Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-08-10
csn, spoke upon the resolution demand

! ~
ing recognition from the general gov
ernment and urged that our represent
aIives in congress oppose any appro.
priations for the lower Mississippi
until something was done for the west.
Judge J. S. Emery, of Lawrence,
man who has grown gray in the work
of developing Kansas for the past
thirty-five years, was then introduced.
He said that he had spoken before
many Kansas audience, but he felt,
down deep In his heart, that he had
never addressed an audience on SUBJ
ject that would prove of such vast
Importance to Kansas and her people
as would the subject of irrigation.
The public domain is now practically
all gone and two men must live where
one lived before; the era of irrigation
is coming, whether We want it or not;
the government must make the first
survey, invest the first money and show
us the way; public and private indus
try will do the rest. $3.50, 600 had
already been spent by the government
in Typographical surveys and the locat-
ing of reservoirs, but not cent of it
in Western Kansas; Colorado, Califor-
mia, Montana and New Mexico had
got the appropriations, none had been
spent where PRACTICAL irrigation is
an assured success, and where the peo-
pie should be encouraged. He called
attention to the dense populations of
or cities, the necessity of making our
farming lands more productive and the
various possibilities in store for those
who irrigated, whether it be on a large
er small scale. Space will permit of
our touching upcn onlg a few of the
important points of Judge Emery's
address.
The chair appointed the following
committee TO formulate a call for an
Interstate convention, as provided for
in the resolutions; viz: E. R. Moses
of Great Bend, Judge Emery, ]. l..
Bristow, A. w. Stubbs, A. H. Whit
tington of Lincoln, and z. 3. Cowgirl.
Shoft speeches were made by E. r.
Moses of Barton, Hon. A. W. Stubbs.
of Finney, A. M. Button, Hon. II. j.
Roetzel, and Senator John Armstrong
OF Barton, and an adjournment was
taken till 7:30 pm.
At the evening meeting 3 large num-
bor of lottorq yyo.o road fro,,, -ron+lo
latn interested in the question and
pledging themselves to assist in push
ing irrigation to a successful outcome.
Among them were letters from b. A.
McAlister of the q. +. R. B., from tae
chief engineer Of the Santa f'e system,
Gilbert Eros. OF Dodge City, G. B.
Buckannon Of Pierceville, and others
from various states. Judge Lester of
Syracuse, being present at the evening
session gave a very interesting talk
on the subject as did also Judge Frost,
the chairman of the meeting
The committee on call made report
calling for an interstate convention Of
the mi-arid regions of five states
east of the Rocky Mountains, giving
each county in the territory embraced
a representa- Of three delegates:
the convention to be held at Salina.
Kansas, on September %, 1898. The
state Legislators are asked to be pres
ent and the newspapers are asked to
lend their united support in securing
a. full representation.
Before the close of the meeting, the
citizens Of Barton county selected as
their three delegates, l.. Baldwin, Fl.
S. Everett, and W. T.. Stoke
The meeting adjourned, and there
was not Pc son present but believes
that a movement has been put On foot
that will, in coming years, cause the
few persistent agitators to be remem-
bered as public benefactors.