Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1890-03-06

| seven or eight Zee; par mlle. Tie Ar
kansas iver -iifIer5 from tae other
s,reafns-it IS much larger-ias It
source il Tx 'aouatsins, = sapgiisd
with water from the ,aslsiaE she s.
there deposited the preceeaing winter.
| A heavy fan of suow in lie mountains
means lots u water in the rivera liahs
fall the reverse-iicweyer. snow or lsc
snow. there Is always a rise cf The river
in June. Wien immense quantities Of
water pass down the stream and afe
lost to the agriculturist.
The uuder-dow is sheet OF water
that flows through strata Of sand
under the surface This water varies
in its depth, and flows from the north
west to the southeast and, not parallel
with the streams rs many have hereto
fore supposed. This under-aow is found
many miles north Of the Arkansas river,
where the strata Of sand through which
it flows approaches near she surface;
manifests itself near the south line @!
the state i'll springs and artesian wells
Asa means of retaining the rain fail fl
has been suggested that the Tayiaes
and smaller streams might be obstruct-
ed with dams at frequent intervals that
would retain in pools. ponds and lakes,
the water that the sasng rains bring;
| around which trees c0ald be grown;
that they could he drained in the dry
seasons Of the year aud their contents
spread out over the fields Of growing
| grain below them. and until needed fer
that purpose. would by evaporation aid
materially to moiSten 4 dry atm0spA re.
Reservoirs could be constructed on tie
high table lanl near the west line 0f
the state or near the heads u the
streams. These reservoirs coaid DE-
| filled with water fl0m he larger streams
during food seasons, and there held an
til needed aHd thus conveyed By means
of bitches or cauais down the ridges or
divides between the streams. and used
to irrigate tie fields OF the farmer. fr8it
grower and gardner. = few irrigatng
canals and bitches have been construct
ed along tie Arkansas river between
| the mountains and Dodge City. that
draw their water supply from that
stream. They have aided the farmer
very much in their localities. but have
been only a partial success owing to
the limited water supply. When the
bitches and canals contained water, the
result more than met the most sausuiue
expectations of the projectors. To
overcome tie inadequacy Of the wster
supply from the river. the iTrigslins
companies are utilizing the unier1ow.
The South Dodge Canal Company in
this county. have constructed canal
that does not tap any river or stream
and consequently does not depend upon
that source for its water supply, but
takes its water out Of the prairie at its
head This is accomplished 6y ren0y-
ing the earth from ever the under flow
and exposing a stream Of running wat
er or Il lake with current, caused by
lhe natural dip of the country. The
Messrs. Gilbert Bros. of that company.
who conceived the idea OF thus aDpro-
priating the under-fow, claim for their
company's canal , never falling water
supply, and is long stride toward the
perfection Of asYsten of irrigation ,thst
will make Western Kansas the garden
| spot Of the contin,n.. Il solves the
water prublsm. 1t proves that the IN
derilow can be relied upon, when the
rains and streams fail. As the country
improves under irrigation, less water
will be required. Storeing the water in
reservoirs, lakes and ponds, cultivation
Of the land, tree growing with the in
creased growth Of vegetation, the at
mosphere is supplied with moisture,
rains are more frequent, and the hot
winds now Of yearly occurrence, VIII en-
tirely disappear.
It has long been supposed that these
winds have their origin on the plains
far south of ms; that the heat is there
generated and driven over the country
by the strong. south w.ads. THIS WAS
q theory not supported by the facts.
The heat of the wind is generated on
ahe prairie by the side Of the corn field
that it destroys. The vegetation Of the
unbroken prairie Buffalo grassl IS 50
light and scant, that under Lot sun.
heat arises from it as though it were a
sandy desert. The nearer the crop TO
natural sod, the more rapid and certain
its destruction by hot winds.
The foregoing may suggest al oatlay
Of money beyond the reach Of TINS gen
Grafton, and therefore iLnpracticable
and visionary. This obstacle can also
be removed. Laws can be pissed that
will allow counties, townships and cit
les to lend their credit to these enter
priseS. as they DO to rallroads-mas'ag
the :,rigoble !ln Is only sgJsci'o tie Ia, 10
met tic 5osdsa o5'iqai:oa Tie congress
of the nation has a bill before Ii to ap-
propria.e a quarter Of a million dollars
to make surveys and ascertain the cost
Of developing irrigation in this and
other western states-and why not? IF
it is proper to make an appropriation to
Zig deep water harb0r. to create a
market for agricultural products. it
would be highly proper to make an APP
preparation to secure the products.
Should the time and zeal that Is eX-
pended by some Of our citizens in tying
20 secure an Office with starvation
salary attachment BE expended in The
( direction Of securing an appropriations
OF million dollars from the state, sue
cess would certainly crown tleir efforts
with the appropriation secured.
The development Of irrigating canals
and bitches in Western Kansas thgs
far attained, Niih tile'lakes and ponds
in the rayiHes and canyons that the