The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-04-10
Emigrate From the Prairies of
Western Kansas,
But There VIII Be q Population Of
Millions There, If We But Follow
the Lines Laid Down by the
Late Robert Hay Just
Before ae Died


that extensive region commonly known
as the plains.
A map accompanies the article show
ing the annual rainfall between the
Mississippi river and the Rocky noun
tains. The problem of how to render
T this section not only probably but
! permanently habitable by irrigation
/ has been long under discussion the sur
face supply Of water for extensive Op-
erations being insufficient.
The writer starts out by telling US
that "a part of the United States
amounting to nearly One-hfth of the
whole area is very imperfectly under
stood in other parts of the country 1t
is that region east of the Rocky noun
tains stretching to the eastern frontier
of the DakOtas east central Nebraska
Kansas and Oklahoma, and including
large part of Texas.
1T forms the greater part Of the slope
of the western part of the Mississippi
valley, and has parts Of the gulf and
/ arctic slopes A large proportion Of this
great area is deficient in rainfall and
so the whole has been condemned as
an rid desert or semi-arid waste good
only for pasturage- If to be arid
means that there is less than ten
inches of average annual rainfall then
no part of this region is arid But
much of it comes near that definition
In eastern Colorado, New Mexico and
Wyoming the annual average is, in
large areas. from IL to IA inches, While
further east there are limited areas
where in 1928 there We're not three in
ches in 10 months, and in 1894 from four
to seven inches in nine months. That
there are such great DEFICIENCIES some
times, and yet that the average keeps
we'll in the teens, and in some parts
west of the Tooth meridian exceeds 20
inches. indicates that some years there
is a much greater amount. Thus il
years average at Dodge City, kan,
was a fraction over 20 inches, but the
range in those years was from over 35
to below IL inches.
rid 2,
" allowed. then, to describe this re
giOn, and as the deficient years are
more numerous than those OF excessive
/ rainfall, as a matter of time it may be
/ conceded that the region is more than
half arid. But this is more than ought
to be said of the whole region. 1t viii
be mainly true west of the Tooth meri-
dian. but east of the 99th neither as a
matter Of time nor Of area is it correct
to say that it is semi-arid
Crops of some kind can there be had
three years in five with ordinary farm
ing. The agricultural experiment sta
lions are showing that some crops are
better than maize and wheat, and when
the lesson has been vel learned the
strip between 81 and 100 viii cease to
be considered as part of the arid region
in any sense. In this paper general ex-
pressions will not include anything east
of the 99th meridian, though to some
areas always. and to other areas some
times the points made may be appli-
cable.
THE region under discussion in its
widest dimensions is. as already men
toned, nearly One-6fth of the area Of
the United States With our constant
ly increasing population it cannot be
seriously contemplated that this vast
area shall be used only for a precarious
pastoral industry which will be as dis
fail as would agriculture. In 1880, and
again in 1894. cattle were driven over
one hundred miles 20 obtain the grass
due to local showers. The semi-arid
region is q fighting ground. The white
race is here having a contest with the
forces of nature. The years of abund-
ant rainfall have shown that the soil,
in color and texture unlike the soils Of
other regions, is Of unlimited fertility.
yielding as much as ffty-fiVe bushels
of wheat to the acre on the 1O1st meri-
dian, and other crops in proportion, ac-
cording to length of season and the al
titude of various parts. To the writer
the issue of this contest is in no way
doubtful. The white man VIII winl The
road may be devious and strewn with
the fallen but a knowledge of the con
ditions Of the struggle and perseverance
in it's application viii make the vic
tory sure. and that at no distant date
Mr.. HAY says EfeL IL VIII De useless
to discuss the irrigation of the Great
Plains by means of bitches They viii
never be irrigated that way because
the volume of water in the rivers is
not great enough. He continues.
ION the upland plains and the smooth
river bottoms what water is used for
irrigation viii mostly come from un-
deTErOund. What has been called
the mighty underfiow of the plains
viii have to be tapped and raised to
the surface by mechanical appliances
In the valleys Of the mountain rivers
and also in those OF the plains rivers
the underhOW is a great fact All
these valleys. through several degrees
of longitude. have more or less smooth
bottom lands, composed of sandy allu-
via, capable Of holding q large quaint
ty of water and underlaid by beds of
gravel holding much more The water
is from Is to p feet from the surface,
and extends downward as much more
in some cases to a depth of so or 100
feet
There is also in many of these val
leys q second bottom 20 to 40 feet high
err and the water bearing gravel ex-
tends under this. giving abundant sup
ply to pump at depth of so to TO feet
Practically there is water to irrigate
all the bottom lands Of these valleys
The Arkansas valley, three to five miles
wide, from Hutchinson to La Junta.
may be one large garden; the valley of
the Smoky Hill and the two Republi-
cans each for over 100 miles. and that
of the South Platte. from Sterling to its
-~---- t-~-- 49, ---- --ls~A A 81 cain
may be strips of greenery by means of
using the lnderhow. Many smaller
valleys may add to this effect.
This IS not q theory based on inn
perfecl observations Its value lies in
what has been already demonstrated
Near Garden City, on the Arkansas,
100 pumping plants are now ir-
rigating orchards, gardens and
fields Of alfalfa In the small
valley Of the Eagletail a tribu-
tary Of the Smoky Hill, In Wallace