The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-04
ITS SUCCESS IS ASSURED
Funds for the Meeting of the
Irrigation Congress.
A GENEROUS RESPONSE
Citizens Have Answered the Call With
Great L.berality-Biggest Kind
of an Advertisement for
Missoula.

Missoula, June 3.-The success of the
local end of the irrigation congress is
assured The response of the mer-
chants to the call of the committee
for funds has been very satisfactory
thus far and, with the additional funds
that are in sight there is no doubt
that all of the demands of the meet
ing of the congress will be met in
satisfactory manner. The Standard has
so frequently during the past two or
three months presented the advantages
which will result from the meeting in
MissOula that it is not necessary TO
enter into the details of this matter
again. From the assurances that are
being received by the local commit
tee nearly every day it is evident that
the attendance at the meeting this year
will not fall short of 500 and it may
reach a figure much above that. The
meeting is already attracting the at
tention of irrigation experts all over
the West. and many men from the
East who are prominent in engineer
ing circles, will attend the meeting
The presence of SO many eminent men
in the state will be of much benefit
to the entire commonwealth. The re-
sources of the state will be better I'M
derstood than ever before, and Mon
tana will be placed in the right light
in sections where the prevailing opin-
ion seems to be that this state is
barren waste with no product except
mineral and range cattle. The visitors
who inspect the different sections of
Montana will realize that there are no
states in the Union that surpass Mon
tana in the variety of her resources or
the richness of her natural wealth. Ii
the meeting of the congress in Mon
tana accomplishes nothing more than
this it will have done much, but there
is a greater and more lasting purpose
in the meeting that will be much more
far reaching than this. The great
problems of irrigation will be discuss
ed and the corollary propositions OF
the storage of water in reservoirs ana
it's subsequent distribution will be dis
cussed by men who have made these
subjects a life study. To the farmer,
no matter where he lives or what he
raises, the meeting is an event of vast
Importance The science of irrigation is
yet in it's infancy in the Northwest,
and it will receive great impetus
from this meeting this year. The whole
state of Montana ought to take an
interest in this matter. 1t is of more
than mere local Importance. The vast
valleys of the Yellowstone, the Gala
tin and the Missouri are interested in
this as much as are those of the Bit
ter Root and the Missoula.
The present plan of the local COM
mittee. if it is carried out will re-
suit in the holding of the Western
Montana fair this year Immediately
after the close of the meeting of the
congress. The opening day of the fair
will probably be the last day of the
congress. This will enable the visitors
to see for themselves the results OF
| irriga ton in these valleys of West
/ ern Montana. 1t is true that the pres
ent season promises to be somewhat
! behind those that have Immediately
| preceded it, but there will still be
enough to show the wonderfully fine
products that come from the valleys
| and bench lands of this comparatively
| new region-neW as far as its agrlcul-
| tural ard horticultural development is
concerned, There will be a definite n
| nouncement of the plans of the falr
| committee in short time, so that the
| farmers and fruitgrowers will have
abundant opportunity to prepare for
the biggest show that Montana has
! ever seen There will be the same
general plan followed that has guided
| the Western Montana fair for the past
two or three years, but 1t will be am
| plified somewhat, so that the display
will be a sumner.
In a social way, not much can be
| done by way of entertaining the Wis
itors. They will be very busy while
| they are in the city, and not much time
can be devoted to social matters, bu'
the committee expects to be able to an
| nounce that there will be an excur-
sion given in honor of the visitors thai
will include the principal points in the
Bitter Root valley. 1t is also expect
ed that there will be arrangements
| made for an excursion to the Nationa
| park after the close of the meeting II
! Missoula. These will be side issues
but they will add somewhat to the in
| terest of the meeting for those who
come to Montana for the first time.
In the meantime, Missoula is taklns
good care of her end of the meeting
| and the local arrangements are in goot
shape. so that it is safe to predict tha
| the arrangements here will be salts
| factory.