The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-07-26
NEEDS OF THE ARID REGIONS
Irrigation Necessity If tile Land Is to
BE Used for Agricultural Purposes.
How Vast Section of the Country Could Be
Made Fertile by Government Assistance in
Building Reservoirs or Sinking Wells.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
BOISE CITY, /. T., July 25.-In the two
Dakotas, Northern Nebraska, Colorado,
Wyom ing. Utah and Nevada, which sec.
tons have visited during the past month,
there is one subject which overtowers all
others with every class of people. 1t is IT.
rigation. In all of these sections, with the
possible exception of a portion of western
Nebraska, terrible drought exists; and
the same condition and the same sentiment
on the subject confronts much of Kansas.
portions of California and ali of Arizona
and New Mexico. There is just one way to
make the Territories and Colorado agri-
cultural communities, and one way only.
and that is by irrigation. This it seems.
will never be done successfully except by
the government; and the question of how
far the general government can and should
60 In the direction of improving either its
own public domain or the property of pri-
vate individuals will form a problem be-
fore Congress at its coming session quite as
overwhelming and comprehensive as either
the tariff or the basis for national banking.
AT no time during the past ten years have
so many men from Congress visited the
Northwest and West as during the present
season: This viii serve to give impetus To
the subject of irrigation, and increase in
the mind of Congress the Importance of the
subject. a special committee from the SEN
ate is looking into the subject by congress
siOnal authority, while Congressman Geo.
w. L. Dorsey, of Fremont Neb. left his
home on the 10th inst. with party of Rep
resentaJives from the lower house of Con-
gress, composed of Messrs. Burrows, of
Michigan; Stewart, of Vermont; Goti, of
West Virginia. and Hayden, of Massachu-
sets. am with this party, and have wit
messed the intense anxiety of the citizens
of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Idaho for
At Denver Senator Teller said to me on the
subject; The subject of irrigation will be
pressed before Congress the coming session
as no other subject will be presented. The
West, Northwest and Southwest will stand
together, and congressional action of some
sort must follow. Without irrigation
one-third or one-fourth of the entire
country will be desert forever And irri-
CATION for agricultural purposes can only
De successfully accomplished by the federal
government, for two cogent reasons: First.
the greater number of localities where the
water must be stored are on the public do
main; and secondly. the expense is too
great to warrant private individuals in
making the outlay, even though they had
the money. The returns from the work
cannot be made in this generation in many
instances. But this makes no difference to
the general government. Yes: the Consti-
can be no doubt of that. landlord can
not be prevented from improving his own
property. The federal government has
only to contine its OUTLAWS to its own lands.
The advantages to the lands owned by
private Individuals will come incidentally
just as protection o our industries is Incl
dental to our present system of import
duties"
At Cheyenne Congressional Delegate
Carey and Governor Warren both used the
w Of n. IN h.
Constitution can intervene to cause hesita-
ton on the part of Congress. | should
think, however, that the levee system
along the Mississippi river has demonstrated
may be used to protect or improve private
property SO long as there is primary aim
toward federal interests. If the govern
ment can use its money to keep water off
private property along the Mississippi,
private. property in the Territories, or
even the States, provided, of course, the
work Is confined to the public domain. No
one asks for reservoirs on private lands
find that there is q unanimous decision
I'm favor of the construction of reservoirs
on the plains. at elevated points, where fall
for the distribution of the water which is
collected during snowy OF rainy seasons
may be secured. Since the Johnstown dis
aster no one will listen to the original
proposition of damming up the mountain
passes, as the pressure would be so great as
to make danger from bursting of the
dams or walls a constant menace. Then
the sediment which is carried down the
mountain ranges and through the canyons
would fill the reservoirs made in the very
community where the water is collected.
The idea is to carry the water down from
the mountains to reservoirs out on the
plains a short distance, or reservoir the
water from rains, and streams, and springs
during the flood seasons, to be distributed
to the arid sections by means of bitches.
The government has only to store the water
on its own lands. The people will take it
and use it judiciously and in such a way as
to make the deserts blossom like gardens,
and secure a return for all the outlay to the
general government In time.
Mr.. Dorsey, who is practical and sue
cessful business man. as well as a states
man, believes the federal government could
well afford to supply complete system of
reservoirs and artesian wells for irrigation,
as it would be but an investment which
would declare a splendid dividend in the
way of taxes. Wherever the water cannot
be secured from melting snow. or rain
on the mountains, streams or springs, arte-
sian wells can be had easily.
The problem is one of the greatest posi-
BILE interest to the entire country, for, at
least. two reasons: 1t contemplates the
successful operation of more unused agri-
cultural lands than there are how In any
four States, thus revolutionlZing agricult-
ural interests everywhere, and 1t contem-
plates such a large outlay of money-any
where from fifty to hundred millions of
dollars-that. financially, the Improvement
will be noticeable in every commercial ave-
nue.. The struggle for it is made imminent
and earnest by the terrible and destructive
drought of this season. Every member of
the Dorsey party has been fully convinced
of the wisdom of the project, and what is
true of the observations of these statesmen
is true no doubt. of the scores of others
now in the arid regions
PERRY 6. HEATH