The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-08-08
Brule County'S Arlesian Wells.
rhc Greatest ~, the world.

The artesian wells of Brule county are the
greatest within a given district in the world
greatest III size OF bore, greatest in pressure aud
Sreatestin volume OF water, They are the
wonder of even the wonderful West and arc at
tracing SO much attention ali over the country
that brief description Of them seems appropos
Mt this time.
In early tho days of Kimhal, an adequate water
supply for the town was o serious problem
Chamherlain-at the west end of the county--
constructed system of water-worlss by erecting
pumping plant on the banl. of tho ilissouri
and forcing the water to II reservoir upon the
bluffs above the town. As a last resort Kimbuli
decided totry for an artesian we'll. This was
ten year ago. At TINT time there were outside
of Iankton county less Than u half dozen arte-
sian wells in the state, and situated Klmball
is, upon the hshes, point between the Missouri
and the jim river grave doubts werc expressed
of ever striking flow. But the we'll was n sue
cess, water mains and FIRE hydrarts were put in
and complete system of w',er-works con-
structed at n cost of less than 200. The ex
pcnse of operating the System daring these ten
years has been practically ncth,ng and The re-
pairs on the well have not exceeded 800. In the
course of a few years Ci,amL, u, abandoned
artesian well, aud which has G yer since fur
nished the town with an abr, ti:nt supply of
pure water.
From these initial efforts spr;.:ig II desire for
greater water supply all over do county other
than that from the ordinary farm we'll. With
an abundance of the most f,tiitlous grasses
known. climate unsurpassed pll it lacked WIS
running streams 10 make il a., ideal stock
county and where the business could be engaged
in on an extensive scale. undcr,le operations
of n state law The county began the construction.
Of township artesian wels-the township pay
ing one-four,h the cost, ,he county one-tenth
and individual holdings the remainder, by
special assessment in proportion to benefit re-
ceived, in five annual payments. Twenty of
these wells have already been constructed and
their magnitude will be more readily under
stood when it is stated that nearly everyone
them is capable OF forcing water through fifteen
miles of bitches, the bitches being about the
size of ordinary meadow Brooks. The county
now has over 800 miles of running streams IN
addition to the Missouri on the border No
county in Iowa and Illinois is so VOL surp!cd
with running water. Tie water from the wells
is Of high temperature varying from 70 to 81
degrees aud as pure rs spring water without its
chilling effect. In addition to the running
streams, large lakes are frequent, the ono in
klmball covering y acres and attording boating
and fishing in the summer skating in the winter
anil from Which is gathered an abundance of
the purcst ice.
Curing the past two years irrigation expert
melts on small scale have been made by iIdi-
vidual farmers tapping the streams from the
township wells and with such wonderful success
that private wells are now solng down all over
the county. 4 few were put down last year and
nearly paid for themselves with one crop. BY
the time the planting season arrives in 1886 it is
safe to estimate that the comfy will have forty
artcsian wells all told, sending out millions of
gallons of water every twenty-four hours. Four
extensive irrigation plants will have been con
structcd- one has already boon cornplcted-cost-
ing from $1,000 to $4,000 each, in addition to
other private plants on smaller scale. Over
l0,00Oacres will be irrigated in 1895 from these
private wells, and all of the wells except ono or
two are six and eight inches i'll diameter and
flow from 80 to 60 barrels a minute.
1t is peculiar feature that in no other part of
the state or in the world, for that matter--are
artesian wells found of such uniform pressure
and volume as In Brule county. Wells which
threw solid six or eight inch stream three feet
| above the opening Of tho pipe are common. The
county appears to be located over the very heart
| of the great artesian basin Ono of the wells
| recently put down in tho county throws an eight
inch column of water twelve feet above the
opening. During u test the stream was reduced
to two inches ard ~ tremendous pressure of
the well threw a sIre,44 OF water 1Ga feet into
| the air. Tie itessure of the well Is 1oi pounds
to the square inch und w sn controlled tho we'll
dcvelopes 80 horse power. The flow from this
spouter is 1850 gallons u miuute or 1l2, 800
| barrels tvely "a honrs
Think cf it,
| The artesinn wells in BTule county vary in
depth from $50 to ,2oo feet. but the average is
| less than coo feet They ara catered all over
the county and it is now easy To cstimntc with
| in foot almost at what depth II flow will be
| struck. The wells range i'll cost from 81 900 to
$1,000. depending upon size OF bore. The cos;
ls Largely determined by tho labor and cost OF
| fuel. Six inch wells capable of irrgnting Git
acres ct lard have been put down for $1,000.
| Tho wonderful fertility ot prairie soil is /
eubicct of discussion among all agriculturalists
| Tho soil of Brule county is not only the richest
known but very deep The fact that the prairie
countries have dry climate is not at NIL adverse
to soil fertility. 1t rather contributes to it.
strength. Light and warmth are great fertil
iaers. Heavy and frequent rains are DESTRUCTIVE
To fertility because the chemical properties o
the soil that makes it productive are b.eachet
out and washed away and unless renewed b.
fertilizers the soi becomes sterile and rnpro
ductive. Irrigation, however, does not weae,
the soil, but Strengthens it,
Drnle county has raised some mngniGcen
crops of corn, wheat, oats, barley and vegetable
before artesian wells were thought Of. But tn
advantage of having n great volume of waite
ready for instant use in ease of immergenc
even in any country wlrcre the rainfall is cor
stant and regular in norHnl years is too appai
ant to enlarge upon. Tho climate. soil, th
. grasses, the absonce of deep snow aud the wate
supply makes stock farming md general fnrn
: ing in Bsnic county possible on a greater seal
I and Mt less cost than almost any spot on thi
8 continent. Cupitalsts andsyisitors ure free
stating that Brlle j. destined to be the gardc
county of tlis Northwest.