The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-09
IRRIGATION CONGRESS.
A Few Pertinent Suggestions on
This Subject From MIR. Charles
A. Gregory.
Showing That the Importance of
Irrigation Is Being Ap-
preciated.
The Convention In This City Next Month
Should Mark an Epoch in Irrlga-
tiOn In Montana,

| ton In Montana,
Mr.. Charles A. Gregory, of Manhattan, ia
| one OF the closest and most enthusiastic
students Of the subject OF irrigation in the
country. His observations cover q wide
range of territory and 30 successful have
been the experiments under his direction
that he may be classed as one Of the author
tiles of the subject. He Is now located at
Manhattan, the new town of the Gallatin
valley, where one Of the biggest irrigation
systems ever undertaken js being success
fully operated. He has written the follow
| ing interesting letter on irrigation to Gov
ernor Toole:
"You have ecalled convention to meet
next January in Helena, to consider the
matter Of irrigation, and it is popularity
| supposed to fasten interest in the question
OF transferance of the arid lands Of the
national domain to the several states in
which they are situate. The discussion of
the questions to como before this arid con-
| gress will awaken inquiry into the develop
ment OF irrigation in the arid regions OF the
United States. IT would be pertinent in
tion, and the cost OF each development.
| Nothing more than reasonable estimate
| of irrigation cost can be made. There ia a
want of correct statistics on this topic. /
stated in series of articles on the arid re-
, gion last winter thet more than one hun
dred millions of dollars had several years
ago been thus invested. This was from
government documents. It is probably too
large an estimate unless we consider land
improvement. other than the provision of
bitches and canals.
An estimate of snch expenditures, draw
ing data from capitalization OF irrigation
enterprises, would lead us to conclusion
wide OF the true mark. good way to get
at it would be to ascertain the 'area under
ditch" and then from certain known data
to estimate the average of the cost of the
systems per acre. This will give us closer
approximation to true result than any other
con venient and not costly method. The
m ost acute observer and collector of data,
as we'll as the most eloquent writer on the
Irrigation question, is r. 5. Hinton. Of the
| irrigation bureau at Washington. ID. G.
From correspondence with him may give
you some late estimates and conclusions,
which your congress may we'll take note of.
In 1890 he placed the area under ditch at
16.064. 100 acres. He would reckon that bout
] side of small area in southern Cali
fornia, taking all classes of work
into consideration, and averaging
the cost or actual money investment there
in. that S3 per acre is liberal estimate,
allowing for the increased acreage and
works of the year 1891. and putting the total
| 1ln~ n fnJ oh
have $54, ,OOO, 0OO spent in such enterprises.
This of course is outside OF land pu, chases,
| and the cost of preparing the same. At a
rough estimate, the cost of wells and other
phreatic or earth supplies now used in irri-
cation. may be placed at not less than ST.
600, 600, inclusive OF pumps, windmills, etc.
The total cost in California was estimated
in 1889 at $10,375,2S9. Since then it has in
creased to $20, 100000; for the irrigation
bonds that have been marketed will nggre-
gate in value nearly $7,O0O,0O0. With the
cost of irrigation in the semi-tropical belt
| estimated at al average cost of So5 per
acre, a moderate figure, it is believed. we
shall have lar over 100000 acres in fruit.
etc.. a cost of at least IA 100000. And thus
the total estimate of cost will be $4,000.
600. Not much information can be drawn
from the Capitalization of the larger ifrl-
cation enterprises. They would excsed the
| trus cost two or three times We may we'll
suppose. The Importance of and the aggre-
gate cost of the small creek marginal and
river marginal bitches must not be lost TO
sight. you have lately visited the Gallatin
valley. Justly 30 famous now, not in this
state only but throughout the states and
you have observed that it is gridironed
with multitude Of ciroumfluent lines of
ditches and those afford the means of by
| far the largest amount of irrigation in that
locality. These bitches are not objects to
strike the eye with astonishment as great
works, with dams and fumes and tunnels,
etc., but they are to the district in which
they exist like the veins i'll your body--the
medium of circulation for vivifyinR the
body of the country. Intelligent irrig ttion
ia in no instance in this country carried on
in the same space of land to greater ex-
tent than in the Gallatin valley. Marvel
lous crops year after year are the results.
| Wealth to the county and to the state, and
great traffic to the railroad are the results
Of this art right hero under your own OBJ
servation. What wiser thing to benefit
your state can you do than to foster and
| encou age this art. II is not out OF line Of
this thought to say that the future may
| find in the mountainous states in this arid
region the most highly developed collection
of mon and women, intellectually, and
| physically, on this continent.
In the survey of the "Aria region" the
| two marked routes for large irrigation
works at .. esent are the southwest and the