The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-04-17
THE WIND A SERVANT.
Judge Gregory Tells How Irriga-
ton Has Now Developed.
WINDMILLS In WESTERN KANSAS

Now Pump Water Into Reservoirs
and Patches OF Ground TEN Acres i'm
Extent Are CultIvated-Redeem
the Arid Plains.
Judge ]. w. Gregory of Garden City
is the chairman of the irrigation COM
mission, now in the city. He is probably
the best known and most earnest of those
who are working for national assistance
He said today OF the subject of irrigation:
1.-THE most feasible means of securing
Immediate results is that which is being
SO extensively employed at the present
time in the vicinity of Garden City-that
is using pumps and windmi1ls. The
reason why this means is of SO much
value, is that there is a great deal of land
under which the water lies but few
feet below the surface and pumping
plant costs so little, that it is within the
means of the individual. He need not
wait to organize a company, nor to effect
any sort of com bination. He can have
his own irrigation works ready in short
order and be enjoying its benefits with
out delay. 1t is true that a man
that is the average man-can not
undertake to irrigate a large tract in this
way. The average area which one man
should undertake to irrigate by pumping
ought not exceed ten acres But that
area, properly handled, will provide
good living for the average family and
substantial margin for the savings ac-
count. We have families in the vicinity
of Garden City making a good living off
less than five acres irrigated by pump
ing.
ssOn a larger scale, and for future de-
velopment, bitches using water from the
streams, supplemented by storage reser-
voirs and water obtained from the under
flow, both by gravity ''fOuntains" and by
extensive pumping works, will irrigate
great deal of our land and make n very
productive. In northwestern Kansas
damming the numerous draws and thus
saving the storm waters, will be quite a
factor.7
E'What do you think congress will do
toward defraying the expenses of irriga-
ton experiments?"
''Very little. So little and in a way
desultory and fragmentary that the bene-
tit will be minimized. Eastern farmers
are bitterly opposed to having the gov
eminent do anything at all in this line,
and their opposition, coupled with the
fact that much money appropriated in
the interest of irrigation has been wasted,
will tend to prevent any fruitful action
by congress until we of the arid and
semi regions have at least one mem
Der of congress who will stand by irriga-
tlOn-as Bland does by silver, for exam
pie. Then, and not until then, may we
look for valuable aid from the govern
ment."
What a. Great Bend Man Says.
superintendent of Barton county, is one
of the state irrigation comm ISIS toner's. He
is very mucn in earnest. He said to a
JOURNAL reporter: 81 think irrigation
can be mado success in western Kan
sas because there is abundance of
water beneath the surface that can be
raised in various ways. Many methods
are suggested. The pumping plan is
much talked of by which the water
would be pumped into reservoirs and
high line canals, canals on the highest
divides from which the supply could be
drained on TO the surrounding land. /
consider the gravity method not suffici-
emily tried. 1t contemplates making a
large excavation down to the underf1ow
where there are streams like the Platte
and Arkansas with fall of so many feet
to the mile, and then running bitches
from this natural reservoir over the land
between bikes and with a fall less than
the natural slope of the land.
Il don't know what congress will do.
1t should pass some of the bills pending
before it to test. the supply of under
ground waters and their distribut
Two bills are before congress. One in
troduced by delegate Joseph of New
Mexico, appropriating 100000, and one
by Senator White of California, for 3d.
100000. They both provide for expert
ments and tests"