Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-02-05
IRRIGATION.
How Western Kansas is to Be
Made Productive.
Interesting Paper Prepared by Judge
Gregory For the Late Meeting of the
State Board OF Agriculture-Irriga-
ton VS.. Hot Winds.

irrigation, which he was to have read
at the late meeting of the State Board
of Agriculture, but he was prevented
from being present, and the paper has
been given to the public. Its main
features are as follows:
would say of artesian wells, that in my
opinion, they promise to be one of the
smallest factors in the irrigation problem in
Kansas. The history of artesian wells shows
that, as a rule, the cost of so obtaining water
for irrigation is greater than the value of all
the land it will irrigate The reason for this
is threefold. In the first place the average
cost of such wells is large, even when only
the successful measure is considered.
Secondly, counting the cost of "dry holes"
Wnlch 1t would be necessary to do in arrfv-
ing at an average cost-for the risk OF OBJ
tanning only a dry hole must always be
taken by any one who sinks such welI-the
average cost of obtaining artesian water is
probably at least doubted. Then, of the
wells which flow, with greater or less pres
sure, considerable percentage produce
water so strongly impregnated with delete
1fous mineral matter as TO be unfit for use In
irrigation.
Thirdly, when q successful and paving
well has been obtained in any locality, it is
often the signal for its own reduplicatiOn in
the immediate vicinity until the source of
supply is Slapped and all such wells in the
locality become merely pumping wells
leave but a feeble flow. Among the places
where this has been. strkingly illustrated
Worth, Tex.
There is an occas ional district which
proves an exception to the rule, and the
Meade County district in this State bids fair
to prove such an exception, owing to it's linn
tied area, the slight pressure of the flow and
the probable relatively extensive source of
supply in the surrounding underfOw. A
similar set of conditions seems TO exist in
the San Luis valley in Colorado, but is not
likely to be duplicated in Kansas.
The underflow, or sub water of the plains,
Is a factor of which, as yet, comparatively
little can be authOritative!y said, a whole
On the last day of the month of January,
in 1882 the first published exposition of this
source of water for irrigation was written.
Since then it has received constantly widen
ing attention and grows in interest and i'm
poItance as knowledge of il increases. In
the latter part of the summer of 1899 the first
fountain was begun near Dodge G ty It's
success was not fully assured before others
were under way, and still others are project
ed, some of which will be opened the COM
ing season
The details of the fountain method" of
obtaining water have been so often published
that presume it is hardly necessary to
peat them here; yet, lest it should still be
new to some, it may be well to explain that
it depends upon three conditions: ~ There
must be an abundant subterranean water
supply. (2) The water must lie near the
surface. (3) There must be a sufficient dip
of the surface of the ground and of the I'M
DERIVING water bearing stratum to admit of
reaching the water economically. These
conditions are found in most favorable COM
bination in the valleys of the Arkansas and
Platte rivers, where may be found wide
and deep underfiOw, coming very near to the
Gurface which has a declivity exceeding
seven feet per mile.
Suppose that, in such a valley, where the
water is but three feet below the surface of
Che ground, trench is dug mile long and
seven feet deep. AS the surface falls at the
rate of seven feet per mile, the bottom of the
trench at the one end will be on a level with
she top of the ground at the other end, con-
6eqaently it's four feet depth of water must
now down to, and pour out at, that end If
such u trench be made wide and deep and
Iong-miles long, il need be-and the water
carried off by means of a ditch or canal, you
will thus have one of 'GregOrY'S fountains
The first one of these. constructed by Gill
bert Brothers, of Dodge City, is estimated to
have cost 100000 and to have capacity to sup
ply water for irriSating 10000 acres of land.
Even at such relative cost the reclamation
of such land by such means will be very
profitable; but future experiments will less
en- this relative cost, where conditions are
favorable, and such fountains will irrigate
vast areas of most productive country which
must otherwise remain arid. Like all other
features of irrigation, it is a matter which
can only develop by degrees. There
many other large areas where this method
can not be Immediately employed, because
che sub water lies too deep below the surface
OF the ground; but there will eventually be
many n fountain flowing broad, deep, peren-
NAL streams of water where they are not as
yet dreamed of by the people they will en-
4ich.
Where the underflow is too deep to be
reached by the fC:lntain plan, pumps, driven
by steam and wind power Eventually sup
piemented by water power and electricity,
Will play an important part, along with sys-
SENS of catchment and storage basins and
Reservoirs Tor the conservation of surplus
storm and stream waters.
In many parts of Western Kansas the set
9lerS' windmillS and ordinary pumps now in
use, supplemented by inexpensive small
reservoirs and dams across narrow draws
and valleys. might begin the great work of
reclamation most promptly and thoroughly.
1t Is the utilization of such small means,
right Mt hand which 10 among the things TO
DO first
place, would say that the very first thing
necessary to be done for the good Of West
<ern Kansas is for the people 60 lie arm TO adapt
themselves to the cOuntry-to know and re-
alize the facts, confess the facts and learn 30
make the best of Che facts.
Despite all that may be said 60 the con-
tfary, what may be called natural conditions
do change in n region which passes from
wild, unsettled state to one Of Improvement
and human occupancy. But such changes
come slowly, rs rule, requiring time, COM
Dined with mans advancing. not only half
way, sbut all the way to meet them, and
gradually lead them forward. Butthe human
animal, with all his boasts of wisdom and
adaptabilty to circumstances, shows pre-
cious little more Ju" gment when thrown sud
denly in the midst of unaccustomed sur
EounGsngs than might be expected of the
sheep or the goose. 1t is related that in the
great Irish famine of 1s47 hundreds of starv-
ing people continued furnishing with hunger
with ship loads of good, wholesome corn
meal within reach. They knew by expert
-ence and education how to use potatoes
for food. but not knowing how to pre-
pare cOrnmeal for eating, 10 was OF
no more use to them than would be an ex
elusive Diet of bananas to an Eskimo or the
latter's ration of whale blubber to a Yankee.
u was but an instance of the conservatism
OF human nature. So it is that when people
come West from Illinois, Tennessee, New
York or elsewhere, they set to work to farm
Just as they did in the region from which
they came. They attempt to raise the same
crops and the same stock and in the same
way as they did back East" Well, it may
as well be understood, first as last that no
man can change his location a thousand
miles in any direction without finding It
necessary to change his methods also, to
some extent, at least This fact, however,
has to be pounded into most men by hard
knocks, and of all ''set" creatures, the man
who has been brought up to raising Corn and
hogs seems to be the slowest to learn that
there Is any other way to a livlihood than
the one to which he has been accustomed,
namely, via the corn crib and hog pen. Moth
ing but the hardShiDS of repeated failures