Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-19
ABOUT IRRIGATION.
The Senatorial Committee Arrive in the
City of Fort Worth.
Conclusions that have Formed During Their
Tour Through the Arid Landslide
Storage System for Texas,


of Nevada, members OF the committee
sent out TO inquire into the feasibility of
retaining certain lands lying in various
states and territories by irrigation, ar
rived in the city yesterday morning from
the West. They were accompanied by
Maj. J w. Powell, director of the
United States geological survey; Col R.
J. Hinton of the United States geologi-
cal survey; Dr. Hines of the Associated
! Press; Col. H b. Maxson, United
States deputy surveyor in charge of pub
lie lands in Nevada and Arizona; Eugene
| Davis, SeTgeant-at-arms- r. 5. Bos
well, stenographer; Charles j. KOD-
| pier, clerk and p. {. Woman. They
! arrived on a special train in charge of L.
). Frost of the Texas and Pacific, and
| remained in Fort Worth only few
hours, fearing if they delayed that their
! progress would be cut of by bridges 60
| ing down on the few remaining roads
! open TO them. They had been
| delayed twenty four hours at one point
| west by being caught between two wash
| outs.
The committee did very little here.
! Only four witnesses were examined,
I
| L. l.. Foster and W. ). Marshall of tins
| city, and Charles q Pratt Of Abilene,
| who are Intimately acquainted with the
| lands and water supply of West and
Northwest Texas. From the evidence
| thus far the committee are led to believe
| that the storage system will be the only
successful plan for West and Northwest
| Texas, and more especially the plains;
| but rs the rainfall is not sufficient TO
supply the amount OF water that viii be
required, arJesian or other wells must be
resOrted TO for the deficiency
The committee have been so well
pleased with the typographical surveys
placed before them that they 60 not hes
itate to predict = great revolution of SEN
timent in regard to the dry districts of
the west when their report IS read. The
engineers have been instructed to report
all public lands needed for storage and
susceptible to irrigation to the
interior department, and they viii be
withdrawn and not be subject to home
stealing under the law rs it now Is.
The committee believe that the home
stead laws will be Immediately changed
in regard to the irrigable lands.
Maj. Powell says ne Is having a tOpo-
graphical survey made of the eastern
portion of the state, and that he will ask
~
survey of West Texas as will be most
useful i'll showing the necessities and
advantages Of irrigation. He thinks
there will be no trouble in getting the
appropriation If the Texas delegation in
congress favor it, and that it can be
made to do great good. He says more
than half the area of Texas can be iFri-
gated with profit.
Senator Reagan did not want to be in
terviewed, but talked briefly and pleas
antly to q GAZETTE representative of the
object of the present investigation He
is heartily in favor of an appropriation
to pay for the necessary surveys, and
thinks great good may be accomplished
in the way of retaining lands now lost
TO cultivation On the railroad question
he expressed himself as favOring q com
mission, and thought if the constitution
did not now warrant It's creation an
amendment should be at once adopted
that would permit it. He thinks the
people of Texas, and all other states, can
find a ready remedy for unjust
discrimination by applying to the rail-
road commission, and thinks if they SUI
fer it is their own fault.
Senator William Stewart, known in
Nevada as ''silver Bill and Usage
brush Bill, - is a large, powerful
long, gray beard. He looks to be
about sixty years of age, but is erect and
vigorous, and those VINO had been on the
trip with him say he can Outwalk any
man i'll the Union. He is a keen OBJ
server and an interesting talker on pO-
ltical subjects. He had little to say
about the work of the committee beyond
the fact that it had been very arduOus,
and that he thought they had gathered
information that would be of use TO the
country He had many compliments
for Fort Worth, whose size and COM
mercial Importance surprised him con-
siderabIy.
Col Richard J Hinton OF the United
States geological survey who was ac-
companying the senate committee, has
this to say of Senator Reagan:
''While l am a Northern man, Re
publican and an ex-UniOn soldier, /
think Senator John FL. Reagan of Texas
is one of the grandest old men have ever
been associated with. -
The party proceeded from here to Gar
den City, Kan. except Senator Reagan,
who went to his home IN Palestine. at
Garden City Senator Jones of Arkansas
and Plumb of Kansas viii join Senator
Stewart, and they viii proceed TO Chey-
enne, Wy. T.. where the committee viii
duJoutu 10 meet III " ltSA4ILs LOA when Gull
gresS assemblies.
1t is very probable that the committee
will suggest some changes in the govern
ment timber laws; designed to better
guard the timbered lands of the public
domain. It is also almost certain,
though of course the members did not so
express themselves, that the committee
will recommend the appropriation asked
by Maj. Powell. This appropriation
amounts, all told, to $3.50 ,0O0, to be used
in the sixteen states and territories lying
west of the one huDdredth meridian.
Cotton Bagging.