The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-04-26

10 the Editor OF The HERALD,
Some few days ago the Western Com
merclal congress met at Kansas city, to
discuss the great problem of the recla-
nation of the arid lands. While it is a
momentous question L must say it is not as
great as many would lead the majority to
believe. think M. H. DeYoung's letter
to the assembled congress is one Of the most
valuable and pointed statements ever made
regarding such lands. He says, let the
government reclaim its lands aud charge
the settlerfor the redemption And by his
statements there are 100000 acres that are
susceptible of irrigation and reclamation
and it means homes for two million and
one-haf people Let the government put
down some one or two hundred wells; they
Will be fully recOmpenSed. Let congress
assess the value OF the Improvements and
the settlers pay for the same There are
many other things which it is necessary to
take time to work out, and this is one. The
irrigation problem for instance in Utah.
The flows of canals should be about one
cubic loot OF water per acre, hence it is easy
to estimate the amount required for a given
acre to properly reclaim the same. | think
instead of wasting valuable time in surv eys
and estimates for reservoir sites it would
be more practical for the people and Gov
ernment to join hands and put down
some ten, twelve and fourteen inch wells
to the foundation rock and if they don't get
a good flow of water go on until they strike
purely artesian water. All wells in and
about this vicinity are only surface water
brought down from the mountains through
some old canal. ANY one Coversant with
aportlon of California have seen Kern,
Fulton, and many other counties reclaimed
from their arid state by such wells. While
might mention the leading wells of the
world the one at Coventry, England, by q
= inch boring produces, 100000 gallons per
day and is only 300 feet deep. One at
Liverpool, England, produces 100000 gal
Ions per day through inch hole l61 feet
deep At Kentish England one well 1902
feet deep produces 9, $50 900 per day.
AT Pasy, France, well 1903 feet deep
produces the enormous amount of 5, 582, 600
gallons per day, while in the United States
you might refer to 1000 wells with pheno-
menal flows and l do not think the problem
OF water supply is as great question as
some inexperienced men would lead the
masses TO believe.
am a firm believer in pure artesian
water instead of canals and the filth of cess
pools, especially for household consumption
and then what is left for purposes of irri-
cation that is another matter for the prac
tical husbandman to control. First get the
artesian flows and then we can reclaim all
lands even to the Great Salt Lake Desert
and no one will question the outlook here
for exceptional flows. And it is more
economical than the canal system, but costs
u little more in the beginning saves much
trouble and many doctors bills gives health
to the 1--we stock etc, etc. and to go into
exact data think it will cost less for irri-
CATION by the well system than by canals. 1
hope to be able to give tins public the exact
data regarding all the flows to at least 3, OOO
feet and this will give much valuable infor-
nation to the whole inter-mountain popu-
laJion and will enhance the value of much
land now having no water rights Respect
| fully yours, JOHN B. TAYLOR.
SALT LAKE CRY, April IS, 1891.