Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-08-08
The Committee in Miles
The Senate Committec Visits
the Town and learns About
the Country.
They Secure their Information
by Examining Persons Famil-
lar with the Conditions De-
sireo to be learned.
How Miles City Received the Senators.

How Miles City Received the senators.
The United States senate commit.
tee on irrigation arrived ia Miles City
yesterday morning at IL o'clock. The
committee had stopped at Glendive on
the night before and early yesterday
moroing their two special cars were
attached 10 freight train and the rua
made to Miles City on passenger time.
The party consisted Of Senator VIM.
NJ. Stewart Of Nevada, chairman; Sen.
aior John Reagan Of Texas; Maj. Juo.
w. Powell, director Of geological sur
vey; Col. e. r. Hinton, irrigation
engineer, United States geological sur.
vey; G ]. Kspp'er, secretary; Eugene
Davis, sergesnt-at-srms and r. e..
Boswell, official s,enographer and Z,
V. Smalley, Of the Northwest Mags-
zine.
They were met at the railroad sta
tion by large concourse Of citizens,
headed by County Commissioners AL.
lerton and Huffman, Mayor Redd,
AldermeL Bach, Moran 4 Truscott,
and City Clerk Gordon, comprising
the committee appointed to receive
them. Col. George Scheeiz and Joe
SCOT, who had been sent as q CON-
mittee to meet the party at Glendive
ans accompany them thither, arrived
with them. aud the entire number OF
gentlemen entered carriages and were
driven to the rooms of the Miles City
club where an informal reception took
place, during which the gentlemen
were introduced to ;he leading citi.
zens present. after which the session
Immediately began. Senator Stewart
took the chair, and Stenographer Bos.
well seated himself at the table, sur
rounding which were the balance ol
the members OF the party.
The committee. through the Efforts
Of the county commissioners and
County Surveyor Harrison. had al
ready been put 10 possession Of q map
Of the county, showing the position
and course ri the flowing streams OF
water, together with an accompanying
statement showing the magnitude o.
the streams and the quantity Of irri,
gstable land In the county. and tn,
method which they emrIoyed tn elicit
further information was TO examine q
number OF persons acquainted with
the topography Of the county, lie soi
and supply Of water. This was don'
mostly by direct questioning, tb,
examination being conducted in mos
part by Senator Stewart, though Sen
ator Reagan, who sa' at his right
supplemented number Of question.
~ did also Major Powell and Colons
Hinton.
THE FIRST GENTLEMAN EXAMINED
was Col. Scheetz, the extent and varl
ETY. Of whose knowledge concerDiu
the things Of which the commit'e
desired to be informed, perhaps SUI
passed that Of any person present
Col. Scheeiz was first questioned rs I
the extent of irrigatable lands 10 vari
ous parts Of the county upon which b
dwelt at some length, taking up th
various portions Of the county an
giving the number Of irrigatable acre
OF land and the extent Of the are
upon which water has already bee
introduced. He stated that the irr
gatable lands in the region of the Ys
lowstone and its tributaries are prol
ably 1000, 900 acres. One OF the be
drops which can be raised 10 alfalf
Two or three crops Of this plant ca
be cut year. High water commence
on the 18th Of June and ends abo,
the 10th Of July; the Yellowstou
sometimes raises IA feet. Twenty d
cent Of the lands In Custer count
could be redeemed by irrigation, ar
the balance would always rema
grazing land and It would oe as 10,
as any In the country. The
are large parts OF the upper ben,
lands which could be irrigated by II
reservoir system. There IN no re
, mountain land In this county; the
|. are plenty Of high ranges Of bill
: among which there are many sms
canyons which could be turned in
reservoirs 10 bold water. The artesis
wells In the county run from Que
four miners inches. with . capaci
averaging perhaps As gallons OF wa
A per minute There 10 plenty Of tin
q ber In the county suficIeut for raucl
Ing purp~ss, but no timber for eou
nercs. The timber is not dsB
enough to allow forest nps. In .