The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-10-25
the AND SECTIONS.

The AND He0'ONS.
How Thirsty Kansas Lasds May BE Made
Valuable and Productive BY . Proper
System Of Irrigation.
The editor of the Garden City Sentinel
in q recent art Gle on irrigation in South.
west Kansas reaches the following CON.
illusions:
The factor which furnishes all that the
rest lack in e6ecting . solution Of the
question of a water supply is to be found
in the underdow or "sheet water" As
We have shown before. this Is In the Ar.
kansas valley, from 20 to 300 feet and
more in depth, from 10 to 80 miles and
more in width, 10 an average Of but three
feet below the surface in the immediate
river bottoms. 1t il . vast b ,dy of water
flowing slowly eastward, being apparent.
ly sufficient in quantity to irrigate all the
irrigable land for q distance OF many
miles on each side of the river. Owing to
the rapid fall Of the entire valley to the
eastward, and the nearness Of the water
to the surface in the valley, II is an easy
matter to penetrate this underHow and
run the water out upon the surface Of the
ground
The cost of obtaining water by this
means to thoroughly irrigate large scope
of country would seem, from data thus
obtained, TO be 90. light as to be exceed.
ingly profitable.
1t has been demonstrated, and 10 con.
coded by the best authorities. that the
average yield Of irrigated lands is at least
four times as great counting one year
with another, as the yield from lands de-
pendent on natural rainfall The GER
tainty and abundance of crops by irriga-
ton tend to confine the labors Of farmers
to smaller tracts of land, thus insuring a
dense agricultural population which. in
turn, gives emp ovment to q dense manu-
featuring population. and the attendant
proportion of the professional classes,
carriers, etc.
Why Governmental management is
necessary and will be effective in solving
this problem. we will briefly show:
In the testimony given by the editor of
the Sentinel before the Senatorial Com
mittee on Irrigation as to plan for irri-
eating the plains this was suggested:
That a large main canal should be pro-
vided on the highest ground on each side
Of the Arkansas river. reaching from the
mountains, or nearly so, in Colorado, past
the one hundredth meridian in Kansas;
to be connected with available storage
reservoirs, thus making two grand chains
of storage canals and lakelets. reaching
clear across the arid region. Then open
supply pools from the underfiow and lead
the water to these storage systems where
it could be made available for all parts of
the land needing irrigation. A supply
once stored, no part of the great plains
he 70 Ia of
water right at hand While storm waters,
surplus from the mountains and the flow
of artesian wells would all lend their aid.
it must be apparent on the most casual
observation. that the steady gush Of the
inexbaustible waters of the underfiow,
day and night the year round would b,
Of vastly greater Significance We only
need refer. en- PEASANT, to the immense
amount Of water power such a system
would develop-sufficient to cover the
homes Ct the people by electricity. With
such a system Of water supply once de.
veloped this valley Of the American Nile
will support in comfort 80 600, 600 Of people.
1t is the duty of the Government to take
hold Of this matter at once for host Of
reasons. Private capital would develop
the whole in time, but piecemeal, and in a
desultory and unsystematic way. Some
favored localities would be crossed and
re.crossed by a supsrabundance Of bitches,
crowding and interfering with each other,
while other portions would DO neglected
wholly or for long years The cost to the
people in delay and overcharges would be
more than the entire costof the system.
The Interstate feature can be handled
L.
Not only would National assistance in
sure the speedy and systematic develop
ment of the whole, but it would justify a
proper regulation Of the cost Of water to
the consumers. tf ~
1t would not be necessary that the en-
tire developments should take place in a
year or two, even If such q thing were
possible; but, SO much would be assured
from the first, that any part. whenever
CONSTRUCTED. would be in harmony with the
final whole, and the waste Of time, energy
and money be reduced to the minimum.
II We need irrigation, and this or any
other plan will secure it. 1t is high time
that the people were awaking and be.
stirring themselves. We only speak the
words of truth mildly when we say that
all Southwest Kansas and Southeast Col
orado will need irrigation very much next
season and each season thereafter.
These lands have paid the Government
millions of dollars. The East has received
literally from the paternal store and we
are but demanding what is just when we
say: devote to our needs the little that
will be necessary to make our region
habitable- when it will add to
the wealth of the Nation hundred fold"
Millions Of private capital are ready to
take up the work and carry it on to a
most glorious success whenever the Gov
ernment shall open the way, and now is a
far better time than any number Of years
hence.