The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-08-28
IRRIGATION.
Another Corresponding Urges the Need
of IRRIGATION.

Another Correspondent Urges the Need
of Irrigation.
Editor UMoN:-I must say that l am
pleased to see that in yourlast issueyou
have taken up the long neglected subject
OF irrigation by a system OF arteslan wells.
Also that the farmers r beginning to
take action in this direction. / for one
have, but little doubt that we have an
ample supply OF water accessible and
quite probable at no very great depth.
l have been discussing this matter with
the farmers living between Rapid City
and the Cheyenne and find q willingness
upon their part to contribute to a fund
for the purpose OF sinking a test we'll.
Your proposition to make your county
Alliance meeting ar open meeting for the
discussion OF this subject is certainly
wise as well as opportune. And I think
if properly advertised you can have a
large and enthusiastic meeting. For it
seems clear to my mind that above all
other enterprises looking toward the
development of this country the matter
of Irrigation stands supreme and should
interest every citizen whether engaged in
Agricultural pursuits or not. The build
ing of railroads is certainly q great
factor in the development of a new
country provided the OF the
country fully justify and demand it and
1 for one am willing and ready to do
all in my power to aid all such enter
prises. Yet I, like a great many others,
cannot help but give expression to the
self evident fact that it is "driving the
cart before the horse to invest capital
in more railroads for this country unless
there is something done to improve the
Agricultural interests. For there is no
denying the fact that successful farming
or agriculture in all its varied forms is
the "basis", "the back bone'' OF railroad
success, all other enterprises are, have
been, in the past, and always will be,
subservient to this. Unless we can invite
emigration and youchsafe them some
thing certain in the way OF a just
remuneration for capital time andlabor
spent in improvements and the cu]tiva-
ton OF the soil all railroad efforts will
be baffled and the men who have risked
their capital will find themselves
stranded on the reefs of a nonproduc-
tive desert. Time has fully demon
strated the fact that unless moisture
for the completion of crops can be arti-
ticially supplied, we must not rely on any
thing but stock farming for subsistence,
in which ase instead OF inviting O
people to emigrate among us we must
drive out some who have already in
vested all they have here. This is no
longer an experiment with us who have
persistently for eight Or nine years
fought against these existing conditions
with the deluded hope that we could
compel nature to come to our terms.
It is a fully demonstrated fact. We
have hoped to see the extension OF the
V flume with the proposed system OF
lakes, reservoirs etc. and think the own
ers OF land contiguous to the fume
could well afford to pay for the use ofir-
rlgation thus afforded. But the fact that
Rapid creek is now dry at Creston, makes
us naturally conclude that we, living
this distance from the Hills, would have
to wait some years at least before the
amount OF water carried thus could over
come the obstacles Of absorption and
evaporation with which 1t would have
to contend before we could receive any
benefit in way OF direct irrigation. We
do believe however, that a great deal OF
good can be indirectly received from a
system Of reservoirs supplied from wells
or in any other manner, in way OF in.
creased rainfall. The writer is a firm
believer in the old m AKIN, that mature
provides for her children" and thinks hi
can see the natural basins for a system
Of reservoirs in these otherwise almost
useless brakes lining every creek from
the hills to the Cheyenne, almost has
faith to believe that the supply OF water
is within reach and only waits tn
touch OF man to complete a combina
ton OF causes that will cause the desert
to blossom as the rose. Would be glac
to here others express themselves OF
i the subject. A.. J. MCCAIN.
BORN.
; JACKsoN-In Rapid City, a turday,, Angus
l 90 1NO1 r. tho ,utfo ne D nv Tnn1-oor