The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-11-23

There is q great fear exhibited by
many writer's and would-be irrigators
that the water supply is insufficient
for irrigating purposes should every
one embrace the opportunity. This
silly twaddle keeps many from putting
in plant, who would otherwise do so,
Is they fear if irrigation should be-
come general the water would give out
and their expensive plant become
worthless. There is not the slightest
danger Of q deficiency, but, on the
other hand, the more pumps that tap
the undeFAow, the greater that under
flow will be. A vast and uncalcuable
sheet of water underlies the great
prRiries of western Kansas, which if
raised to the surface would cover every
foot Of land to the depth of five or six
feet, and, should this happen, in very
few hours there would be just as much
more water in the underground river,
as it is being constantly replinished
from the fountain sources of the Rocky
mountains.
Here in Goodland there are several
wells from which large quantities of
water are raised by mammoth,
pumps which are run by steam power.
Often these pumps are going night
and day, and yet they have never per-
ceptiably lowered the water. At the
city WaterwOrks three wells we're put
down side by side, one engine running
all, yet lack Of water is yet to be ex-
perienced.
Scientific men calculate that should
an irrigating plant be put in on every
10 acres and run night and day the
water supply would not be lowered.
All the water pumped from the
ground and used for irFigatiRg pur-
poses returns to the same level from
which it was raised, except about IL
per cent which is wasted by evapOra-
ton, which would be more than made
up by the rainfall. Suppose you put q
pump to work on every 10 acres and
use that water on the plat 1t, per
uieates the soil and returns to the
same ter-besring strata from which
1t came, ready to be raised by the next
man below, and so on until it reaches
the large streams that carry it out OF
reach. So it is, also, with running
streams. Dam stream and use all the
water on the land and it will all get
back within a few miles, ready to be
used again, the same water doing duty
TO hundreds.
The draws and dry runs should all
be damned which would hold the sur
face water. By this method the under
flow would be largely augmented by
the water from these dams permeating
the soil and finally reaching the sub
strata instead OF running off and doing
damage instead Of good.
The sll-wise providence has seen tit
to endow the great plains Of the west
With an underlying body Of water that
will be forever sufficient to irrigate APP
prOximately every foot OF tillable soil,
which is mora than wiz ever be needed,
and If half of shis land is brought IN
der close cultivation in a century Sher-
man county win be doing well. So it is
not worth while to begin worrying
about the exhaustion Of the water sup
ply until sneh developments are made
ia the science of irrigation to use al
least fraction Of one per cent Of the
visible supply.
Those that are fearful Of putting in
plants viii only find themselves behind
the times several years, when irrigation
has caused to be found prosperous
communities whose resources viii BE-
the magnificent soil, the delightful eli,
mate aud the never ending supply Of
water Of the great American desert.
Il cures piles, it cures obstinate sore:
eAspped hands, wounds It does thi:
quickly. Is there any good reason why
goa should not use DsWitt's WifcI
aeasl sI7sS-Eaais & WelEeE,