Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1899-08-23
Nevada's Water Supply.

night to Listen to an address by F. Fl.
Newell, Chief U. S. photographic
Surveyor, on Nevada's water supply
and the agricultural possibilities of
the State. The meeting was called to
order by Edgar Reinhart and w. T.
Smith was selected to preside. Mr..
Smith briefly stated the object OF the
meeting and introduced Mr.. Newell.
Mr.. Newell began by thanking the
people for the kind invitation to ad-
dress them; an invitation he could
not refuse. He then stated that the
Investigation he was making began
ten years ago by Prof. Powell. Chief
OF the U. S. Geological Survey, and
that he was one of the first men en-
gagged in the work and was still en-
gagged in it. The work in Nevada
was In charge of Mr.. L. H. Taylor,
who has measured and surveyed the
Humboldt river and was now en-
ployed on the Truckee.
The leading resources of the State
were mining and stock raising. These
Industries had been followed and the
great agricultural resources of the
State had been neglected. The
water supply Is question that inter-
ests everyone and the problems con-
nected with it must be solved by tie
people. The State has an area of
10000 square miles, of which 1885,
600 square miles-nearly SO per
cent-stin belonged to the United
States; only l or 2per cent of the
land ID owned by the people and COR
porations and pays taxes. This is an
anomalous condition and cannot last
long. The utilization of the public
lands Of the State was the problem to
be eolved. The State has consider.
able water and it should be 80 used
as to give the best results. In order
to get these results there must be
united action. The Irrigation Con.
gress should be attended by dele
gates from the State who would
make its conditions known.
Only small proportion of the land
under private ownership yields any
returns. The large ranches must be
cut up into small holdings il the
State ever increases in population.
Mining and stock raising do not de-
velop and build up a State. To get
more people means to make the lands
OF the State more acceptable to the
home-seeker. This can only be done
by an intelligent system Of water
storage. Nevada is advertised less
than any other State in the Union
and does not occupy a very promi-
nent position in the sisterhond of
States. This, he said, is largely due
to the failure Of the people to mako
the resources of the State known to
the world. -.......
" A geological survey OF country is
divided into several different branches
land surveying, photographic sur
veylng, Typographical surveying, ETC.,
tho fundamental purpose of which is
the making Of great, complete map
of the United States. The map is
made in sections which show limit.
cd area. and each section consists of
several different platee, which show
the elevations, soil conditions, water
supply, and geological formations,
respectively. These maps found a
basis for future study of the country
by railroad engineers, miners, pro.
moters OF man featuring enterprises
and canal builders, and are particu-
larly for the purpose Of showing the
geological structure Of the country,
illustrating to a certain degree its
economic resources. Perhaps a
thousand or moro Of these maps are
made by the government. We study
tho basins with q view TO ascertain