The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-10-17
TO RECLAIM THE LAND.
The Great Work to Be Done by the
Civil Engineers in the State
of Montana.
Letter From Engineer II. Il. becK-
Ter Touching a Most Impor-
tant Subject
The State Society Should Direct ~ Enof's
to Encourage Irrigation Enter
prlscs-Ths Butte Problem.

At the regular monthly meeting OF 'ne
Montana Society OF Civil Engineers, ne'o
last SATURDAY evening at The Office OF sixe'
and Kee |, n communication was read frem
Il. H. Becker. who was elected AZ the las'
meeting to honorary membership. thank
Ing the society for tbs honor conferred on
him. In addition Mr.. Beoklsr said: Feel
ing a doep interest in the welfare OF the
society, / cannot refi ain from adding q
few wo.ds regarding It's progress; Ito
Growth In members. the ability OF Ito NOM
bers, and the development Of Montana.
which has zone forward largely under their
direction, since that first meeting for Or
panixation Of about a dozen persons. on she
9th day of July, 1881. The old expression
shat the progress of engineering marks the
,rop ess Of the world. 10 especially tue Of
Montana.
I'm 1886 YOU will remember that tho
Northern Pacific railroad went directly
sLroush the territory. with only a branch
10 the National park and another to Wiokss.
The Union Pacific had a connection at
Garrison with = narrow gauge. To-day
the railway mileage within Montana has
been multiplied BY three. with one half OF
this increase due TO The development Of
gold mines. silver. copper, lead and coal
D oporties all requiring attention from
your members. Among tho list institutions
Of learning for which there was need In IN
the state, was the school OF mines eouca.-
Inn Younger men 10 neIp osS5y W sAs WoAA
q development
when your society was organized ! De-
lievs the 9 wns but one irritation ditch IN
the territory (Clark's at BiltnRs) which
had required the services OF an engineer, or
anv instruments in its construction except .
oun barrel. To-day you can see many
canals completed. and many OF your mem
bers engaged in advancing such works.
The greatest future work Of the engineer OF
Montana will be the building of such DAMS.
reservoirs and canals a. will cause shou-
snpds of square miles to be brought under
eultivation by . bonntiful water supply
from tho numerous rivers, until the whole
state shall become covered with faHns. and
shall take a leading piacs among the sRri-
cultural states of the union. This great
work OF the future can only b brought
forward under the direction OF com.
petsnt engineers with whom the capital
for such enterprise can be safely tnt1usssd.
The progress Of tho state will depend more
upon the engineer in the fusa's than II has
in tho past. 80 far ~ POSSIBLE the efforts
of the society should Do directed 10 the On
couraRemsnt of investment In Legitimate
and profitable irrigation schemes. When
the knowledge OF any individual, concern
Ing any locality. has shown him a desira-
BILE situation for reclaiminR q valuable SEQ.
ton of country. IL should be an object OF
the society to have all the facts in tho case
carefully written MP and brought to the
attention Of those capable of arranging
the financial matters necessary for develop
ment."
Joseph II. Harper, Of Butte. read a paper
on the Butte smoke problem. Mr.. Harper
proposed to const uottwo main fues to oon-
vey the smoke and sulphu, fumes to stacks.
one located about two miles southwest aud
the other three miles northeast of tho oity.
The cost Of thes" flues aud stacks would
not exceed $500. 600.
Mr.. Harpe, exhibited a photograph Of
flues recently constructed by the Omaha d
Grant smeltinQ and Refining company, at
Denver, in which porous terra Gotta lumber
was used for the covering of the fue under
what 10 known as the Lee patent. Mr.. |
Harper believed that il these fues were con-
~ ucted the smoke nuisance would bs al
most entirely sbated.