The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1889-10-23
THE ARID REGIONS.
How Thirsty Kansas Lands May Be Aaoe
Valuable and Productive BY Proper

lo6 ANbO n60bOtNSs
How Thirsty Kansas Lands May BE Mads
Valuable and Productive BY Proper
System of Irrigation.
The editor of the Garden City Sentinel
in a recent art Gle on irrigation in South
west Kansas reaches the following con.
clusions:
The factor which furnishes all that the
rest lack in eRecting q solution OF the
question of water supply is to be found
in The undeIfiow or ''shest water" As
We have shown before. this is. in the Ar.
KANSAS valley, from 20 to 800 feet ana
more in depth, from 10 to 80 miles and
more in width, Is an average OF but three
feet below the surface in the immediate
river bottoms. 1t is vast b,dy OF water
flowing slowly eastward beng apparent.
ly sufficient in quantity to irrigate ell the
irrigable land for a distance OF many
miles on each side of the river Owing to
the rapid fall Ct the entire valley to the
eastward, and the nearr-sss of the water
to the surface in the valley, it is an easy
matter TO penetrate this underdow 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, 10 be SO light as to be exceed
ingly profitable.
1t has been demonstrated, and is 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 a 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
TIL, problem. we will briefly show:
In the testimony given by the editor OF
the Sentinel before the Senatorial Com
mittee on Irrigation as to a 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;
these to be kept upon the highest land and
to be connected with available storage
reservoirs, thus making two grand chains
of storage canals and lakelets. reaching
clear across the arid region. Their open
supply pools from the underflow and lead
the water to these storage systems where
it could be made available for all parts Of
the land needing irligation. A supply
once stored, no part of the great plains
need ever be without its ample supply of
water right at hand. While storm waters,
surplus from the mountains and the flow
of artesian wells would all lend their aid,
1t must be apparent on the most casual
observation, that the steady gush OF the
inexhaustible waters of the underfow,
day and night the year round would BE-
Of vastly greater significance. We only
need refer. en- PEASANT, to the immense
amount of water power such a system
would develop-suf,icient to cover the
land with factories, and heat and light the
homes # the people by electricity. With
such system of water supply once de-
veioped this valley of the American Nile
will support in comfort So 000, COO Of people.
1t &c the duty of the Government to take
hold Of this matter at once for q 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 superabun nce of bitches,
crowding and interfering with each other,
while other portions would be neglected
wholly or for long years. The cost to the
people in delay and overcharges would be
more than the entire cost of the system
The Interstate feature can be handled
only by the National Government
Not only would National assistance in
sure the speedy and systematic develop
ment of the whole, but it would justify
proper regulation of the cost of water to
the consumers.
1t would not be necessary that the en-.
tire development should take place in q
year or two, even il such a thing were
possible; but, so much would be assured
from the first, that any part, whenever
construc ed. would be in harmony with the
final whole, and the waste of time. energy
aud money be reduced to the minimum.
Ii we need irr Cation. and this or any
other plan will secure it, it is high time
that the people were awaking and be.
stirring themselves We ouly speak the
words Of truth mildly when we say that
all Southwest Kansas and Southeast COL
erado will need irrigation very much next
season and each season ,hereaftee.
These lands have paid the Government
millions OF dollars. The East has received
literally from the pa,ernal store aud we
are but demanding what is just when we
say: Devote to our needs the little that
will be necessary to make our region
babitable-especially when it will add to
the wealth of the Nation a hundred foli."
Millions Of private capital are ready to
take up the work and carry it on to a
most glorious success whenever the Gov.
eminent shall open tho way, and now is a
far better time than any number of years
hence.
Important Usury Verdict.
TOPEKA Kan, Oct 1S-The last Kansas
Legislature passed a bill regulating rates
of interest and Furnishing any one who