The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1890-09-01
IRRIGATION In KANSAS.
Excellent Results in the Western Part of the
State, and an Era of Prosperity Begun.

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
Last week your correspondent drove
pair of bronchos from Hartland TO Garden
City, on the north side of the Arkansas
river, over the route which passes through
the irrigated lands both in the valley and
on the plateau. For seeing the magnif-
cent effects of irrigation this was much
better than travelling by rail, and having
driven between those points in 1885, the
contrast was rendered more remarkable.
Then there were no crops except under the
little ditch near Garden City. and it might
be added that there were few settlers ex-
cept near the railroad stations. The route
then travelled was nearer the river than
now, and part of the way was near the
old California trail,' whose deep-cut
Of historical interest. Your readers who
made those long and tedious overland
Journeys in 40 and succeeding years along
that trail can scarcely realize that such
barren, desOlate land can now be yielding
bountiful harvests.
Could the old "forty-niner" again attempt
to travel the old route he would
be INSTRUCTED by great canals of
1s Ss o By w wRs. f'ns ss;s by n BY
and alfalfa. He would have to follow SEQ
ton lines and Established roads. On every
farm he would see immense ricks of alfalfa
ana WONDER Wnere bnoy came from, because
the fields are now covered with a beauti-
full, blooming, luxuriant growth just ready
for the mower for the third or fourth time
this year. Instead ofdrinking from the old
Shiny water barrel; he could at every farm
the farmers well. He could find his camp
ing-place beneath the dark-green foliage of
the cottonwood grove. Instead of eating
salt pork and flap jacks he could appease
his hunger by gathering apples. peaches,
melons and vegetables of all kinds. He
could drink fresh milk, cooled by the con-
slant flow of water from the wind-pump.
He could see weed patches that would
remind him of the bOyhOOd days when he
hated to cut weeds with either hoo or
scythe. He could at frequent intervals sec
the white school-hous and church spire of
civilization. Az Garden City he could see
hourishing place of about three Thousand
people. He could see many farmers bring
ing in their wheat aud oats and smiling as
they received their so cents and 40 cents per
bushel. He could see fine Touring mill,
with capacity of $50 barrels per day
Do you ask what has caused this transfer
nation along this part of the "old Cali
fornia TRAIL and painted this wonderful
picture of thrift and prosperity There
can be but one answer: The enterprise
which furnished irrigation and then titled
q fertile soil. While settlers above the
ditch line have bravely struggled for five
years to conquer their semi-arid lands, and
have failed to earn a support. those under
Gus each year and adding to the beauty of
their homes. This was a wheat year on
the flats without irrigation, but more
moisture would make success certain every
year. and at the same time insure the pro-
duction of all crops and vegetables raised
in this latitude.
In these five years of conflict with the
adverse forces Of nature, the ranks Of the
been greatly depleted. but there remains
an ''old guard" of bropzed and hardy vet
Grams who have the indomitable will to
stay here until the desert Is blotted from
oped one of the finest agricultural regions
on the continent. There Is no danger of
these old-timers dying out, because
this high. pure. air. with its
earth 1t is better than the fountains of
perpetual youth sought for by the Span
iards. These old pioneers may be sat
down" upon and have their rights ignored
for a while but the time is coming when
they will raise such a howl in Congress
that some of those mild-mannered Eastern
gentlemen will fear that the coyo of
the West are off their reservation. The
new census will give us better representa-
ton. At the last election in this con-
gressional district there were cast $50
more votes than the aggregate in three dis
tricts of South Carolina and four districts
in Georgia. Thus one Southerner has more
influence in national legislation than seven
pioneers in the big Seventh" of Kansas
But it would not be putting it too strong
to say that one pioneer in southwest Kan
sas has more energy, enterprise and pluck
than seven of those ex-slave drivers In
the East money is spent to clear the stumps
from so-called navigable streams which,
in fact scarcely deep enough to float
an Indian canoe. yet there is too much
piety and economy to spend money in a
way to develop an empire of wealth. He
who makes two blades of grass grow In the
place of one is a benefactor of the human
race. In view of the rapid exhaustion of
arabic lands it is>tme for statesmen and
philanthropists to turn their attention to
the question of maintaining ourselves as q
self-supporting Nation. A.C.
APPoMATTOx. KAN, Aug. 81.