Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-09-30
WHAT IRRIGATION MAS DONE.
Waste Places Of the West Made Won.
lerfuily Productive.

LAKE CrrY, Sept 29.-rhe Latter
Day Saints" or Normcns, were the nf.t
English speaking Americans to adopt irri-
CATION ia farming.
When they entered The valley of Great
Salt Lake, in 1S47, not seed had been
planted thgre by the hand of man. Old
Bridser. a trspper and hunter whom the,
me. ia Ihe mountSins, told them he would
rive them bushel Of gold for the hrsi
bushsi of wheat they raised il the valley.
The first thing thst the saints did ~hea
they settled was to dam creek and irri-
gate q patch Of grouad in which they plant
ed what potatoes they had. Salt Lake cit.
vas laid cut in ten acre ,quares, each
90 lare being divided into eight lots. Rec
lar guar streets ran between these squares
Ga each side Of the streets cutters were
made. City crack was taken from Its
caaDnsl and run through the city, the
streams being divided at each corner. rom
the cutters The water "as taken to the lo;s
and 10 1851 there were 5000 people there
living upon these little farms.
Colonies were established up and down
the Territory where water could be had,
and irrigation became the source OF life.
According to the census Of 1890 there are
over 10000 farms in Utah. and over 5000
Of them are watefed by irrigation. Most OF
this others are stock ranches having streams
or springs, or both.
Bu. il is Only OF late tina. irrig alton is
being attempted in large way. Two or
three canals have been opened this year.
The Bear river canal is in two branches,
one so and the other 40 miles iorg, 1t will
water 1000 acres The Washington
Canal Company hiss just opened It's ditth,
90 mile. long. This will irfigste 10000
acres of the finest land in southern Utah.
A still later irrigation enterprise is the
compile, ion of the I.sverkin canal in Was +.
ippton county, US h. This ditch Is only
two miles long. In hole ia the laws
mountains Of sonihern Utsh there has been
for years little Mormon village called
Toquerville. Slipping up from the village
10 mountain side is "benoh" contsining
about 1000 acres If very rich SOFT, volcanic
a. hes perhaps 1t could not be used.
b cause 20 water reached it. Two miles
away was the Rio Virgin. II q ditch could
be made around the side of the mouotain
tn It lay between ire river aad the bench,
that land would become very valuable.
But the Tcquer villagers said it could not
be done, and hence they did net try.
80 A company of snterprisipg men secured
the bench, and then set to work to get
water. The disth had to be built siorg
precipices, 500 fe,t high Ia places alb ave
the level of the country around. The men
had to be fsster ed in place by ropes as they
worked. A tunnel SEQ feet long had to br
cut through hip of the mountain. But
the work was done, ard the water turned
on in the presence Of wondering crowd
IL ran out upon the beach aud down into
old Ttquervllie. and The men growled b 4
cause others came and took away their
land Then the tottom fell out of the
ditch and the water ran into the earth. The
ditch was closed and new bottom nj ,de.
The water runs well since.
Irrigation secured, the owners Of the bench
ct once began q fruit ranch. A skilled
chemist is employed TO locate various fruits
secoIdirg to soil Avenues are run through
the grounds. An electric light plant will
be run BY the waterfall Of the canal. Large
caan.r e, will be established. Ten acre 4
will be under glass. Early vegetables will
b. raised. The frait Will comprise seed
lass saisins, soft fhell almonds. pssches
cherries, prunes, Bartlett pears only, spri-
cots aud nsctaIines The boys and girl
of old Toquersilie will hsve al opportunity
to work tor good wages =. home and TO Sc
cure stock IL the company when it IS in
good running order.
The whole is an object lesson as to Whist
enterprise and pluck can do even in q mot
f1raidirg couatrY. TO &c; the ditch msds,
the woikmen bad to haul thirteen tons ct
powder ever Black Ridge, whose whole wild,
rough rosd makes the head of stranger
swim With fear as he locks, here and there,
over a jump-off that falls 1000 feet Is a
pUmmet drops.
Southern Utah has long been looked
upod as rich but useless country. 1t has
excellent land, hut it hiss been impossible
to irripa,a Is The recent successes will
mske energy in other directions. Ii has
mountains of iron and coal, ard the more
pre- cious minerals are there in vast quaint
ties. But there have been no railroads.
Now the roads sre pushing in. There are
great tracts Of timber ard fine stock ranges.
ln FIVE years Southern Utah will be 81.
gantic Monte Cristo's csve under the blue
of the brightest sky.