Presidential Papers, Doc#1044 To Arthur Seymour Nevins, 31 August 1954. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower

Presidential Papers, Doc#1044 To Arthur Seymour Nevins, 31 August 1954. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower

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Doc #1045

Document #1044; August 31, 1954
To Arthur Seymour Nevins
Series: EM, AWF, Gettysburg Series

The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XV - The Presidency: The Middle Way
Part V: Maintaining "a united defense"; April 1954 to August 1954
Chapter 131: The "men in the Kremlin are not to be trusted"

Dear Art: Today the Secretary of Agriculture again mentioned to me the desirability of filing for the water rights on the little brook on our farm, because of the fact that some day the farm further down the stream might make such a filing and I would have no rights whatsoever. He pointed out that throughout the Eastern regions of the United States, there is a growing interest in irrigation and that even intermittent streams are being filed on in the hope of obtaining government assistance in building dams and so on.
I agree with you that it seems almost useless to file on such a tiny rivulet as we have, and especially because it so often dries up in the summer time. However, if we can do so for any nominal sum, I think I would like to do it just to protect myself against any future developments.¹
If there is no way of doing this locally, let me know and I shall try to get information as to exactly what office I should approach in order to accomplish it.²
Love to Ann, and best regard to you, As ever
P.S. Every time I see the word "vacation" in the press as applied to what I am now doing, I feel like turning loose a little barrack room language.³

¹ Writing from Denver, Colorado, the President apparently had spoken to Ezra Taft Benson by telephone. Following Benson's suggestion, Eisenhower had earlier directed his farm manager, Nevins, to inquire about the method for acquiring water rights on the Eisenhower's farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (see no. 1003; see also Eisenhower's letter to Benson, no. 983).
² On September 8 Nevins would reply that he had consulted attorney Richard A. Brown of Swope, Brown & Swope in Gettysburg. Brown had agreed to study the matter and notify Nevins of the necessary action to take in order to "safeguard the water rights" at the farm (AWF/Gettysburg). Brown would write Nevins on September 14 (ibid.) that "under the present law in Pennsylvania . . . the water course presents no problem as to user by the President of water therefrom for storage or other purposes now or in the foreseeable future." As a precaution, Brown would suggest that pictures of the stream during dry spells be taken to indicate that it is neither navigable nor inhabitable by wildlife. Brown enclosed the May 1950 report of the Pennsylvania State College School of Agriculture entitled, "Summary of Legal Principles Governing the Use of Water for Irrigation in Pennsylvania" (see Nevins to Eisenhower, Sept. 15, 1954, and Eisenhower to Nevins, Sept. 27, both in ibid.). For developments see no. 1110.
³ The President would interrupt his vacation several times to campaign in the off-year elections (see no. 984; on Eisenhower's vacation see no. 888).

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. To Arthur Seymour Nevins, 31 August 1954. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 1044. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/first-term/documents/1044.cfm

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