The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-01-22
DOWN IN DIXIE.
ALI This Favored Section Now Needs Is
aRailrOad.
The Big Rio Virgin Canal to Be Conn
pIeted-A Great Fruit Country-st.
George as Winter Resort.

ST. GEORGE. Jan. 1S.-The people of
Dixie are feeling very much encouraged
over the prospects for railroad extension
into this section of Utah, and are prepar-
ing for the increase of population which
will surely follow.
Foreseeing the necessity of more sure
water supply for farming purposes, some
two years ago the people of st. George
and Washington organized the Washing
ton Field and Canal company, and built
at a heavy expense, dam in the Rio
Virgin, at point considerable distance
above the site of the former dam, which
had been carried away by the heavy
floods, for which this river is noted.
The present dam is a good piece of
work and has stood the force of the
freshets without any signs of giving way,
and is pronounced by competent engi-
neers as perfectly safe. The spill for car
rying off all water not used in the canal is
cut through the solid rock, the dam being
completely tight and above all high water.
AN EXPENSIVE CANAL.
To raise the water high enough to carry
it onto large body of land lying above
the old Washington field, made it neces-
sary to construct canal for several miles
around the precipitous rock cliffs before
reaching the open valley.
This has been very expensive piece OF
work, as the most of the canal is cut in
solid rock and several quite lengthy tun-
nels were built.
The company, managed by capable and
energetic officers so far completed the
heavy work of the canal as to get the
water into the old field in time last season
to partially revive the lucerne fields,
which had been without water for
several seasons, and to enable the farmers
to renew the meadows where completely
KILLED by the continual drouth, and also
prepare for the crops.
To utilize the large body of new land
lying above the old field means the build
ing OF several miles more of canal, which
while not of the character of that already
constructed, is quite an expensive piece
OF work.
WILL COMPLETE THE WORK.
The canal company has decided to COM
plete the canal this spring and has ap-
pointed Mr.. James Andrus superinten-
dent of construction, and the Well-known
ability and energy of this gentleman in
sures the success of the undertaking in
time for the water to be used the coming
season, and Will more than double the
farming possibilities of this section.
DIxIE's FARM PRODUCTS.
Until railroad reaches st. George the
farm crops will, as heretofore, be varied
so as to supply the needs of the people,
wheat, barley, corn, lucern and other
field crops being raised, besides the
grapes, pomegranates, peaches, pears,
apricots, figs, almonds, apples and other
fruits; but on the advent OF the railroad
the grains, hay and other like product S.
which can be profitably produced further
north, will be done away with, and all
the land utilized for the production OF
fruits and early vegetables, which can
then be shipped north to supply Salt
Lake, Ogden, Provo and other cities
which now import from California in
large quantities the faults and vegetables
which can be produced in Utah's Dixie
as we'll as in California, and of a better
quality.