The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1888-11-14
RECLAtMiNG THE DESERT.


Possibilities of Irrigation in the South.
west-Opening tho Ancient Canals.
Though it has long been known that
the tribes of aborigines who once existed
in the states and territories of the south
west had system of agriculture which
permitted them to subsist in towns of
considerable size, we have not realized
until recently the extent Of their re-
sources and the ability they displayed as
engineers. The Hemenway expedition
has examined ancient lines of canals in
southwestern Arizona in the valley of
the Gila and its chief tributary the
Saloda, rivers which pour their waters
finally into the Gulf of California, like
their northerly neighbor. the Colorado.
Between the Salado and the Gila, where
there is now only a growth Of such
plants as endure q torrid climate,
without rain for the greater part Of
the year, the ancient people had their
towns and cities. Some Of the communal |
houses were several hundred feet square |
and three or four stories high. One city
was traced for three or four miles, and
contained between forty and fifty Of
these large structures, which were irTeg-
ularly placed after the fashion Of Indian
towns. Each large house is supposed by
Mr.. Cushing, the ethnologist Of the party,
who has made the Pueblo Indians Life
long study, to have held the members Of
one clan. The walls were sometimes Of
adobe bricks, and sometimes they were
strengthened with posts and wattes.
Each town has o separate larger ruin
surrounded by a strong wall 30 as to
form yard. Here Mr.. Gushing locates
the abode Of the chief ruler or priest, the
stores of the town and the citadel In case
Of an attack. It is estimated that the
two valleys Of the Gila and Salado sup
ported at one period no less than 100000
souls.
This could only have been accom-
| plished by irrigation. 1t appears that
the water from the Salado was run
across the fat land between 1t and the
Gila for distance Of from fifteen 10
twenty miles. The new settlers have
already begun to use the bitches con-
trived by the extinct population. Tho
with brush and then burned out In order
to solidify the bottom and sides. ''Mr.
Cushing" says The American Natural
ist, sis Of the opinion that they used
rats made Of reeds for navigating these
canals, and this seems more probable
from the heavy materials that have been
brought from distance. 1t seems GER
tain that they foated the pine timber
used in their building operations down
the Salt and Gila rivers from the distant
mountains"
These people burned their dead as a
general rule, collecting the ashes into an
urn, which was commonly broken, in
sign Of death; but the expedition found
so many skeletons buried within the
larger buildings mentioned, just beneath
the floor, that 1t appears to have been
the custom to bury chiefs and priests.
A food vessel and highly decorated water
jar were buried with the corpse, and
sometimes arrow and spear heads. In
one grave large stone knife and tur-
/ quois ornaments were found, Tools and
weapons are generally Of stone, and there
are few copper ornaments, shell carv.
ings, inlaid with turquois, and othei
decorations common to semi-savage
tribes. The pottery Is of many oolors
and carries fine glaze They had
smelling furnaces in the mountains, and
appear to have stood upon much thu
same plane Of cultivation as those Zuni
to whom Mr.. Cushing is guide, philoso
! pher and friend.
0 The opening up Of these old canals !
9 the first step to cause the deserts nov
covered with mesquite to support a fai
: population. With modern appliances
o Is not impossible that the Colorado, rush
8 ing along the bottom Of an enormou
a cleft In the earth, down which Maj
!. Powell made his venturesome trip year
ago, should spread its fertilizing water
over portions Of the Yuma and Mohav
deserts instead Of losing them In the sal
II waves Of the Gull. The climate is ad
e verse TO irrigation in some respects, be
~ cause the more you separate the stream
. and rills the more you expose the waite
body to surface evaporation. In land
Q like Arizona and New Mexico the Persia
y system Of underground streams, broke
e at intervals by wells, ought to ;
~ tried. A system of covered canal
. would be the best in climate Liz
70 that Of New Mexico, for the evapora
l. ton upward would be at a minimum
N Whether this country will ever be n
" claimed to do the work 1t can under
rt thorough system Of irrigation is a que
~ ton. Perhaps 1t were best left to ind
y vidual or municipal, to corporate {
o state enterprise. National schemes {
of the kind are too prolific Of jobbery an
le corruption. 1t is a matter, howeve
Ia that will repay the study of those havin
"a large amounts to invest for slow but sui
~ Is returns, dependent for success on IL
~ financial prudence and sound enginee
1T ing which have caused Holland to b
a come the richest country of its size in ii
Il. world.-New York Times.