Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-10-27
RECLAIMING AN EMPIRE.
The Tremendous Irrigation Wo- <
in Montana
Canals Which Shall Bring Under Cul-
tiyation 100000 Acres OF the
Finest Land Out az DOors-The
Work Done for Settlers.

! the reclamation of 100000 acres of
arid lands, every acre of which must,
under the -sreement, be settled by
| farmers in tracts of not to exceed 100
acres and probably averaging far less.
| Under the provisions of the Carey act,
| appropriating without charge 100000
acres of government land to states that
will improve that land by bitches for
! irrigation, work begins next month on
! a 100000 ditch near this city. It will
follow what is known as the second
bench of the Yellowstone and will ex-
tend 25 miles. A total of 2S, 900 acres
will be laid under water, of which H.
600 belong to the Northern Pacific road,
the rest to the government and individ-
uals. The canal will be so miles long
and will be very large affair, 20 feet
wide at the bottom and deep enough to
| furnish plenty of water at all times for
the irrigatiUI- of the $4,000 acres of now
valueless 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 IS miles long, to carry 16, 600
miners inches of water, will be con-
structed. 1t viii irrigate $4,000 acres,
also ON one of the Yellowstone benches,
and of 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 viii pay in
cash for the irrigation work touching
lands belonging to it.
There are no engineering difficulties
in either canal so far planned, except a
tunnel 500 feet longin 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 recion
| 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 important of all, contemplates
| laying the entire Sun River valley, from
I the foothills of the main Rockies to
| Great Falls. under the water, at a cost
| of about 50 100000, retaining $4,000
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 gen.
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
$12 per acre, which is very high for I'M
| improved lands in the far west. But
for this S12 the settler gets not only
land, but a perpetual right to as much
water as he can use, and without fur
Their 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 favorable 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 eastern
Montana. south of this city, where the
tide of the Big Horn is being diverted
for the use of the Indians. 4 ditch As
miles long. skirting the valley and in
closing about 100000 acres, is now near
~ completed. Tt is costing about $780,,
GOO. 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 100000
acres more, is vet to be built. With its
completion every individual in the Grow
nation. man. woman and child. will
have more than so acres of irrigated
land, and each family will be an indie
pendent community. When the work
for which congress makes appropria-
tions is done the lands will be allotted
in severaltv to the Crows. and the res
ervation. it is believed. viii become one
of the garden spots Of the world. All
the work on these Crow canals except
superintendent, masonry and steel
| rates is being done by Indian labor