The St. Johns herald., 1896-04-18
WATER STORAGE.
A Correspondent with Some
 thing to Say on the Subject.
ST. JOHNS, April 15, 1879.


 E&IToR HERALD-Ifyou will allow me to occupy a small place in the columns of your paper, shall esteem it a great favor. Not that 1 have business of great importance, but I believe it a duty of every citizen to support the county paper by subscribing for the same, and also devote a little time to writing the news from tue different parts of the country. it being the only medium of giving us the news of our own county. It is like tue watchman on the tower; it gives us torewarnlng of approaching danger; encourages the development of our resources, and looks out for the good of the community in general.
 If people would write from different parts of the county and state their conditions and improvements that may be made in the development of the the country. and by this means create an interchange of opinion which would nave tendency to lead our minds and energies out and make more rapid ad- vancement.
 Also, the editor would take hold with greater in interest, feeling that he had the support of the people, and also show to our neighbors that we were trying to do something.
 When folks are doing well they take more interest in giving in report than they do when they are not prosperous. This may be the reason why We are so backward about writing. If thIs be our condition at present, let us try to rem- edy it. Itis true we have just passed through a series of hardships, business being paralyzed and no money in circu- ! lation. We have had to take our share of these hardships with other commit mites, But that which affected us the most was the drouth. Not having raised good crops, and in some parts Of the country having failed entirely two or years in succession, it has worked a hardship. We have learned how to remedy this. During the time We have suffered from drouth there has run to waste sufficient water to lrrigate all the land under cultivation If reservoirs had been provided for it's storage.
 Now, that we have found that we can store water in reservoirs, it is the duty of the people of Apache county to make united effort in this direction, and store up water so that we may be able to irrigate all the land we wish to bring under cultivation.
 The Peruvians have shown us what can be accomplished by the reservoir system. They redeemed the greater part of the. western coast of South America, where there was not sufficient ram to start the growth of vegitatioI. By building great reservoirs in the and conducting the water in aqueducts and subterranean passages to distance of five hundred miles, they brought this arid region into great agricultural district. There is bright future be- fore us if we will take hold and develop e resources within our reach, and not be caught in such condition again on account of drouth. Great benefits will be derIved from such sYstem-by rals- ing in our own locality what We con- sume; supplying the markets around us; stop importation, and instead oi our money going out of the country, il can be kept here and used in the deyel' opment of our resources. This is not the only benefit We would derive. The greater the amount of land we bring under cultivation, the more we increase the wealth of the country. Also. the greater amount of vegetation, the more moisture will be thrown into the atmos phere. The reservoirs will contribute thereto, which will have a tendency tC increase the amount of rainfall. Not only this, but water run into reservoirs or other places with no outlet, seepl through the ground, breaking out 1T springs, which increases our water sup ply when needed. We sincerely hope the people will adopt this spstem, anC the HERALD will encourage the same.
 SANCHO.