Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-12-05
Highest of all in Leavening Power--1atest u;
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taInous OF semi-arid. This body OF un-
| productive territory has now become a
| Very huge white elephant" on the
| hands OF the general government, and
4 TO get rid OF 1t. an act was passed by
| the last congress offering TO donate to
any state within whose boundaries the
| land laid one million acres as free
| gift, provided the state accepting 1t
I would undertake to reclaim 1t. The gift
has not been accepted with that alac-
rity which marks appreciation of good
thing We may as well accept the log
/ teal conclusion that any development
/ Of the semi-arid regions within our
I state must be accomplished by the
state.
our state today contains about forty
| million acres of available public lands
and vast area of private land, near
| ly all OF which will require irrigation
to fit IL for successful agriculture. That
| the greater portion OF II can be SUCCESS
| fully irrigated / am willing to risk
my reputation as an Irrigation engineer
| OF many years practical experience.
4 There Is no good reason why the West
ern half OF our great state should not
| be covered with fruitful farms. pro-
/ ducing year after year without inter
ruption as splendid crops as can be
| raised anywhere on the face of the
| globe. 1t Is the labor Of this First Tex
as Irrigation Convention to shape the
ends OF such grand and glorious con-
To accomplish so desirable a condi-
tlon, We must be possessed of certain
essential Information, which we do not
now possess, but which is very readi-
| ly ohtainable.
Ihere shoulu be made at once sur
| Wy o, NAT portion OF the state where
tne IalhlAn u less than twenty-five
ips i', per aIhuin' mat amount being
] required 70 successfully conduct the OPP
erauons OF agriculture. This survey
snoul1 ascertain the following data:
l. lhe extent and boundaries Of the
cutehIleht ana drainage areas of all
W9tercourses within or leading into
s"lu tslltory'
rue ulschauIe or flow of all
80 ms, ilis noMlhE Wltnln the limits of
! s'ul territory giving the maximum and
minimum discharge Of each stream.
! expressed In cubic feet per second Of
tline.
D. The gradient Of each stream, eN-
| pressed in linear feet per mile of
s'team length.
!. The gradient of the country
through which such streams fiow, ex-
pressed in linear feet per mile. and the
direction of the slope or fail
D, Inc presence Of underground flow
ana sheet waters
hydraulic engineer nnd ths nnrli,,t-
ment OF a proper and competent per-
son thereto.
:" me creation of state irrigation
commission, the appointment of such
officer to be governed By professional
htness and integrity and political con-
sideratlons to have no weight in the
making of such appointments.
S. The passage at the earliest possi-
bic moment of an act prescribing roy
ulltlons for the appropriation, dis
tribution and use of water. the con-
struction and maintenance of WORKS of
irrigation, the defining OF water rights
ana ptlortles OF appropriation. ana all
other matters that pertain TO irrieation
At first thought this NAV seem To- hc
askins a great deal; but in COMPARE
son with the benefits to be derived il
Is but little. The increase OF revenue
! 70 the state, in the shape of taxes
from improved and cultivated farms
! would m ten years pay every dollar Of
| outlay that could possibly be eynnnded
~ hinN'hs tue necessary surveys; while
me enhancement in the value of indl-
vidual holdings would be Increased he
yond the widest dream OF the most en-
vclop the untold other natural re-
/ sources that now slumber beneath tba
/ surface, and would add by Tho ~
| dred millions to the general vyealth &c
a