Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-07-27
IRRIEATIDN CONVENTION
GALL FOR A MEETING OF CITIZENS
MOST INTERESTED.
An Important Movement That Can be
Made to Result in Great Good.

Great Bend, Kas., July "a, 1893
At meeting of representative citi
zens of Barton county, held in this city
July 18TH, to consider the subject of
irrigation, committee was appointed
to call a convention of delegates from
western and central Kansas to take
action on this all important question.
The committee has issued the following
address:
10 the People of central and aoestera Kan
Sas, Greeting:
WHEREAs:-By reason of the remote
location of great bodies of water to the
east of us and by reason of the great
mountain divide on the west, we are il
a great measure shut out from those
rain bearing winds that convey the
waters of the sea to the surface of the
land, thus causing us periodically to
suffer from droughts; and
WHEREAs:-The best authorities Oh
he subject of rainfall and atmospheric
moisture agree that the proper way tc
mitigate the present arid conditions is
to construct system of artificial lakes,
reservoirs, ponds, and dams all ovel
this region from the mountains on the
west to the rainfall belt on the east; anc
WHEREAS plains are underlaid
with a stratum of water of varying
depth. reaching in many places IS ol
100 feet, the said water in numerou!
places, like the valley of the Arkansa:
river, being near the surface of the
ground, so that VIC often see the root;
of trees and plants starve when abun
dant water is within few feet of theil
tips; and
WHEREAs:-These subterreanean
waters can, by organized effort, bt
brought to the surface and stored IL
artificial lakes and reservoirs to b.
used for irrigation and to promote at
mospheric humidity, thus preventing
in great measure the hot winds tha
sometimes affiict us; and
WHEREAs:-Larse crops of grain
fruits, and vegetables are being raised
in various parts of our country by irri
CATION and such crops are often supe
rior to those produced by rainfall; and
WHEREAs:-Centra and western
Kansas is one of the most fertile regions
on the face of the earth and only needs
the simple element of water applied to
the surface to make it a veritable gar
den in vegetation and terrestrial par
adise in climate.
THEREFoRE:-We the citizens o
Barton county, in mass convention as
sembled, do most cordially and earn
estly invite you to meet with US in ;
convention to be held in Great Bend
Kansas, on the 9TH day of August
1893, for the purpose of organising
combined movement on our par
toward securing a system of artlflcla
moisture from the underhow water:
and also from the surplus rainfalls
We expect to inaugurate ''campaigr
of education" on this subject and viii
have speakers and lecturers from vari
Gus parts to instruct us as to the bes
methods to be pursued. We also ex
pect to formulate some plans to secure
some appropriation from congress il
this matter, as well as some state legis
lation on the subject. There has beer
a partial survey made by the genera
government for the purpose of deter
mining the practicable sites for reser
voirs, and bureau of irrigation ha
been organized at Washington. If we
expect the government to recognize th
importance of this great subject w
must ourselves be interested and on thu
alert, We therefore ask that eacl
county in central and western kansa
send as many delegates as can affort
to come and help US to formulate
movement that will do away with no
winds and drought, and make US th
most favored spot on the globe.
SENATOR JNo. ARMsTRoN
L. BALDWIN
Com I Hon. H. ]. RoETzEL
A II. BAKER
F. 7. BELT.