Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-06-30
AN OLD SONG
Set to New Music-lrrigation
Present and Prospective In
sures Montana's Future.
Tragedy in Kentucky-Killing of a
Wife and Brother-Murderer
scapes.
Irrigation, Profits and Prospects :.

irrigation, FRONTS aud Prospects.
An account OF a uccsssrul irrigation
scheme compiled by the Helena Her.
aid from the Salt Lake Tribune is par.
ticularly interesting and IL good read.
ing for eastern Montana:
The sight and scene is laid in ElkC
county, Nevada, about 80 miles from
the Central Pacific road. A small
stream called Willow creek, emerge,
from mountain conyon, and Ordinar
tally furnished water enough TO irri
gate about two ranches. Two mel
bought III, 900 acres of sage brush land
and by the capital raised in England
after vainly trying 20 secure II in this
country, constructed a permanent
dam in the canyon, going down to bed
rock and giving it an ample base OF
25O feet width and q height Of 80 feet.
Without entering In details further, II
is enough to state the results. The
reservoir has been filled, aud 500
acres are under cultivation In alfalfa.
This year they will cut 1000 tons OF
hay, worth Sl5 a ton. Each year
they will clear and put under cultiva.
tion 500 acres, aud their water supply
promises 10 be ample for the purpose
Their experience has shown thaI
after the land becomes thoroughly
saturated, and the slfalfa we'll rooted
it takes comparatively little water tC
keep 1t sufficiently irrigated.
The point demonstrated by the Ne
vada Land e. Cattle company is just
this, the superiority of the re 'ervoiI
system to the ordinary one of simply
digging small open bitches without
providing for them an ample supply al
the critical season Of the year. II
there is no water in the stream from
which the ditch leads, there can be
none for the ditch to distribute. There
is always plenty ut certain seasons or
the year that simply runs to waste
The time to save it is when there |,
plenty, and the time to use it is when
in most cases, there would not be any
to be had.
In seasons like this when there 1.
such an abundance of rain, there
seems little use for reservoirs, but take
an average OF Montana seasons and
there is always time of great scarcity
when crops fail for want of IL, and
there Is constant qusrreling over th,
distribution.
We believe thoroughly IN the reser
voir system as the best plan aud tn,
only sure plan TO avoid the occasional
loss of crops by drouth. II will involve
considerable expense in the construc.
tion Of permanent, substantial dams
but the increased area that can be re.
claimed and cultivated and the greater
certainty OF results makes II safe in
vestment. The greatest triumph Of
human skill and forethought i 10 take
4 that which is of little or no value and
make ii of great value simply by saw.
ing and storing IL till needed Floods
and drouth are both causes of great
dansgr. II the water slpply eau be
controlled, there il plenty for alltime,
of need and TO cover our whole country
with plenty.
Montana specially il well fitted tC
profit immensely by this reservoir sys,
TEN. We have hundreds Of canyon,
where dams can be built and reservoir
created tina; would stand tor ceuturie,
and pay good dividends every .casoI
OF the cost, As money accumulates il
this country aud rate OF Interest De-
cline, this class OF investments issurrl,
going to be layorite one.
The richest mines viii fail, but o pei
manent reservoir Of water viii nevp
fail, 6ut year and year becomes NOR
valuable. There are hundreds q
small streams. flowing out OF ol
mountains that furnish water enougI
tO I'LL large reservoirs, uad there an
Thousands ~ acres 0f land that now ar
comparatively worthless and unprJ
ductIyn that con be made to bear rlcI
harvesta every year
The government may build larg
reservoir, to aid nsyi cation and Incl
deutally toa-sist agriculture, but th
main reliance for ext an'ive works a
this nature, genprally distributed an,
for the primary puUP',ro ol redeeminl
waste lands foe permanent cultivation
must be- corporate capital.