The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-11-03

I He hessevez the western haif 81 Kansas
/ vii - rsadxzzly redeemed, - he contends
tha eastern bali has keen. ~ the SLOW m
crease OF rainfall that attends the grad "a
u~oxress az cultivation over the prairie II
/ storf. his faith II In the simple creed: HE
more ue raow and plant. the more i VII
rasn: the more IL rains the more We can
piov and plant
ssIssss what viii become OF the poor
/ wrs3rhes WAC piow and plant beyond the
dead line Of sterility In order 70 estectnally
move forward the line OF efficient rainfall
70 the point whsre they can plow and plant
with uroEt7'f
ssThe first set viii certainly be ruined and
viii pull out
Have they not already heenf~
aYes; Western Kansas has ruined more
raen than any other section Of the eonE-
try !"
Then those that now await ruin are not
the Erst set. but the second or third ?"
Often
If the farmers could 81 huddle. ike the
trees. the flowers and the singing birds.
into the draws" or 'g1lehess . where there
is at least the hope OF the recollection OF
water. they could live. But zach must be
on some corner Of his claim. Very likely
on al his claim there is no spot where
water trickles. or bird sings. or shrub,
however small can wave its charTed leaves
In the whitening winds. Man alone must
breathe The sirocco and the simeon on the
open prairie.
have gone az sunrise TO tha hrim of
these unsightly draws where the green
trees cluster in the deep bitches and mark
by their winding current OF verdure where
the muddy water still trickies through the
unb0rnt clay. 7ainly trying 70 shake the
great thirst Of the hot earth. There in those
ugly bitches, the birds sing breezily. the
flowers bloom and the grass bends in the
wind Is II to assure man that eli that the
dying land thirsts for is a little water.
was struck by the overflow or upward TOW
OF music from these green dives below
the surface. They seemed the sure prom
Use and forerlnner of what win everywhere
be heard when irrigation brings its balm 10
this parched land and its suffering people.
II is singular TO see the art principle sur
viye in the minds Of the people who are so
largely shut out from its exercise. In one
Of these draws a crippled soldier has
made his dugout home III the bank He
has set out peach trees in the hard, tight
clay, which doubtless he hardly expected
TO live, though al the end of the year they
are green and growing. He could not
plant flowers, bat he would not be wholly
robbed OF their suggestion. Therefore, all
around hls dugout lie carefully nodded the
hard baked soil into embarked walks
and oval beds, as if he would sav,
Here is al / can do toward
beauty-the rest / leave to congress
and TO God. One may send rain, but will
not. The other might send irrigation. but
may not. If either comes, however. then
my hard clay banks viii bloom into flowers
without further art. T"
Will either conner
Major Powell and the SeEate committee
have been studying the question for year.
Millions OF dollars of invested loans-mil-
lions of dollars of railway shares-hun-
dreds of thousands of waiting paupers in
their dugout homes. burrowing in loneli-
ness and dirt like prairie dogs upon the
burning plain. have an interest in the event