New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-18
THE WESTERN RAIN BELT.
TT SEEMS TO BE MOVING TOWARD THE
ROCKIES-IS IRRIG ALTON NEEDED?

ROCKIES-IS IRRIGATION NEEDED?
Denver. Col. Aug. IL CspccisD.-About a year ago,
when the question of irrigation being brought ior-
ward 50 prominently by the promoters of tho bill pro
vidng for a National appropriation TO build storage
reservoirs and canals, The Tribune's correspondent
I'm discussing the situation stated It to be the belief
of many people throughout the arid section that long
before anything extensive In This direction c0uId ne
accomplished. the water question for the ara pel
ling east of the Rocky Mountains would solve iseIt
That the rain belt is moving westward toWaru ue
Rocky Mountains Is a fact already well established.
sufficient evidence was presented year ago Anu
this year comes additional proof in the almost too
heavy and too frequent rains which have swept over
Eastern Colorado and Western Kansas and Nebraska
the particular section OF country The storage res'i-
vors were designed to help Oat For three years
these sections had been literally burned up ana inc
farmer and stockgrower left not only pennlleSS'
but I'm debt Things looked gloomy aheal. Then
came a mild and open winter. Little snow fell
either on tho plains or in the mountains. and what
little came was soon dsslpatcd by the warm winds
which swept the country. I'm the mountain
g1chcs where usually from ten 20 thirty fe, OF snow
and ice are to be found in March and April. there
werc but five feet. and in places all had disp-
peaIcd with the exception of occasional patches N
sheltered hooks.
Thi, was something never known before and II
filed with CONSERVATION those whose hopes for wa'or
were based on melting snow IN the hills whereby to
feel the brOohs and rivers flowing eastward. ihls
sae Of affairs had effect that came TO be a serious
hing for Kansas. Thousands of farmers nom tlat
state disposed of their properties for little or nothing
and left for the Northwest. II became nearly an exc
dus In one week fully 1000 people passed through
this city from Western Kansas 10 Oregon and wash
lngton. Every train coming from that state brought
scores Of people. Hundreds went in other directions,
many TO Oklahoma and to the Texas Panhandle. The
tales which these poor people Told were in many cases
Iiiiful and they fully borne out by the state
ments OF railway representatives who went into Kan
sss in the interest Of their roads Captain W. +.
Tibbs. travelling passenger agent of the Denver and
Rio Grande who brought 500 people away from the
State says that he could have brought many more
had he been able to exchange railroad tickets for
farms.
80 far as lack Of rain was concerned some parts
Of Nebraska were better than Kansas but the farm
ers showed themselves wise by sticking to their pro
emptions and homes Dads. trip across Nebraska
made by the writer a few days ago. on which he met
and talked with great many Of the larger farmers,
revealed the fact that crops never SO promising
As they are now. The single fault to be heard
from Omaha TO Cheyenne was that there had been
too much ran and that except for the loss occasoned
by the washing Of corn and in places wheat and
rye. the prospects most excellent. reports ~
ceyed at the offices OF the Union Pacific. Burlington
and Elkhorn Valley railroads and By them compiled
win be fully 30 per 30 per cent higher than last
year. while there IS much greater reported
in the western portion Of The state, which will sill
further swell the output Potatoes and fax have also
thrived though If the weather continues the for
ner may suffer from rottng. How IS 1t in Kansas
Much the same 1t is a curious fact that large per
cent of those who glad to get away from the
state in March and April SIX weeks later on were as
anxious to get back and all who could raise the neces-
sary railroad fare went back. For the first time in
five years the Prohibition state had more water than
wanted.
IN Colorado where several large irrigation enter
prses have been put in operation during the spring
There has also been great plenty OF wafer The
great Henry ditch. which f. fifty feet wide AMI sixteen
feet deep when it starts from the Arkansas River,
and which winds out through Bent County. has not
been required to distribute any this year. Ma
lure ha, done her own Irrigation. Another big ditch
OF the same size Is under construction. but the owners
are wavcring in the balance, doubling whether 1t will
ever be needed. The City OF Denver whose water
suppy was feliel would be tned THU year by reason
the lack OF mountain snow referred 10. has had more
rain than ever before known aud there is no lack of
for city consumption. though early IN INC season
only hah the uShal amount was aOWcu Ior slis
irrigation and four hours early In the daN were aOiteh
the only time when lawns and gardens couid be
sprinked
another year and for all time IS matter which each
year Will alone solve. So much rain can hardly ee
exDected each wear and. indeed, is not needed. Ii
the farmer can have one half the amount of rainfall.
and have it as evenly dis ri6uted this year. he can
raise abundant crops and the acreage will be greatly
increased But while the rain belt IS steadily al
vancng toward the mountains II Is question whether
there should be very large expended In extensive
and expensive systems of irrigation which Will not DC
Colorado. wyoming, Utah and Arizona where irrigation
would open ~ large and fertile regions and here frst
OF all should the experiments be lnade'