The McCook tribune., 1897-10-08
IRRIGATION CONGRESS.
Mrs. Booth Tucker and Others Address
the Assent mbly.

| Mrs Booth Tucker and Others Address
the Assembly.
at the National irrigation congress
in Lincoln, among others who made
addresses was Mrs. Booth-Tucker OF
/ the Salvation army, who spoke on the
colonization scheme. She apologized
| for the absence of ner husband, whom
she said was detained in Colorado on
business connected with the Salvation
| army colonization scheme. She ac-
knowledged her inability To handle the
question in it's technical terms, but she
would give n short sketch of the plan
to help the poor of the country by col
Onization in districts available to irri-
CATION. She gave description of the
poverty and pitiable condition of the
poor of the old country and especially
of India, and said that America is in
deed fortunate in comparison with the
old world. But the poor of the cities
of this country also need help. y re-
view of the work of the Salvation army
among the poor of the cities followed.
She said that the colonization scheme
was to put the people that are out OF
work upon the land that is out of use,
and thus furnish them with work and
homes, taking due care in the selection
of the colonists from among those who
are willing to work. The further pur-
pose is to loan them machinery, and,
where necessary, small amounts OF
money, until they are able to make
their own way and, in the end, own
their own homes. The first colony
would probably be in Colorado, al
though the army had received offers of
money from twenty-three different
states, in tracts in some Gases as large
as 100, 900 acres.
small experimental colony had al
ready been started at San Francisco,
at which 300 people were employed
and satisfied to join the permanent
colony. 1t was the experience of the
army people that the poor would work
if given an opportunity. The question
of discipline was not hard to solve.
They had no trouble in that direction
At one place they had $50 ex-convicts
at work and they were quiet and in
dustrious. The proportion of really
worthless people was small. The
speaker was confident that the colo
nies would succeed in a financial way,
and promised that before the sword
was laid down a colony would be es-
tablished in Nebraska.
agricultural Problems of the Arid
Regions" by DIR. Clarke Capen of Chi
cago. He related some of the expe-
riences of company that is carrying
on irrigation experiments in Illinois.
That company had found that by adj
ding water to supplement the rainfall
so that the annual water supply should
reach thirty inches brought about the
best results and that this supplement
tary irrigation would be q success in
his state. 1t was his belief that in the
territory west of the Missouri river
what the farmer needed was to learn
how to properly handle his land crops
in order to make it the most produc-
tive and prosperous country in the
world. There should not be total de-
pendence on the rainfall, rs experience
had shown that it was too irregular for
sure crops every year, and the idea of
causing rainfall would not succeed, be-
cause to bring rain there must first be
moisture in the air. DIR. Capen also
advocated the extensive use of silOs by
the farmers in the semi-arid region, as
a means of utilizing crops and of equal
izing the supply of stock fed from year
to year.
Hon. W. j. Bryan made ten min
utes address. He was glad to talk to
the irrigation people, although the
subject was a new one to him. All he
knew of the question was from obser- !
vation during the last four years. He |
had noticed that the matter of irriga-
ton was being taken mp in Illinois, as
well as in the west. 1t would be d |
good idea for each farmer to water |
four or five acres of land, even in the |
territory where there was considered |
to be an abundant rainfall. The mat |
ter of regulation of the use of water |
was an important question. 1t should |
be SO that when man buys irrigated |
land he also buys water, so that he is
sure that his right to that water might |
not be cut off. The system of irriga-
ton would increase the number of !
small holders of land and would enable |
the farmer to make living on small /.
farm. This thickening of the popula-
ton would enable farmers to have
their schools and trading points nearer
at hand. He believed that The holding .
of this congress at Lincoln would /
awaken the interest of our home people !
in the suiect of irrigation and would !,
stimulate many of them to investigate.
or engage in the enterprise.