Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-06-02
AMERICA, NOT ROME.

AMERICA, Nor ROME
The history Of the inception and de-
velopmont Of the system OF Irrigation
which prevails in western America j.
a subject ia which Utah hiss more than
passing interest, because Of the pool
tlon her people occupy relative 70 the
introduction Of that method In agtlcul'
lure. In order 10 be- In harmony with
the public sentiment anu TO dissent.
nate correct information, tits necessary
that teachers 10 public educational in'
situations here should be In possession
u the facts when obiAinable, and should
communicate the same 10 the students
when giving Instructions upon this
subject, that there may be no miscon'
cep,ion Of historical events.
la au address given by a student at
the closing exercises Of a public edu-
oailonal Institution the pact week, the
following passage occur: "lt is 10 the
Romans that We must give the honor
Of fitst materially aiding the Oldest Of
arts, Irrigation, tho foundation Of the
success Of future happiness ani pros
pprily Of this great western empire,
extending AZ II does from the
hundrodth meridian on the east 10 the
Pacific on the west, from Canada on
tho north 10 Mexico on the south"
while there need be- no disposition to
deprive Rome, or any OF the ancient
nations equally entitled thereto, OF
honor for work accomplished, an
intimation that 10 Rome or 70
other nations OF tho OH World
belongs the credit for instiiuting
OF giving material aid 10 the
irrigation system 10 vogue here IA no,
10 accord with historical fact Tue
record Of opening up irrigation In the
West has been frequently published,
aud therefore should DO familiar TO all
teachers In Utah schools. In n stan
dard work, Wnitnoy's History Utah o.
tho following account IL given;
on the morning Of thc2lrd tuly, 1871,
afior despatching mossongurs 70 tho
President aud informing HIN uf what
hal been seen aud done, tho camp 70.
moved to tho sou b branch % tity Crock,
near tho Eighth Ward or Washington
euuaru, not Tar from whore tho tho
| Methodist church aud H. palailal neigh.
bor tho hotel kuutsiofd now stand. A
meeting was there called. Orson Pratt
| prayed aud dedicated tho land aud camp
10 the Lord, aud no aud Willard Rich.
ards addressed those assembled. various
committees were thun appointed, aud
preparations ~ Ouco mado tor putting
la crops. Tho planting season being
| virtually past, no limo was TO DO
lost n they hoped 10 reap any results
| nom their labOrz. Within two hours
| from tho tImo thoy arrived on cry
Creek, ground was brokon short dis
tanco from camp-in the very business
heart OF salt Lake city and throo plows
were kept going The resl Of tho day.
/ George ". Hinwu, William Carter aud
shadrach Rouudy ran tho first burrows
/ plowod by white men la salt Lake Nnl-
lev. owing TO tho extreme drynoss OF
the soil, blowing was al first very din
| cult and more than ono pluwaharo was
| broken In tho nun.bakod earth liut u
dam having boon placed iu tho creek
aud the surrounding soil we'll Hooded,
tho work was rendered comparatively
easy. On tho morning
of tho 2ith the Pioneers began
planting, fret putting iu their potatoes.
| Having planted few acres they turned
tho water, ~ the creek upon tholr iulo
mold aud gave tho coll ga good soaking
This was the beginning OF thOir vast and
successful systom OF irrigaNon=sinco
famous throughout tho civilized world -
which has done no much toward redeem.
Ing tue dosou Basin, and making Utah a
workable Ed0n in tho midst OF barron
waste.
Two features contributed 10 the
adoption Of tue plan OF irrigating by
burrows, which since has been proven 70
be- the most satisfactory and proiitsblr
NJ all known methods. one was that II
was the most feasible plan Of getting the
water, which was by no means over
abundant, to the various parts OF IN,
field; the other was the experience
that flooding the field often had the
effect Of baking the soil and rendered
the growing crop liable TO scorohing
by the heat Of the sun. The events
aud conditions here recorded show
conclusively that the irrigation system
Of the Yves, had ita inception In ani
owes 10 development TO Utah, and
Old World nations have no claim to
credit therefor In respect to that sys.
trm--"the foundation Of the success Of
future happiness AMI prosperity OF this
great western empire'-tho honor ioI
lnstitutins and developing Il belougs,
not to Rome, hut wholly to America,
Jho home on earth OF the oArlles, ~
well as the laiost civilization,
s7---
Is m HEAPING TIMEg