, 1889-04-16
STUDYING IRRIGATION


Roswell F. Flower and party who have
come TO the West to examine into the
question of irrigation by storage reser-
voirs, are at Colorado Springs. Mr..
Flower was interviewed by a reporter of
the Denver Nelcs. Generally speaking
he seems to be under the impression that
the building Of reservoirs should be done
by the state and territorial government.
1t is a matter, he thinks. which will
eventually regulate itself. Wherever
there is a great public demand for my
thing the demand is usually granted.
When the iniowing tide of immi-
grafton demands greatly increased water
facilities they will be provided in response
to the demand. As an illustration he
said: when we thought the whale
fisheries were all played out some one
bored into the earth and found petroleum.
When the people of Pennsylvania be-
came alarmed at the failing supply of
wood, the bowels OF the earth we're
opened and coal was found. Now they
have found gas. and | believe the time
will come when some one will get ten
times the value out of the coal and dis
tribute it 10 us. Such things come with
the public demand, and there is a large
class of inventors at work all the time on
new things. So it will be with your
water supply. AS you have a demand
and the population grows you will get
the reservoirs and bitches, whether they
be built by the government, state or by
private enterprises. They will do these
things when o want them
On the general subject of irrigation
Mr.. Flower said: II came here to see
these things and find out for myself how
it is and my trip will be extensive.
shall go over the Central Pacific to South.
ern California, up to Oregon, and back
over the Northern Pacific into the Vel
lowstone park, and home. 1 snail, there
fore, traverse a great deal of the country
requiring irrigation. | want to get at the
bottom OF this question during my trav-
els, because there may be a lot of schemes
before congress in connection with the
surveys by the government engineers for
locating the water sheds and basins, and |
think it is a very important question
whether it be done by the government.
state or private parties. The great West
Is an important part OF our nation and it
will grow greater every year, and if the
building of reservoirs and cQualizing the
distribution of water will do anything to
build up the arid regions they should be
constructed. We are building this ma.
ton for our sons and the time will come
when they will be put on these plains and
on the mountain peaks of Colorado, with
its iron, silver, gold, coal and different
minerals, and some day it will be as rich,
II not richer, than Pennsylvania, and it is
they and the new citizens who come to
live amongst us who will develop its re.
sources. You have plenty of water and
the work of preparing to save it for use
when needed should be begun, no matter
by whom, at once. The chances are that
1t would be very much better to let pri-
vlte enterprise do the work than either
state or nation, but it must be done some
way. We are getting from 1000, 900 to
100000 new people on this continent
every year, because our government was
planned on the right basis-thc basis of
letting the people govern themselves. 1t
is a government Of love instead of force.
Nc bayonets bind us together. We must
prepare to make room for these people
and welcome those who come to be good
citizens"
Authorization to Cheyenne and Wyo-
ming has been extended Mr.. Flower, and
it is to be hoped that he will make it con-
venieut to come here.