The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-06-21

Giye as Ar.esian Me,lr.


DIR. ii. W. Parsons, of Womega, Iowa,
in an article IN the Kansas City Times, on
the lack OF rainfall in the West and its
necessary relation TO the success or fail
ure OF farming on the plains, advances
much the same ideas us those of the
GRApHIc's i'll time past aud as set forth
by Capt. w. H. Curt!ss through these
columns and in other places DR.. Par.
sons says:
In such years as the three last have
been in Kansas, The farmer sees one crop
after anothelNfail for the lack of rain,
he plants the Nourth with q trembling
hand and prays that this year there may
ba enough raia sent TO water it, but The
hot winds of July and August begin to
blow and his crops are withered before
the blast. What is wanted is moisture.
We all know that tho soil is rich and
that beautiful crops could be produced if
we had now and then a rain at the right
time. We also know that during our
driest seasons we have had an abundance
OF iainfall-sutllcIent to produce the very
best of crops but our t~reeless prairies
shed water like the roof OF a house, so
that within twenty-tour hours after .
good rain the earth is again dry and the
greater. part of the water is choking
the streams on its way to the Gulf Of
Mexico.
. " n aS hpap .,rnrnsnl To J,,lJ ~ 4
lakes OF reservoirs at the foot of the
Rocky Mountains. This would tend to
produce a climate change but o Il great
me-; contractors would grow rich out of
such a project. while a much greater
change could be wrought and more good
could be lone by distributing the money
among the farmers to construct small
lakes from onc-half to two acres in ex-
tent, over this great area from the Gull
of Mexico to British America. There
is no doubt but that the lakes would be
built by the farmer if he only realized
their value and had some aid from the
government. Dams can be built across
ravincs at q trifing expense and trees
can be planted around these dams. 1t is
well known to those who have cultivated
fish that these fish ponds. occupying
worthless land render it as valuable t.
them as their NEST choice and produc
tive, for one or two acres stocked witt
fish would furnish their families Will
that luxury that but few farmers enjoy
This idea was presented To my mine
as watched a rain in Juue. 1t cam,
down in torrenrs; every little rivulet wa
choked with water. There was waite
everywhere. AS | watched il flowing b,
the thought came, If we could only stor
this surplus, there would be enough t.
carry us through the next dry season
which we are sure will soon come. !
m appropriation were made by TIL
United States and each state also CAV
TO this enterprise, then each man coull
be paid n fair price for his land an,
something to keep it in repair each year
This money would provide for the pres
cut wants of many a poor man who
now laboring hard on the frontier 70
the support of q family; and it woul
also aid him In making himself a home
while the ponds would fuTnish his fan
lily with nouIishment. The governmer
would soon learu that the money ha
been we'll spent.
Then our hot winds or "simoons Q
the American desert blowing owe
these bodies of water, would cause rapi
evaporation and become cooler, SO til;
they would be robbed Of their terror. 4
they waited this moisture northwai
over a country cooled by innumerab,
lakelcts, these vapors would become COZ
densed aud fall in the form OF rain.