The record-union., 1898-09-02

small an amount as to scarcely pay the
cost of surveys and expenses Of the ad-
mlnistrations of the Land Office.
The question daily arises with the
national legislators: Is it better Tor
the nation to directly undertake the
construction of great irrigation canals,
dams, reservoirs, ETC., and then parcel
out the lands so reclaimed in small
is it better to cede the lands without
restrictions or conditions directly to
the States in which they are situated
or is it wiser to pass laws with re-
strictions and conditions, but such as
Will encourage the individual and the
@cfoor alton to undertake the work of
reclamation? Much may be said In
support Of either of these propositions.
They are now live questions, and are
pressing themselves upon the consider
alton of Congress The individual and
the corporation are at work. Much has
been accomplished under the desert
land law. Wyoming, Utah and Mon
tana are availing themselves Of the
million acre donation Act. With the
revival of business, increased interest
will be taken in this law. The individ-
ual State is passing urgent laws bear
Ing upon the apportionment Of the
water and the settlement Of disputes
hereunder. While much has been done,
a commencement has scarcely been
made
The population of the country west
of the Missouri River has grown very
rapidly. In a comparatively few years
cent. There is no doubt that this growth
will go on as rapidly in the future as
it has in the past few years 1t is es-
timated that the population west of
the Missouri River will reach 10000
people by the time of the taking of the
census of 1900. This is a Government
of the people, and the nation must be
at all times most deeply concerned for
the increase that annually takes place
in its population. The nation, l do not
think, will belle it's record; it will meet
the obstacles and remove them. The
lands which do not require irrigation
are nearly all occupied.
TO make room for the increase and
influx of population, mammoth irriga-
ton works must be constructed The
great countries until recently unoccu-
pied, save by rowing bands Of Indians
ana few mining settlements, is now
Well traversed by railroad lines, and
among them are great continental
roads. On these railroads every few
miles are young cities, towns and viii
lages made and inha abited by enter
prising people. These people are not
contented to stand still: they are among
the most progressive people of the most
progressive nation on the face of the
globe; they are willing to venture and
take chances; the country thereabout,
wherever it is possible, is being rapidly
occupied by the ranchman and farmer.
These enterprising people are urging
the necessities of such legislation as
they believe is best adapted to the con-
ditions as they are now found in these
States and Territories.
These questions are comparatively
new ones to. the people of the United
States. But small number Of those
who make the laws or administer the
executive departments of the Govern
ment have ever seen irrigation canals.
or any practical experiments made
through this system of the cultivation
of soil. Indeed, until the Mormon peo-
pie began to make homes in the Salt
Lake Basin, irrigation had not been
undertaken by any considerable mum
Der of people under the Jurisdiction of
this nation. The country in which we
live was looked upon as a great bar
rem waste that would never be occu-
pied by civilized man.
I'VE who have cultivated the soil in
any one of the arid States or Terri
tories may, to some extent, measure
the possibilities of the country which
was considered so barren and worth
less for purposes of cultivation a few
years ago. There is none of the ter
ritory west of the Missouri River but
what has within it's borders, great ir-
rigation plants, great and small fields
in bearing which would be deserted
save and except for the irrigating
ditch and canal, which have reclaimed
them from most unproductive con-
dition to one of great fertility.
When we speak, therefore Of the
possibilities of these States, we only
assert what we know-that the broad
acres which will be cultivated will be
enumerated by the million, and that
their numbers will only be limited by
the supply Of water that may be made
available. In some of the States the
total acreage that may be reclaimed
may be but a small percentage Of the
total area, yet the small acreage COM
paratively brought under the control
Of the husbandman will be sufficient tc
bring about the development Of other
great natural resources other than
those of agriculture, thereby building
UP communities of varied industries
and providing for thousands upon
thousands of American citizens.
THE country described has every
variety of climate within it's confines;
the fruits Of the tropics and the cereals
common to the extreme temperate
zones, are successfully cultivated and
nurtured The country Is rich in cat
tie, horses and sheep and other domes-
tic animals common to the home and
farm. The natural grasses are very
nutritious, but short and scattered, the
soil producing them only requiring
water to magnify the forage tonnage
ten-foId.
Much Of the country is rich in min
erals. Within its borders have been
discovered most of the minerals known
to civilized men. In some of these
States and Territories great develop
ment has been made in gold, silver,
copper, lead, coal, iron, petroleum,
soda, gypsum and mica mining, yet
the mineralogists and biologists tell us
that a commencement has scarcely
been made.
Irrigation for the most part is still
primitive In many Of the States only
from the small streams have the wat
ers been diverted, the great streams
have only been touched. For the full
DEVELOPMENT and utilization Of all the