The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-09-29

the Federal Government. and was fol-
lowed briefly by + mer X. Read, State
Engineer OF Wyoming.
President Bo tn, after announcing varl-
Gus committees, addressed himself TO the
convention prof. er IN a carefully prepared
paper.
Z. r. Moses of Great Benz, Kans.,
chairman of the National Executive Com
mitiee, gave a resume OIL The irrigation
work for the year. He said in part:
The people of the United States must know
of their country in order to judge intelli-
gently of the wants and needs OF any part OF
It, and then they must have that love OF
country so strong in their hearts that they
forget self, section, birthplace and State in
their great desire to buil0 up America as 1.-The
land OF the free and the home Of the brave"
When this is done there will be no longer
Haunting of the bloody shirt at every must
ings or in every spread-eagle speech, the con-
slant repetition OF solid South" Grasp
ing East "Frigid North and "Wild and
Woolly West" The time has come when this
nation, like the other nations of the eRrtn,
must ever be alert in making due ana ample
prepara ton for the comfort and happiness OF
her people.
If any bill is passed for the rec'amati ton OF
arid and semi-arld America, it must first be
drafted by this body or the people OF the
West. The last irrigation congress passed
upon bill, very good one for a starter,
known as the pm bic land commiSsi' n bill"
1t was introd uced i'll the House OF Representa-
resurrection. 1t has firm supporters in both
houses. and with proper efforts on the part of
this congress could become a law.
More acres are under cultivation by means
OF irrigation than ever before and perhaps
more miles of irrigatlng bitches have been
built in the last few years than IN all previous
yelrs. Through these annual congresses an
impetus has been gwen another line OF In
dustry that has worked night and day 10 per-
feet pumps and machines to draw water from
the bowels of The earth at such mlnimu m
10 h frrN to &c
way The ingenious mind has been SCI to
work 10 conserve the storm waters that run
in torrents to the sea. The eyes of the East
and South have been opened TO the fact that
they, too, can ditch, drain and reapplv the
water at proper times and receive better t.
suits.
We irriga tionists are satisfied that Congress
will have 10 adopt our plan of preventing the
overflow OF large streams by the storage of the
waters near the heads OF such streams Il such
q manner as to feed the streams AT times of
low water and at other times to be used in
irrigation, navigation and manufacturing in
dustTieS: and in this way the damage TO life
and property now caused each year by over
flows Will be prevented and iarge tracts oil arid
lands can be reclaimed by these waters and
opened for settlement. The people Of the
nation would soon find it a paying inve stment
il Congress would apply the appropriations
annually made 10 prevent hOods-temporary
makeshiftS-Jo the storage OF the waters as
we'll for the use OF agriculture and horti-
culture.
Following in the wake of irrigation and
closely allied to it is colonization. The people
OF the West do not want these lands made till
able unless they can TEEN with life and are
settled with the best brain and Drawn OF
the old and the young, ricn and poor, who de-
sire homes in this sunset land of America
The question of the possibility of To-
eating and tracing underground streams
OF water was the subject of an extended
and carefully prepared paper by DR.. J. G.
Sutton OF Rushylvania, Ohio. DR.. Sutton
saf a1 mi tad
was anu Unpopular one. inasmuCh as II in
vaded field heretofore held by water
witches or those claiming to be endowed
with divine power, aided by forked
stick His experience was, however,
that by following the ordinary rules of
scientific research the location of sub
surface water was posi- bic, having no
connection with superstition and other
rubbish surrounding the subject. Upon
the esta blished theory that the eartn is
magnet be gave in detail the results OF mis-
investigate covering period OF twelve
years. Water and matter surrounding 1t
under the surface were magnetic to such
degree DR.. Sutton claimed, as TO influence
action above ground. He concluded:
II have been cautious about falling into
the error of assuming more than my e1-
permental results seem 10 justify. And
now dogmatic as the assertion may ap-
pear, | declare to you that l have been
fortunate enough TO devise an electro
magnetic device so finely sensitive to
variations in the earth's magnetism that
| am enabled to accurately trace and map
sub surface streams OF water"
DR.. Sutlon's paper was the last set
speech of the afternoon, and the business
session followed, but was limited TO the
appointment OF com mittees on permanent
organization and resolutions. CALIFORNIA;
delegate heads the list on the latter, but
it is claimed to have no significance, mas
much as the committee will meet and
select its own chairman.
The congress will reassemble tomorrow
morning at 9:3J o'clock.