Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-05-17


wrote an article on the moisture problem.
which appeared in the Kansas Citv. Times of
the 10Th INST. The article is Of surprising
interest 90 the western farmers, as 1t deals
directly with the one question which OF all
others must be solved before the Wild west
eTn plains can be wholly s. 0dued. The arti-
Gle viii stimulate thought IN the right direc-
Eon- we Deheye 1t 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
ceallzlng that the growth OF this metropolis de
eastern slope Of the Rocky mountains. feel con-
hdent that you VIII take enough interest In the
SUBJECT that am about to OHer to publish it In
the columns of your paper,
1t IS one that VIII BE a benefit to thousands who
are now Trying % make their homes on this tree
less prairie When in the future, we can see dot
ting the prairie In every direction, ilnum5rabls
where one grew before, we can look back to this
article and say that 1t has been of some benefit 70
In such years as the three last have been in Kan
sas4 the farmer sees one crop after another rail
with trembling hand and prays this year there
may be enough rain sent to water 1t, but the not
crops are Withered before the blast.
Now, if the United States wishes to people these
states of the eastern slope of the Rocky mount
aims 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 bOuntful crops could be
/ produced if we had now and then a rain at the
right time. We also know that during our driest
seasons we have q great abundance of rainfall
sufficient to produce the very best of crops, but
house, so that in tWenty-fOur hours after good
rain the earth is again dry and the greater part of
this water Is choking the streams on It's 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 q climatic change,
but not great; contractors would grow rich out
EVfeFn <rrfnu HTNE- TrnF nF fzfzu
could be wrought and more gOOd be done by dis
trlbutIng this money among the farmers to con-
struct small lakes from One-haH to two acres IN
extent over this great area from the Gulf of Mex
leo to British America. There Is no doubt but
the lakes would be built by the farmer If he OnSy
realized their value and had some aid from the
Dams can be built across ravines at trifing
expense and trees can be planted around these
dams. 1t Is well known to those who have culti-
less land, render it as valuable to them as their
most choice and productive, for one or two res
stocked with hsh would furnish their families
with that luxury that but few farmers enjoy.
This idea was presented to my mind as I
watched a heavy rain Ia June. 1t came down
IN COrrenL5; every little flVu1eU was cnokeo Wi5h
water. There was water everywhere. As L watch
ed it rapidly flowing by, the thought came, # We
could Only store this surplus there would be
enough to carry US through the next cry season,
which we are sure VIII soon come. If an apprO-
priation 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 1t IN repair, rms money
! would provide for the present wants OF many a
the support OF family and 1t would also aId INN
/ in making himself q home, while the ponds would
/ furnish his family with nOurlshment. The gov
/ ernmen6 would soon learn that tins money had
/ been well spent.
But the greatest benefit that would be derived
/ by the commonwealth would be IN the great cIl-
/ matte change that these lakes would produce
/ Every section OF land should haye one OF these
!deSi IN some cases tney !Il1GL1U De large enough
to he'd water for irrigation, but the idea is to
/ have them for the purpose OF eYapOraJlng Daslns
/ There being thousands OF them, they would rep
/ resent a vast area OF water service Hlnged with
! trees that would make a quick growth and keep
! these ponds from too rapid evaporation.
Then our hot winds, or the ''slnOOns OF the
| American desert" blowing over these bodies Of
| water, would cause rapid evaporation, ana De
! come cooler, SO that they would be robbed of
/ their terror. As they waited this moisture
! northWard over country cooled py lnnuIner-
| able lakelets, these yapors would become
/. condensed, and fall in the form of
| rain. Again. the north wind viii carry the re-
/ naming moisture to the south, and there water
! the thirsty crops of that region. Thus we see
as our winds blow almost directly north and south
/ that instead of this moisture being lost to 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 uninhab-
! table would yield to the farmer a most product
! i've harvest. 1t is a well known fact that since
this country has been opened up and alarge amount
! of land been brought under cultivation the
/ rainfall has increased. We also know that OVel
forests, bodies OF water and even cultivated land
/ the temperature is cooler than over the unCutCI
waited pTairies; thus this GOODNESS causes the IOis
turs floating over to be condensed and it fails in
! the form OF rain. One can notice IN dry seasons,
/ when we have but now and then a shower, that
! they seem to follow the great water courses We
can attribute this to the same cause. The atmOs-
] phere being cooler there, these YaDOrs are con-
densed In their passage over 1t and rain is the con-
/ sequence. Farther proof might be given, but the
/ rejecting mind viii see that great change would
come over this country and Tor every dollar that
/ was given to help the industrious pioneer, the
! government would receive tenS0Id IN the increase
/ of its revenue and the additional wealth Of these
] great plains
/ We must make some move in this country to
| improve our condition. This subject Is one which
/ should not only interest the farmer but the me
! chaniC and the merchant well, for without
] moisture we have but an arid region, barren
! desert.
/ Every senator and congressman from the DallO-
! tas, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas and Colorado should
act In unison to secure an appropriation from the
United States. and the legislatures OF every state
and territory should offer some substantial aid to
/ its pioneers to construct these reservoirs. Kan
sas, standing out bright star in the GALAXY of
! states in every movement that helps to elevate
mankind, can do no better than to see that this
/ idea is carried out.
Let this subject be agitated, societies formed
{ and aid asked for from the States and the United
/ States; then interest VIII be awakened. The
farmer, seeing the great value of these reservoirs
VIII begin to build them. and If appropriation
] OF a million q year for the next ten years can be
secured to these states and territories Of the east
slope OF the rocky mountains, 1t Will not only
bring plenty Of rain but 1t vii distribute S10,-
000 900 where 1t Is most needed, for ii VIII aid a
people that is deserving and that needs the pro
tectlng aid of the government as much as any PEG
/ pie In this broad land. Respectfully yours,
III. W. PARSONS