Mass meetings were called and Anderson was asked to explain. The versatile Anderson said that an hydraulic power station on Rush creek would lift the water and at the same time an electric generating plant could be added. However, the seed of doubt had been planted in the minds of the people, and the scheme failed. The elections were re-called.

The writer was then publishing the Ashford Advocate, and from Banner county watched the progress and ultimate failure of the idea.

Scotts Bluff county was then just beginning to promote irrigation projects, and the question was how to raise money to build ditches. "Swede" Anderson's idea suggested the scheme of irrigation districts and the writer discussed it with W. W. White, and mentioned it to A. B. Wood. Mr. White thought several precincts might be combined into a district. Into the writer's mind came the sense of injustice, taxing the land not served for the benefit of that which was served. Mr. Wood was noncommittal on the subject at the time but later said that there was so little basic value to the land, therefore no foundation for a bond issue of consequence.

In 1893, Tim T. Kelliher and I were at Lincoln during the legislature. Tim was chief bookkeeper in the Senate and I was chief engrossing clerk in the House. Kelliher met R. B. Howell, whom he introduced. Howell, Senator J. H. Danner and I framed an irrigation district bill which was introduced by Darner. The complete story of its development is told in Scotts Bluff County History, but it was suggested to the writer for the first time through the efforts of J. B. Anderson in Deuel county.