San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-07-13
SHORT STOPS.
What the People are Saying.
10y Col. JAS. p. NEwCoMB.

by Col. JAS. p. NEwCoMB.
Wagon loads of watermelons
from Seguin are offered on our
market; this shows the severity
of the drouth in our immediate
vicinity, as it has seldom happened
before that the farms along the
Calaveras, Chupederas, Cibolo and
Medina have failed to supply the
San Antonio market with melons.
San Antonio is the best produce
market in the state, and if the
thousands of acres Of rich lands in
the county Of BeXar were put un-
der a system OF irrigation this
would be the garden spot Of Texas ;
more than that. it would make our
city wealthy and prosperous.
1t is not likely that the drought
which has blasted our crops in
this particular locality will last
forever, but even if we were as
sured of abundant rains, or such
seasons as in the past, every OBJ
serving man who has resided here
a number of years knows that we
average more failures than crops ;
with a system of irrigation uncer-
tainty would be changed to GER
tainty and instead of one crop
three crops of produce could be
gathered in "a season.
The visitor to Colorado, region
of perpetual drought, will stand
amazed amidst fields and orchards,
made to yield abundant harvest by
irrigation; the water for irriga-
ton being brought from the noun
tains and carried for miles over
deep valleys to hill tops. Besides
the use of rivers, wells and tanks
are made to supply irrigation
bitches.
Lands that were valueless few
years ago are now worth from 500
to $500 per acre, in vicinity of Den.
yer; yet the season is so short that
the product of the soil is limited
to one crop, except alfalfa, which
is cut several times.
1t has cost large sums OF money
to irrigate lands in Colorado, but
it has paid. Large bodies of lands
could be put under irrigation in
this section by utilizing the streams
and by sinking artesian wells. The
Guadalupe and the Medina could
be made to supply great irrigating
bitches without disturbing the
people who use these waters.
A dam in the Medina river a
few miles above Castroville would
produce lake far superior to the
Austin dam lake, from which
could be taken a large supply of
water for irrigatipg the great
body of lands lying west of our
city. This lake amidst hills would
become a famous resort and rap
i'd transit road from San Antonio
would be necessary.
A dam below New b raunfels
would throw the water to either
side of the valley. 1t is merely a
question of engineering a nd mon
ey.
When the matter Of doing some
thing to keep up our city is dis
cussed, the only ideas that are ad-
vanced center about big hotel or
a new railroad. A suTer way would
be to develop the agricultural pos
sibilities right about our city.
When we produce enough to eat
for our people and live stock, and
have produce and fruit to ship
abroad railroads and hotels will be
built equal to our needs.
Our bankers, merchants and cap
italists should combine to make
the experiment for artesian water
in the agricultural portions Of our
county. Our farmers are too poor
to attempt it, and If we wait for
legislative help we may never get
it.
Our county commissioners court
spends large sums of money an
nually upon our roads; they GER
tainly could encourage the expert
ment of one artesian we'll upon a
highway where there is not drop
of water for ten miles to supply
even gangs working the roads. But
technicalities are raised against