The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-12
TO RECLAIM THE DESERT
AND PUT UNDER CULTIVATION
$4,000 ACRES OF LAND.
President Hirsch Gone to Philadel-
phia to Make Arrangements For
Commencing the Great Irrigation
Works, Which Will Cost So, Ooo,-
900 and the Collateral Enterprises
VIII Augment the Total By
100000 More.

At last the contract between the
state Of Utah and the Lake Bonneville.
Water and Power company, whereby
the latter will be enabled TO commence
The great enterprise Of reclaiming 2l6,
coo acres OF desert land in Willard
county, has been executed, and now
President Morton Is. Hirsch is speed
ing on his way 10 Philadelphia to ar
range for the development OF the MANI
moth irrigation works. The signing,
sealing, witnessing and acknowledge
ing in duplicate of the document as
finally agreed upon in detailed terms
was completed at o'clock last even
ing in the office of the state land board
Governor Wells, as. president, and Wes-
ley X Walton, secretary of the board,
penned their signatures in pursuance OF
q resolution for and on behalf of the
state. and Mr.. Hirsch, president, and
Judge John A. Street, secretary of the
Lake Bonneville company, performed
the act that binds the company to the
contract.
MATTER OF BONDS.
Although the Lake Bonneville COM
pany has 60 days in which to file it's
guarantee and Indemnity bond to the
state. in the sum of $4,000, the assur-
ance is given by General Manager
Cavanaugh that the bond will be ten
dered at q much earlier date. Presf-
dent Hirsch will return from the east
before the end of the year with an ar
rangement completed whereby local
freeholders will become sureties on the
bond. Already the cOmpany's bonds
have been foated, and what few pre-
iminaries remain to be considered will
be promptly attended to, and immedi-
ately after the required obligation doc
ument is filed with the state board,
active work upon the irrigation pro-
iects viii be started.
MAGNITUDE OF THE WORK.
1t ir in contemplation to construct 720
mile of main canals and branch
ditch s. Three mammoth reservoirs in
Sewer river canyon, above bennington,
will be built, and the water stored
therein during the winter and spring
months will be conducted upon the land
now barren, but which will eventually
be covered with productive farms and
fruitful orchards,
a necessary part of the work will re-
Quire the rebuilding of several miles of
the Oregon Short Line railroad, which
now runs through Sewer canyon, along
an entirely new route, so that the stor-
age of water may not be interfered
with.
A PART OF THE PROCEEDINGS.
The land boards committees appoint
ed to check up the specifications for the
extensions of the irrigation system and
to verify the list of lands submitted,
reported after a. two days session, that
everything was correct as expressed in
the draft Of the contract, which was re-
Gently published in The Herald.
MI
counsel, thanked the board for the
courtesy shown in dealing with the
company. In response Governor Wells
said the board regarded the Lake Bon
neville enterprise as the largest affair
of the kind ever initiated in this state
and one which. would ultimately yield
the greatest benefit to the people of
Utah. On behalf of the board the
governor expressed the hope that the
undertaking would be carried to tri-
umphant completion and realize all
that its friends and promoters antici-
pated.
WILL FURNISH ELECTRIC POWER
This enterprise has long been a nee
essitY in the development of southern
Utah and will result when completed as
projected, in reVolutionizing the ply
steal, financial, social and political con-
dition of the state.
It VIII add greatly to the taxable
wealth Of the state; will establish COM
munities of industrious citizens, and
will increase the annual products of the
state.
1t will enlarge the development and
magnitude and producing capacity of
the Tintic mining districts and those
other districts located around that val
ley rim. The company will develop and
deliver electric power to all the camps
adjacent to its plant near bennington.
The estimated cost of the completed
project is S3,00O,000, and the collateral
enterprises which will be undertaken
and carried out by the company to fur
nish markets for the products of the
lands under its system will cost $2OO0,-
coo more.
This is the largest exclusive storage
irrigation system in the world.