that appellant has since the date of his appropriation used his right continuously, whereas in paragraph 49 the use is limited to specific months during the year; and in that the use of ninety inches for agricultural purposes is found to have been initiated on April 1, 1905, thus postponing this amount of the right in point of time for twenty-two years, whereas it should have been assigned the date of the original appropriation. If we understand appellant’s counsel, his argument is that because of this inconsistency the findings do not furnish support to the decree. There is no inconsistency in the findings. Paragraph
The right to the use of water in the streams of this state is public. “As between appropriators, the one first in time is first in right” (Rev. Codes, sec. 4845) ; but when the first appropriator has finished his use he must return the water to the stream, to be used by subsequent appropriators (Rev. Codes, sec. 4844).
The use of ninety inches for agricultural purposes was found
There is some doubt, upon the record before us, whether or not all the adverse parties were properly served with the notice of appeal. In their brief counsel for respondents have submitted a motion to dismiss the appeal for this reason. The conclusion we have reached renders it unnecessary to consider and determine this motion.
The judgment is affirmed.
'Affirmed.