The Lamar register., 1898-10-05
THROUGH COLORADO.
Lamar and Its Hospitabie and Pub
lie Spirited Citizens.

National Editorial Association was
spent in Prowers and Kiowa counties,
IN southeastern Colorado. Here is a
vast stretch OF what is called "Arid
lands" which have been found to be
wonderfully productive when irrigat-
ed The soil is of a yellow sandy
loan, much the same az is found on
the ''Sand Ridge" in the American
Bottom. 1t is especially adapted for
small grain, melons, alfalfa and fruit.
On Saturday, September II, we
were the guest of the citizens Of La.
mar, the county seat of Prowers coun.
ty, and to say that we were ioynlVy
treated would be drawing it mild.
Early Saturday morning we were
whirled down from the mountains
and plunged into the beautiful Arkan
sas valley. At La Junta we breakfast.
ed at one of Fred Harvey's famous
hotels. Harvey is one of the best
known and most popular caterers in
the west, and his eating houses are
scattered along the Santa Fe railroad.
His name over the door is a guarantee
OF good meal. Lamar people fur
nished us tickets 10 Harvey's hotel
IN La Junta pronounced La Huntal
and we feasted on the fat of the
land
Reaching Lamar a hundred con.
veyances were waiting to take us
north 20 miles to the great irrigation
lakes which are being constructed.
This stupendous system for irrigat
ing thousands OF acres of arid land is
backed by eastern capital. and few
of the richest men in the United
States are at the head of the enter
prise. In the north part of Prowers
and the south part of Kiowa counties
there are Immense natural reservoirs,
or depressions in the prairie, which
are 20 be filled with water from the
Arkansas river An immense system
OF bitches and canals is in process of
construction and when completed
the reservoirs will hold enough water
to irrigate 100000 acres.
W. NJ. Wiley. OF Holly, Colorado,
IL tho promoter and manager of the
enterprise. He is a young man of
fine personality and wonderful exec
utiye ability. His EMPLOYERS have
the most implicit confidence in MS
ability aud Judgment, aud his drafts
drawn to pay the hundreds of EN-
ployees who are at work on the reser
voirs are all promptly honoied.
Some idea of the magnitude of this
work can be had when we say that
the chain of lakes or reservoirs is 30
miles long. Three of the lakes are
from seven to nine miles long and
from three to five miles wide.
The purpose = to I'LL them in the
spring from the Arkansas river,
when it is oyeIfowed and vast guam
titles of water are going to waste
The river will be tapped for this pur-
pose over hundred miles north OF
Lamar. When completed it will
make crops in that district absolutely
certain and land very valuable.
The system of irrigation now in
OpefallOu lutEt hdS dlIeuuN nhue
thousands of acres of arid land bios
som as the rose. Vast fields of
alfalfa, bearing three crops year,
great fields of cantaloupes, and hun.
dreds of stacks of wheat are seen
The lands not irrigated are covered
with cattle and sheep, and strange to
say, they get fat on the little short
buffalo grass that covers the prairie.
To an Illinoisan it looks ike COW
would absolutely starve TO death on
such pasture. The grass is not over
an inch or two high and grows
sparsely,
A perpetual water right, we were
told, costs about S12 an acre, and
raw land without water right can
be bought for SO an acre. After a
water right has been purchase the
farmer Is assessed about S24 year
per so acres to keep the bitches and
reservoirs in repair and pay the
salary Of ditch rider" whose duty |
it is to ride along the bitches and
turn on the water when needed.
Our party consisting of over 300
people were driven to the reservoirs