Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1891-03-19

States at the East. Large quantities
OF hay also are imp ,rted from these
States"
(b) The Stat, Engineer Of Wyo-
ming has recently reported that "last
year there WAS imported into the
State fer the coal-minine towns along
the Union Pacific railroad over half
million dollars worth of farm pro-
ducts" notwithstanding the fact that
Wyoming is one Of the best watered
of the Rocky Mountain States, and
has made conside, able progress in IT.
rigation.
(c) In a speech delivered last Sep.
timber at the Territorial Exhibition
Of New Mexico, the II, II. l.. Bradford
Prince, Governor Of the Territory,
stated that in the last year there had
been imported into New Mexico from
the States lS,552,OOO pounds Of
flour, $4,000 pounds of wheat,
about 2O,OoO,OOO pounds of corn and
cornmeal, 8145 tons Of hay, and 149l
tons OF vegetables; aud he summa-
rize1 by saving: 1.-The sum which we
ann, ally pay for articles l have
enumerated amounts to ii 100000"
The testimony Of Governor Prince is
sound. He Is former citizen Of New
York, native-born Long Islander,
and for several years a member of the
New York Legislature.
l. c~eoe.n o.,evou ~ <ko ouNseo I'D
region leads me to estimate the value
OF its total import. Of agricultural
products, chiefly from the East, at
fully $3O,OOO,OOO.
And now two questions naturally
suggest themselves:
First What has created this enor>
nous home market?
Second. Is this market likely to be
destroyed by promoting irriR alton?
The answers to these questions con-
sti,ute . vey important feature OF the
current history of our country.
THE ARID REGION DisTINCTlvELY A
| MINING COUNTRY.
The Rocky Mountain re zion is dis
tinc,ively q mining country, prot ably
the most extensive and in the aggre
gate the richest on the globe. Its
earliest settlers we're gold hunters. !,
is not now, and it never can become
a surplus producing agricultural re
zion. Even after the ond-tfully
productive placer mines have beer
washed out, it's mountains yield ovel
| r. rod
silver product OF the globe. During
the latest year for which the statistics
have b. en- compiled. it produced 81
, per cent. OF the gold, 80 per cent. o
i. the silver, 70 per cent. Of the lead
aud 60 per cent. of the copper pro
duct OF the United States. The tota
8 value OF the products of these fou
! metals alone WAS about $l3l 100000
p The important fact to be noted jus
here is that fully IS per cent. OF thi
> product is surplus or exported pro
duct. The corresponding imports
, products and general merchandise.
Besides, the product OF the mine!
of the Rocky Mountain region ON
braces large number of other metal.
and mineral substances, including
) coal, iron, tin, petroleum. salt, soda
ETC., etc. The development Of these
resources is going on rapidly, and Their
extent is practically illimitahle. There
are vast treasures of gold hidden in
the mount ms 1T Eastern Oregon, in
Montana, in Idaho, in Wyoming, and
in other States. Capital and labor
are together developing these re-
sources. The work Of the prospecto1
is still being pushed forward, aud i
constantly being rewarded with new
discoveries.
l THE ARID LANDS.
!, Let us turn now to the agriculture
interests Of the Rocky Mountain o
: arid region. While its mining in
y ,erest, are large and consta, thy in
!, Gre asing, its agricultural poss.biiitie
$ are exceedingly constrained an
n sharply conditioned. The poss,hl
q development of agriculture in thi
i area is dependent entirely upon III
e qusn.itv Of water which is availabl
J. for irrigation. aud rot at all upon tn
II quantity Of land which would becom
y productive by means of irri Cation.
J. is certain that the water supply wi
t never be sufficient for the irrigatio
u of more than per cent. of the tot'
area, and possibly not more than
IS per cent. Irrigation simply Great,
r fruitful GASES in what otherwise woul
q be a vast desert, but for certain y,
y culiar nutritious grasses suited to !
u conditions, which make it Va.
81 pastoral area. The Governmer
n owns in those States to day 10000
AS 600 acres of land, for which there a
al no customers. For agriculture 8