The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-08-10
THE EXCURSION.
The Excursionfsts Return Home ChocI
full of Irrigation.


full of Irrigation.
The excursion. 50 in number, left
Goodland Tuesday forenoon in chair
car chartered for the purpose. They
ran over the Rock Island to Pueblo,
j and were picked up by the Santa Fe at
Pueblo, and arrived at Rocky Ford
about L a. m. Wednesday. They we're
royalty entertained at the latter point
by the town, and were conveyed all
around the country by the citizens of
Rocky Ford in the forenoon and after
noon in carriages furnished without
cost to the excursionists, and were
shown the wonderful results of farm
ing by irrigation methods. They pro-
nounce the country "grand, magnifi-
cent" "out of sight ''They ate ap-
pies from the orchards, plums from
the thicAets and vegetables from the
gardens"
The guide left nothing of Importance
connected with irrigation that was not
shown them.
At 3 o'clock p. M they we're given an
elegant spread in Odd Fellows hall and
did justice to the viands laid before
them. They were treated to excellent
music by the band, and were addressed
by Hon. Crowley, representative of the
county and proprietor of the Fair View
orchards, and State Senator Swink
Replies we're made by A. B. Montgom-
cry, G.. r. Shook, and other members
of the association, after which a vote
of thanks and resolution of esteem
were passed by the association. r. w
Finley wrote the resolution, and Frank
Robinson read the same, which was
passed unanimously.
They visited the state experiment
station and we're shown all through the
establishment. The irrigation is by
ditch and the drive in the afternoon
was west up the valley as far as Cat
lin, 10 miles distant, and we're shown
the head gate of the Catlin ditch of
! the system. In the forenoon they
drove east and viewed the bitches of
which there are four. The supply of
water is ample and land under ditch is
for sale at reasonable rates. The
bitches are "Rocky Ford" "Catlin, :"
'Otero'' and "High Line" The Catlin
has the priority of right and was pre-
| ferred by the association. Millions of
tons of alfalfa are being raised and
farmers were busy stacking the second
crop. Prevailing price of alfalfa in
stack So per ton.
Corn was doing well and all manner
of fruits and vegetables are being
! raised. It was a veritable Garden of
Eden. with every tree beautiful for
sight and good for food" Samples of
soil were procured to annalyze and
compare with Sherman county soil.
Some of the members bought boxes Of
honey of the bee farm.
The excursion was delayed at La
Junta three hours waiting for a train,
after leaving Rocky Ford at 7:4O p. M,
and arriving in Garden City about 5
a. m. on Thursday. Hotel rates had
been made at 81 per day. They were
shown the Wonder pump, a Kansas
City pump, for irrigation purposes. 1t
the interior of the Wonder pump,
which works on the principle of sau-
sage grinder with two cylinders mash
ing into each other and run by belt.
They will raise water 20 feet, but can
be put one above another in deep well.
They throw a continuous stream of
water, but require good power. They
throw 300 gallons minute.
In the forenoon of Thursday, Aug. 3,
the excursion party went out in vehi-
Giles furnished by the citizens of Gar
den City, to the farm of D. M. Frost,
the ex-register of the land office. He
has 90 acres under irrigation by pump
ing. He has pond reservoir Of 9OXlOO
feet, which is filled by two windmills.
One is the Old-fashioned Dutch wind
mill. overshot. The other is a steel
gear mill, 12-foot wheel, with a lift
pump Finch cylinder supplied by g.
inch point, 12-inch discharge pipe, %
foot of water, manufactured by T. @.
Mitchell of Garden City. There are
four valves in the cylinder. Throws
200 gallons of water a minute. The lift
is IA feet.
The next place visited was Lee L.
Doty. He has 40 acres under irrigation,
20 acres by pump. He also has pond
reservoir supplied by pump, run by 70
foot steel mill with triple gear, 8-inch
cylinder lifting water 10 feet to top of
spout. He has six Pinch points in dug
we'll The stroke in 10 inches raised
214 gallons at stroke. 1t makes 30
strokes per minute in average wind
The writer met Mr.. A Bartlett, who
formerly engaged in blacksmithing for
Peter Baker and Mrs. Morse, who for
merly resided in Goodland and is the
mother of Joe Morse of Goodland.
The next place visited was that of
Mr.. j. Allen, who, while he has ditch
privilege, also irrigates with a wind
mill and pump. He has fine orchard
and small fruit ground. He has no re-
Servoir, but irrigates from the pump.
He has only five acres but it is perfect
ly uncovered IN shade, and yields a
good revenue from small fruits and
vegetables
Mr.. A. Bartlett, whom we mentioned,
has 10 acres in vineyard. All the places
visited were shaded in blocks with cot
ton wood or box elder trees and within
these enclosures were fruit trees, many
of which we're in bearing. The whole
country was sodden with water, having
had a good rain recently, which to-
gether with the bitches, made all the
land moist and damp. The results of
these experiments, both by ditch and
pump, are surprising and gratifying and
the Garden City country will eventu-
ally be one of the green spots of the
Arkansas valley, and shows what can be
done in western Kansas by irrigation.
THE REPUBLIC man rode with j. E.
Biggs behind a thoroughbred 2:20 stall
lion, and the way he spun over the
ground and threw mud was caution.
He formerly owned the Teeters ranch
and was an old acquaintance of Nc
Cluskys and Rabideaus, and we found
him pleasant gentleman.
The next place visited was that of
Mr.. johnson, who has two windmills
and reservoir, and irrigates about seven
acres and furnishes water for about
f~,. 10 hoc on