The Republican., 1898-03-24
IRRIGATION IN MONTANA.
Ereat Project by Which an Empire Ii
to He ReclniIned.

III ~ 20 nave OeS uH mere lndL Involve
llthe expenditure of about SIS, 900, 600 and
the reclamation of 100000 acres OF
|arld lands, every acre of which must,
Iunder the agreement, be settled by
FARMERS in tracts of not to exceed 100
acres and probably averaging far less.
itnder the provisions of the Carey act,
'appropriating without charge 1000, ,OOG
acres of government land to states that
Iwill improve that land by bitches for
lfrrigation, work begins next month on
la 100000 ditch near this city. 1t will
Hollow what is known as the second
Pench of the Yellowstone and will ex-
TEND 25 miles. A total of $4,000 acres
Elll be laid under water, of which 12,-
poo belong to the Northern Pacific road,
the rest to the government and individ-
pals. The canal will be so miles long
Pnd will be very large affair, 20 feet
lgwlde at the bottom and deep enough to
\ furnish plenty of water at all times for
the irrigation of the $4,000 acres of now
yalueless land. With this canal started
the state is to commence another near
Big Timber, in Sweet Grass county,
where another 100000 is TO be spent
and canal As miles long, to carry $1,000
miners inches of water, will be con-
structed. 1t will irrigate $4,000 acres,
Hlso on one of the Yellowstone benches,
Svifd 5f land as rich as any in the state.
Besides these two enterprises others
are planned to make use of the entire
100000 acres granted by the general
| government, at an average estimated
cost per acre of eight dollars. The
funds for this magnificent improve
ment, which is expected to add 10000
| farmers and their families to the popu-
| lation of the state, will be derived from
| the sale of irrigation bonds that are to
| be first lien on the works constructed
| and the lands under them and are also
| to be guaranteed by the state. Bonds
for the first canal will be negotiated
| by the successful contractors, who an
ticipate no trouble in disposing of them
The Northern Pacific road will pay in
cash for the irrigation work touching
lands belonging to it.
There are no engineering difficulties
in either canal 80 far planned, except a
tunnel 1900 feet long in No. and great
siphons under two small rivers in No.
2. Canal No. 3 will probably be in Gus
ter county and No. in the fruit region
in the northwestern part of the state.
Another has for its field the Bitter Root
valley, than which no more fertile area
lies outdoors. Still another, and the
most imnnrt nf 011 10 30,
laying the entire Sun River valley, from
the foothills of the main Rockies to
Great Falls, under the water, at a cost
of about S2,OOO,OOO, reclaiming 256, 1000
acres of rich land. On this great prop
osition the arid land commission will
act early in the spring.
1t is not the object of the state to
make any profit out of these lands. The
ground having been given by the gem
eral government, the state charges
up only the actual cost of the irrigation
work, plus 20 per cent, and sells the
lands at this price. This will make an
average price for these lands of about
Sl2 per acre, which is very high for un-
improved lands in the far west. But
for this $12 the settler gets not only
land, but perpetual right to as much
water as he can use, and without fur
ther expense of any kind. and he has
the water delivered at his door the mo-
ment he takes possession. Nowhere in
the world are irrigated lands, suitable
for the raising of all crops of temper
at climate, to be had for any such price
as $12 an acre.
The conditions for successful agricul-
ture are not so faS>Table anywhere,
even in the west, and high-priced lands
in eastern states are not to be thought
of in comparison. Any fruits that will
grow in Michigan will flourish in Mon
tana, whose winters are shorter than
Michigan's or Ohio's. All vegetables
and grains of temperate climate -four
ish, and there can be no crop failure
from drought with an immense supply
of water and a perfect system of de-
livery. Three crops per year of alfalfa
can be raised, and stock can be ranged
free nine months in the year in the up
lands above the water benches.
A big object lesson in irrigation. per-
haps the most important so far in the
United States, is now being completed
by the general government at Crow
Creek Indian reservation, in easte~n
Montana, south of this city, where the
tide of the Big Horn is being diverted
for the use of the Indians. A ditch As
miles long, skirting the valley and in
closing about 100000 acres, is now near
ly completed. 1t is costing about $780,
000 This canal is the ninth on the res
ervation, all the others being less i'm
portant, but covering about 100 miles
of bitches. A tenth, to reclaim 140. 900
acres more, is yet to be built. With its
completion every individual in the Crow
nation, man, woman and child, will!
have more than so acres of irrigated
land, and each family will be an inde-
pendent community. When the work
for which congress makes appropria-
tions is done the lands will be allotted
In seyeralty to the Crows. and the res
ervation, it is believed. will become one
of the garden spots of the world. All
the work on these Crow canals except
superintendence, masonry and steel
gates is being done by Indian labor,
each man getting $1.50 per day. The