Omaha daily bee., 1891-02-13
Second Days Session of the Irrigation Con-
vention at Lincoln.
PUMPING SYSTEMS AND ARTESlAN WELLS.
Wyoming's Claim on the River-An
Appropriation and an Invest
ment Fires and Deaths
at Fremont.

In the absence of the secretary and his as
sistant Mr.. G. f. Whitman of Furnas county
was elected as assistant secretary.
The chair then appointed the following as
a committee to examine the water lifting ma
chine invented by Mr. Hoagland: Messrs. st.
Rayner, w. +. Robinson and c. J. Jones.
Hon. w. +. Robinson of California was
called upon to talk upon the subject of irrga-
tion. Mr. Robinson has given the sub
ject his attention for twelve years. His re-
marks were replete with facts and sugges-
ton and were closely followed. He spoke in
briefas follows:
II disapprove the idea of pumping, be-
cause the experience of Calfornians is en-
phatically against it. Where pumping in
that country is worth 100000 per cubic
foot per second it is still found un-
profitable 70 raise water sixty feet
With the artesian wells, in most of the arte-
sian belts in California where it was found
that the first well might flow very strong
the next below invariably decreased in
strength, and so on in decreasing ratio as
the artesian wells were sunk lower. The ar
tesian stratum must be treated the same as an
ordinary well. 1t could be exhausted just
the same as an ordinary well. The waters in
it have probably been accumulating for cen
turies and are the result of slow percolaton
or seepage"
Mr.. Robinson then advocated the appropri-
this. great wealth promoting industry.
Half a dozen great ditches he insisted,
were a sufficient basis for the
establishing of the Improvement This
would be good basis as Il bond for q loan to
further extend the industry, aud would, in
| brief, be foundation for credit. The farm
| ers themselves would do the rest. A 5000 900
appropriation would not be a gift, but loan,
because the state would get 1t all back in the
in increased taxation from the increased pro-
nn
why the government could not aid the coun-
try people as well as the cities, and why
appropriations could not be made for
the development of the natural re-
the building of public structures.
1t was as much of an internal i'm
provement as the building Of levees to pre-
vent the overflow of the Mississippi An
appropriation for the promotion of irrigation
would serve double purpose. 1t would not
only utilize the waters and make arid re-
gions productive, but would also save the
expense OF building levees on the Mississippi
and would make the spring floods, that are
now destructive, productive instead. He
believed that it was nothing more than fair
that congress should make an appropriation
for the development of Nebraska's resources.
A number of other facts were presented in q
very forcible manner and fairly brIstled with
hgures Cleaned from the speakers own eX-
perience.
Mr. G.. j. Jones offered the following:
Resolved. That this convention recommend
an Interstate convention to be held In June
next in order to ad wise some method to pro-
tect invested rights against the states from
which our source of water supply is obtained.
MIR. a. L. King offered u resolution recon-
mending the establishment of experimental
stations at Culbertson and Ogallala.
Mr. Robinson asked why go through the
experimental stage in irrigation when we
can profit by the experience of people who
have tried the various methods for years.
Why not profit from the result Of expert
ments in California and Colorado.
Mr. j. r. Van Brewster of Box Butte
county declared that If his county relied on
the water supplies for the remainder of the
counties its name would be Dennis. He de-
clared that some coalition would have to be
made with Wyoming to get water for Box
Butte and neighbOring counties.
Judge j. +. Cochran of McCoOk was called
upon. He said that he had heard it declared
that congress is opposed to the appropriation
of any kind for the advancement of the inter
eStS OF any persons in the west He charac =
terized this as selfish. He spokes of what
had been done for the highly favored states
of Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and vari-
Gus southern states. We have right to de-
mand enough for our rights to even up. An
appropriation for the promotion Of irrigation
is not an appropriation, but an investment.
The increased valuation in irrigated lands
in Colorado was cited. The speaker declared
that the increase in taxes reimburse the
acterized the Purnel bill pending in the leg
islature as too meagre in its requirements
India has 1900 reservoirs. Such
reservoirs could be built much
cheaper in Nebraska. Through the
beneficial results of irrigation India with its
great natural disadvantages, sustains popu-
lation Of III to the square mile Nebraska,
with her great natural resources, can beat
that. He insisted that if the money that is
being pat in levees from Cairo to New Or
tNItt int irr,tr ,Nt
only prevent any overflow of the Mississippi,
but also add to the wealth of the country. He
complimented the Omaha press for the inter-
est taken in the subject. -
Mr. E. Cotton from Box Butte asked If the
persons living in Nebraska along the North
Platte river were at the mercy Of Wyoming.
According to abe Wyoming constitution
says ne, ''all the water in the state is claimed
as the property of that state. Now | want to
know If the people of Wyoming can dam up
the North Platte river and keep the people
OF Nebraska living along the North Platte
river from any water supply" He appealed
to Judge Cochran to answer the question
from legal standpoint
Judge Cochran admitted that the question
was sucker. He declared that he be-
heved that some act of congress was the
surest and probably the only way to reach
and regulate that matter.
Mr. Robinson of California was called upon
by the chairman. He said that he had per-
sonally investigated the matter and that he
had come to the conclusion that Wyoming
cannot use the water supply, owing to the
peculiar surface of the country. AS the
stream flows in the main through gorges in
Wyoming it would be impossible to drain
the stream. .tt1'.
After a somewhat humorous address by
Mr.. Parker of Perkins county the convention
adjourned until p. m.
The convention was rather late in re-as-
sembling in the afternoon, it being nearly
O'Clock before the delegates were called to
order. The meeting was informal and given
up almost entirely to discussions on the sub
lect of irrigation. -..-
Governor Furnas presented resolution to
the effect that the lower house Of the legisa-
ture be requested to reconsider the bill dis
continuing the bounty on sugar produced in
the state. In the discussion that followed it
was universally agreed that it would be a
bad breach of faith to have the bounty dis
continued.
The committee to whom was referred the
examination of Alexander Highlands link
belt water elevator reported favorably aud
recommended it for use where practical. 1t
is understood that 1t Is adapted mainly for
small irrigating enterprises where water
must be elevated only from ten 10 twenty five
feet. The report was adopted. -r-,.
Mr.. Hoagland of Lancaster presented q
resolution recommending the Organization of
permanent state irrigating committee with
ex-Goyernor Furnas as the chairman, Prof.