Wichita eagle., 1889-05-09
DAM THE WATER.
Store it For the Time Of Need.

| Gently wrote an article on the moisture
problem which appeared in the Kansas
City Times of the 10th inst. The article
Is OF SURPRISING interest to the western
farmers as it deals directly with the one
question which of all others must be
solved before the wild western plains
can be wholly subdued. The article
will stimulate thought in the right direc
ton. We believe it contains suggestions
that are vital. At any rate. the subject
is worthy of grave attention along the
lines blocked out by the writer. The
article is as follows:
Knowing what an interest the Times
takes in the development Of Kansas
City, and of course realizing that the
growth of this metropolis depends upon
the productiveness of the soil of the east
ern slope of the Rocky mountains, feel
confident that you will take enoug h in
terest in the subject that am about to
offer to publish it in the columns of your
paper
1t is one that will be benefit to
thousands who are now trying to make
their homes upon this treeless prairie.
! When in the future we can see dottng
the prairie in every direction innumera
bic lakelets causing to grow two blades
of grass where one grew before, we can
look back to this article and say that it
has been of some benefit to mankind
In such years as the last three have
| been in Kansas, the farmer sees one crop
after another fail for the want Of moist
ure; he plants the fourth with tromb-
ling hand and prays this year there may
be enough rain sent to water it, but the
| hot winds of July and August begin to
| blow and his crops are withered before
| the blast
| Now if the United States wishes to
people these states of the eastern slope
| of the Rocky mountains with happy
homes, they must make some move to
aid the willing hands that are now labor
ing to accomplish this.
What is wanted is moisture. We
all know that the soil is rich and that
bountiful crops could be produced if
we had now and then rrin at the
right time. We also know that dur
ing our driest seasons we have great
abundance of rainfall-sufficient to
produce the very best of crops, but our
treeless prairies shed water like the roof
of house, SO that within twentyfour
hours after good rain the earth is again
dry and the greater past of this water is
choking the streams on its way to the
Gulf of Mexico.
1t has been proposed to build great
lakes or reservoirs at the foot of the
Rocky mountains. This would tend to
produce a climatic change, but not
great; contractors would grow rich out
of such project. while much greater
change could be wrought and more good
be done by distributing this money
among the farmers to construct small
lakes from one-half acre to two acres in
extent over this great area from the Gulf
Of Mexico to British America. There is
no doubt but 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 ravines at a
tritiing expense and trees can be planted
around these dams. 1t is well known to
those who nave cultivated fish that these
fish ponds, occupying worthless land,
render it as valuable to them as their
most choice and productive, for one or
two acres stocked with fish would fur
nish their families with that luxury that |
but few farmers enjoy.
This idea was presented to my mind !
as watched heavy rain in June. 1t |
came down in torrents; every little riv- |
ulet was choked with water. There was |
water everywhere. AS watched it rap |
idly flowing by, the thought came, if we |
could only store this surplus there would |
be enough to carry us through the next |
dry season, which we are sure will soon
come. If an appropriation were made |
by the United States, and each |
state also gave to this enterprise,
then each man could be paid
fair price for his land and some
thing each year to keep it in repair This
money would provide for the present
wants Of many poor man who is now
laboring hard on the frontier for the sup
port of a family, and it would also aid
him in making himself a home, while
the ponds would furnish his family with
nourishment. The government would
soon learn that this money had been well
spent.
But the greatest benefit that would be
derived by the commonwealth would be
in the great climatic change that these
lakes would produce. Every section OF
land should huve one or more of these
lakes, in some cases they might be large
enough to hold water for irrigation, but
the idea Is to have them for the purpose
of evaporating basins. There being
thousands of them, they would represent
tees that would make quick growth
and keep these ponds from too rapid
evaporatinn.
Then our hot winds, or the ''simoons
of the American desert blowing over
these bodies OF water, would cause rapid
and become cooler, so that
they would be robbed of their terror. As
they waited this moisture over a coun-
try cooled by innumerable lakelets, these
vapors would become condensed and fall
in the form of rain. Again, the north
wind will carry the remaining moisture
to the south and there water the thirsty
crops of that region. Thus we see as i
our winds blow almost directly north
and south, that instead of this moisture
being lost 10 this section, 1t would again
and again be waited back and forth over ;
this arid region. and the country that is ,
now looked upon as being almost unin-
habitable would yield to the farmer
most productive harvest. Ii is !,
a well known fact that since !
this country has been opened up
and a large amounto of land been brought
under cultivation the rainfall has in :
creased. We also know that over for
ests, bodies of water and even cult {
waited land, the temperature Is cooler /.
than over the uncultiyated prairies; thus I
this coolness causes the moisture float =
ing over 10 be condensed and 1t falls in (
the form of rain. One can notice In dry
seasons, when we have but now and f,
then shower, that they seem 70 follow .
the great water courses We cen acrri- !