Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1889-08-23
Irrigation,

per in Dakota has had selected or orig.
inal article on the ubiact of artesian wells
we think our readers will be better salts
fed with this accumulated wisdom than
with any editorial we could write on thc
subject. We therefore quote as follows
DEVILS Lake Inter Ocean The earlier
rceldents of Dakota-anl indeed those
who came as lutte as 1S64-5-wil remrn-
Der to what an extent the great plans
were supplied with ponds and lake]cts
and running c"ulces. In those years sucn
a thing as Il failure Of crops was urheord
of, because The rainfall was abundant
The moisture from these sloughs ana
streams was taken up by the natural pro,
cess and distributed on the fields in whole.
some showers. Wheat-raising in Dakota
was most profitable industry. But the
situation has been undergoing a rapid
change. Natures reservoirs are going
dry. The rainfall has decreased and
droughts are becoming alarmngly fire.
quent. The belief is growing strong in
the minds of men who have given the
subject consideration that the hope OF the
agrcu!turists of the states Immediately
east of the Rocky Mountains is III the
artesian-well system. There ls no longer
any question as to the existence of great
and inexhaustible quantities of water at
moderate distance below the surface in
all these states. Especially is this true in
our Territory. OF the half dozen artesian
wells IN North Dakota every one is sue.
cess. In South Dakota about 100 artc-
sian wells are flowing heavily, and the
overflow goes to the sloughs and low
places and IS there taken up in the atn,os-
phere. The result is an increased rain
fall in the vicinity Of these wells. This
proves the theory advanced by mcteorol
ogists that large number of flowing
wells, distributing their waters over the
prairles and filling the empty sloughs
will furnish a satisfactory solution of the
drought problem.
Bloomington Courier: What Dakota
wants Is arteslan wells. She wants her
dry lake beds filled, and she wants some
of the surplus in the treasury to help sink
those wells. Let Dakota's nelghbors
state what they need, and then let's all
stand together and make our influence
felt. There is neither sense nor justice
in allowing all the money that is appro
priated annually to be used within few
hundred miles of the Atlantic coast. We
want some of it here, and we are entitled
to it. \
Aberdeen News: Wells have been sunk
from jamestown to Yankton, and from
Andover to Ipswich, and in every case
| where a well has been sunk water has
been found at a certain level, and the
strata through which the drills passed
have been very uniform, so that the ele
ment of chance III putting them down
has been reduced IT, the point of almost
absolute certainty, and with the climina
| tion of this element there has been q cor
| responding reduction of cost, which re
| duction has not yet reached minimum
| A we'll with diameter of Al inches q
the bottom will throw over 5000 gallon.
| of water minute, or 1920 900 gallon.
| per day at which rate it would require 4S
| days to flood an entire section to depth
of one foot !; or. III other words, the flow.
ing of 44>lnch we'll for one day eacl
week would supply all the water neces
sary for the complete irrigation of 8
whole section. The cost of five incl
well, with valves, etc, complete, il
$4,000, and it would produce waite
enough to irrigate half a township, if rul
to higher points in sluices and stored il
reservoirs until needed.
The last Dakota legislature passed
law regarding the sinking Of artesia1
wells The judge of probate of eacl
county is made ex-otficio artesian- wei
commissioner by this law. Ten or more
resident property holders in township
can apply to him for the sinking eff
we'll. Within twenty days after such ar
plicatiou the commissioner shall nam
three disinterested persons to report upo
the practicability of locating the we'll il
the township where it is requested. If
favorable report is made to the commis
sloner he shall, with the county commits
sloners and county treasurer, cause tn
we'll to be sunk and assess the person
benefited, the assessment not to excee
two mills upon the dollar upon all tax
able property. All taxes assessed fc
wells shall be collected IN the same mar
ner as other general taxes. If taxes ar
not paid within the time prescribed b
law, the county treasurer can sell the as
sessed lands for such taxes Paymer
for sinking wells shall be made as TO
lows: One-third of the entire cost ma
be paid when one third of the work
finished, and another one third when two
thirds of the work is done but the IT
naming one third shall not be paid unit
the work has been finished, accepted an
approved by the artesian we'll commi