The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-02-06

maLeLys TO Decome Inc Ns-9SA vi
, ner stone. 1t is only question
of time as to the completion o
this noble superstruetRre. especial
ly so far as this part. OF the public
domain is concerned, ana the ma
settlement of the qnestion rests il
the hands of the government
railroad companies who hold lsnd
grants, and all those who OWL
land in this country. IT, rs y hen
the children of Israel went forth
to rebuild the walls Of Jerusalem.
severy man had mind to work"
if every man who owns land would
plant from five to ten per cent. Of
his land to trees, and otherwise
supply favorable conditions as
above indicated, in a very short
time these rich valleys, hills, and
broad extending plains would be-
come the garden of. the world,
As evidence of this, we need only
to point to the thousands of acres
of land in eastern, Kansas, Nebras-
ka, and other portions OF the West ;
which, though five. or ten years
ago were counted a part of this
mythical desert, would now be
more appropriately called. the
American Paradise, covered as
they are in many places, with for
ests, fruits, flowers and fields of
waving grain.
While we concede that one no.
BILE step was taken last winter in
the right direction by the passage
of the so-called timber act, it was
but one of the many steps that
still remain to be taken. Millions
of acres Of government land now
lie dormant which, by proper leg
islation, in five years might be
made to yield a rich revenue to
her treasury. From every quarter
of the habitable globe the hard
listed and bronze faced yeomanry
would flock to our shores and
cheerfully lend a helping hand in
the great work, if proper induce
ments were offered to them. Mil
tions of acres of lands which
would not now sell for anything,
would soon be transformed into
green fields and happy homes,
which would yield millions of rev
enue to the national treasury.
We are glad that the attention of
the government is being turned in
this direction.
Our worthy President in his
late message, calls the attention of
the Congressional assembly to it,
and recommends the appropria-
ton of government land to aid in
furnishing water by artificial
means or by irrigation, but all
that could be accomplished in This
way would be but as drop in the
ocean towards supplying water for
this vast region of country. All
of the water that could be obtain
ed from the Platte river at any
available point, or any other
stream flowing from the noun
tains would be lost in its insignifi-
canoe. The supply of water in
the first place is not large, and
when turned aside into irrigating
bitches the loss by absorption and
evaporation is very large. We
know whereof we speak from &C
tual experience. While we appre-
ciate the good motives of the
President in his recommends
tons and those of Mr.. Ingalls, in
the Introduction of his bill in
accordance with that reccommen-
dation we seriously regret the
lack of wisdom in such a policy.
The same amount of money devot-
ed to the encouragement of I'm
igration and the cultivation of
fruit and forest trees, and of
grains and grasses, as before indi-
Gated will accomplish more in five
years than could be done by any
process of irrigation in a century.
In. a few of these facts, facts
which are as certain and unchang-
able as are. all of the. laws of ma
ture, we trust that the attention
of the present legislative assem-
bly,, now in session, will be called
to this subject, and that this win
ter bill may be passed that has
for its object the accomplishment
of these ends. P. G. CARTER.