Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-02
UTAH CANAL SCHEMES.
Agricultural interests Promise to Succeed the
Silver-Mining Industry as an Impetus
to Prosperity.

HITH III THe HTtUUVTUT 1T fTTT5 f'VUVT' FTV
study IL the more Interesting because 1t
illustrates a transition stnte-the
change of Investment and development
interests from silver mining to irrisa-
tion and agriculture.
This shifting of interests presents a
paradox In the existence of evident
prosperity and just as evident para
lysis of Industries side by side. An
Illustration in point is the partial dos
truction OF one OF the greatest silver
camps in the country-l'ark city, in
Summit county. The town had It's
origin and found It's wealth In the
workings IF the ontario mine, owned
by Hearst and Haggin and their as
sociates. The mine has paid In dlvi-
bends over Si3,50o00O, but It was
closed down indefinitely about two
weeks ago. The suspension of opera
tions had been foretold in advance
and In anticipation of the result. The
larger merchants moved their goods
to Salt Lake, one firm alone selling out
stock inventoried at 100000. Miners
left their families In Park City ana
sought employment in the new gold
fields Of Mcrcur and in the other
camps of the State. number who
had no home ties vcntured their lot in
the rush for Alaska. The camp
practically was abandoned by all who
could get away; only few whose In
vestments We're independent OF the
mines remained.
LEAD AS a REDEEMING PROD
UCT.
That is taken as an extreme exam
pie OF the dark side of the situation.
The mines in which lead Is found as
ISOLATED with the silver have prohted
by the advance in lead, and Park city
has the Silver King, which continues
to pay s31, 800 In dividends every
month. just as though silver were still
above the dollar mark and free coin
age an assured thing,
In contrast with the disasters that
have come to the silver mining campo
is the great activity in Irrigation unG
colonizing enterprises and in the cole
fields. There has never been a period
in the history of the State when such
large investments In Industrial and
land undertakings were assured; the
percentage of delinquent taxes Just
reported was never smaller, and cred
it's are rated on n better basis than at
any time since 1898.
COMPENSATION IN NEW VEN
TURES.
Foremost among the new ventures
are the beet sugar factories. Their pro-
motion has been stimulated largely by
the success OF the factory at Lchl, for
ty miles from Salt Lake city. The Le-
hi people have demonstrated Ihe
adaptability of Utah's soil and the
value of the irrigation system for the
profit for seven years. Encouraged by
their experience the people of ogden
have raised funds and let contracts tor
the immediate erection OF n sugar plant
that will cost close to 100000. Nesoti-
ations also have been closed with Chi
cago and New York capitalists who
have contracted TO build 100000 fac
tory for the Mt. Nebo Irrigation COM
pany, seventy-fve miles southwest OF
Salt Lake city. Both of these plants
are to be finished in time for the manu-
facture OF sugar next fall. Besides the
new capital required for these two
plants, their operation means much to
the agricultural communities In their
Vicinity. Each factory will require an
nually the beet product of about 5000
acres OF land. The Lehi reports show
an average annual profit to the farmer
of S14.75 an acre for period Of five
years. On this basis, which In regard
ed as conservative, the two plants
should furnish profitable development
OF 10000 acres of land hitherto unculti-
waited. with an additional income to the
farmers OF the state amounting to at
least 100000 annually.
EASTERN CAPITAL rs AVAILABLE.
Sti!l another Illustration OF the States
financial condition is to be found In
the readiness with which eastern capt.
tai Is taking hold of irrigation projects.
Until last year 1t was difficult to handle
large reservoir" enterprises for the
reclamation of arid lands because there
was no way by which owners OF water
rights could be assured control of the
land to be irrigated except by absolute
purchase of the land. Now that the
Carey act has been accepted by the
state, however, 1000, 900 II available for
selection by the State, which may con-
tract for the reclamation of the lands
making the annual water rentals a
perpetual lien on the land.
by authority of the Carey act and the
coordinate State law, Philadelphia and
London capitalists have contracted
with Utah agreeing to construct n res
ervoir storage and irrigation system
for the irrigation of ZIG, 900 acres OF des-
ert land In San Juan and Willard coun-
ties. The system viii require the con-
etructlon of main canals ton feet dee,,
thirty feet wide at the bottom and nfty
feet wide at the top, with distributing
laterals aggregating n total length OF
$50 miles. TO supply water for these
canals In the summer season three
large reservoirs win be needed. In
these will be stored the winter flow of
the Sewer river, large stream having
Its source near the Arizona boundary
and discharging in the desert of Millard
county, where 1t disappears.
LAND FOR 5000 FAMILIES.
This enterprise is notable In more
things than in size. II will open up II
large area of land at prices that Will
invite immigration. For years the
amount of land in Utah that could he
reached with water has been COM
paratively small High prices have
been the rule because OF the pressure
OF population on the lrrlgable land
along the streams. 1t Is not unusual
FOR land days ride from the railroad
TO bring s1b to SiO0 an acre, with n
good water right. though land close by,
without water. Is not worth the cost of
an abstract of title. This scarcity of
irrlGabe trncts has been due to the
lack of capital for the construction OF
reservoirs. The Mormon people early
settled on most of the land that could
be irrigated from natural sources and
so acquired watcr rights that could not
be infringed upon by later settlers.
With the Introduction of reservoir sys-
TENS this pressure for homesteads will
be met and extensive regions opened
to settlers on a basis OF mutual profit
to the colonlst and the owner OF water.
As an example of this fact the NIL
lard county lands controlled by the
state will be sold at 81 an acre, one
fourth payable in cash and the balance
In three years without interest The
water company contracts to furnish n
permanent water right ut s15 an acre
on twenty years time. with an annual
charge for maintenance and repair OF
canals amounting to $3.50 an acre for
the first five years, SIPS yearly for the
next five and 81 year thereafter. The
total acreage TO be reclaimed In this