The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-09-21

Concerted Action. All Examples of lrri
eation Being from the individual Fl.
forts of Small farmers-In the End TIT
Desert will be Made to Bloom.
Washington. Sept. 20.-"It is the in
tention of the department OF agriculture
to collect all the information ootaihaoi'
in regard to irrigation, for the purpose
! Of encouraging farming on small scais
/ in the United States" remarked CoIohe4
/ w. c. Irish. chief of the bureau OF lrri-
cation inquiry, with this object IN
view during the last three months
| have explored pretty thoroughly TIE
country west of the Rockies
Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada
: New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming were
embraced in the territory visited, ana
must say Utah is my beau ideal OF
country given up to small farms. Han
a century ago Utah was the nome Oh
Indians. A few trappers. and wild beasts
her forbidding salty soil so nara ina
no plow or spade could penetrate II.
After vainly making the attempt TO
pillow it and being rebuffed every time,
the pioneer did not despair but turned
on water from the mountain streams
near by. The thirsty, rebellAous SOIL
drank it. the pillow did its work. ailo the
broad farm, mechanical industries, ana
the 100000 self-supporting, prosperC Us
population of the embryo state constitu.-
tie a miracle surprising that wrought
by Moses in the Wilderness when he
smote the rock.
"In view of rhis example and thous-
ands more in kind on smaller scale
we do not need aid from congress, nor
do we need millions OF money wnere-
with TO people the available areas OF
the arid regions with progressive and
prosperous farmers.
But we do need an intimate know
ledge of what has been done and make
it clear that to make home in the ara
west will cost those who intellig ently
make the effort about the same per acre
as il did the pioneers of the Mississippi
Valley to take its lands and make lis
homes there, which. on the average,
was not above Sc per acre on the lands
brought under Improvement
when the fact is known that this
can be done in the arid regions we shall
have colonies of eager settlers clamor-
ing after our lands, as Of late years we
have seen such colonies eager for lands
in the Dakotas. Indian Territory, NO
Mans Land, and the Cherokee Strip.
colony cannot acquire the right TO enter
upon the government lands under exist
ing land laws, nor can man with or
without family go upon such lands
and make his home and support upon
them at once, as was the case with the
In that region the settlers found at
hand timber, water, and a soil so east
ly subdued that he could in the first
year raise enough on his land to support
himself and his cattle. In the arid
regions it will require from one TO three
years to do this, rendering 1t impossi-
BILE for settlers to conform to the pres
ent land laws which requires immediate
settlement and continued occupa ton to
acquire valid title.
ITO readily and expeditiously bring
about the necessary measure leading to
settlement and permanent occupation
OF the arid regions by farming commu-
mites it is found necessary to form a
complete orga IMITATION of the farmers
now occupying them into states. Such
organization will give all needed re-
forms and will gather together syste-
maeE knowledge of irrigation results, a
sure guide to the incoming population,
it a certainty to them that
they can live and thrive in the arid
regions with greater ease and prosperi-
ty than elsewhere.
LACK OF ACTION.
''A study of laws enacted by the legis-
lature of the several states and terri
tories within the limits of the arid re-
gions of the United States. and a know
ledge of the people governed by those
laws. bring out the fact that there is
little sympathy or concert of action
among them. For the want Of unifor-
nifty in the laws governing, claiming,
and use of water in irri-
cation. the courts OF the various states
and territories of the dry regions have
been led into an interminaole tangle of
decisions, useless alike to all concern
ed.
There Sc one great principle to be
by law and honesty appli- |
ed, and that is that he who irrigates !
lands for the purpose of raising crops !
upon it must have as clear right and !
title to the water used in the irrigation /
as he has 10 the land which he irrigates. |
There should be no state ownership in !
waters any more IMAM IN air owner |
ship Of water should he exempt from |
taxation, either individually or collec- |
lively.
Work done so far in retaining the |
arid regions has come from single !
handed efforts altogether and the most |
communities Of irrigation |
farmers began almost without means. |
Where they found barren sand and sage |
brush plains are seen widespread fields |
Of grain. hay. and other farm crops and |
magnificent orchards and groves of tim |
Der cast their cool shade. where from |
the beginning of time bare deserts had |
formed the landscape
These are some of the topics have |
investigated and VIII report upon them /
with the object in view Of encouraging
the tillage Of small farms in the arid
regions of this country.
WHERE IT i Folly TO TRUsr.-sDon,t
-ou think the man who marries for money
: fool :" He Is. unless he gets il in ad-
'ance. '-IndianapOiis Journal.