Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-21
ROMANCE OF IRRIGATION.
of an Arid Waste Into
Fields of Plenty.
Kansas City Star.

| hdnSdS city star.
| There Is a romantic side to the irriga-
tion OF land which can only be appreciated
by those who have, through their labor,
caused the arid plain to burst into greenery,
flower and fruit. 1t must have been upon
the irrigator-upon him who caused two
blades of grass to grow where one grew
before-that the blessing was called down,
for it is he who accomplishes this miracle
more than the man who spends his time in
dry weather praying for rain and in wet
weather praying that the rain may cease
| In the western arid and semi arid coun-
| try the few streams flow hurriedly as
| though to escape the heat and dust about
them and to quickly reach the sea- or
moister climates, where the suns rays are
| not SO greedy of the river beds precious
| burden. On either side the rolling land
! stretches away for countless miles Its
vegetation is spare and harsh Great reaches
| OF bare ground tell of the unsuccessful strug-
gle OF life against the deadly drouth. The
! sky is always blue and clear with a seely
CLINT which gives no intimation of pity
The nights come cold and dewy, but ,he
gentle moisture of the darkness Is but a
rehabilitation, for at the first peep OF the
brazen sun above the low horizon it is gone,
and by noon even the meadow lark and the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
stare and give no sign of vitality.
In the winter the cold is sharp, the driven
snow finds no Judgement and rustles over
the ground with the noise OF dead leaves
stirred by the wind. From the north there
is no refuge and on the arid plains OF the
great west the fierce blasts Of winter have
full scope for their terrible play. All life
is gone. 1t is a world apparently dead.
From over the edge of that low eastern
horizon ccmes canvas covered wagon on
one of the early spring days. 1t is dragged
along by wearied horses that have lost all
ambition except to reach a camping place.
II is driven by man whose face is drawn In
anxious, but determined lines, and his glance
is always far ahead along the road he is
making for himself In the wagon is tired
woman whose dream is OF a home, place to
stay for more than one night. With her are
the children with curiosity and hope in their
sunburned faces and with little thought that
they in years to come, will hold the honored
place Of pioneers in the minds OF the
neighbors yet to come.
Tho wagon reaches the low bank OF the
swiftly moving river. The mans face lights
up with eagerness. 1t is here he will build
for himself and those with him. He looks
not 10 the sky above him for the water for
there it is in the river before him He needs
but glance at the river bank to tell him
the story of the deep and fertile loan and
the splendid subsoil He strips the harness
from his borses. unloads his family from
the wagon and says: at is here we stay"
And he or his children are stil there but
with what difference
With sturdy arm he turned the river from
its bed. He carried its waters broad asst
"a the drouth-strlcken land until It cried
enough for fear Of drowning. The grain, the
grass, the trees sprang up as If b. magic.
In the midst Of all there came home such
a8 the wife had dreamed Of About this
homo came others, then churches schools,
llbrarCs, and then they called It town. !
Then came the railroad, but in all this
prosperous hurry and hustle there was no
such real JOY as when the hardy and ad
venturous founder OF that town first saw
the waters OF that river slowly spreading
over the scorched earth and filling each
crack and Granny until It ran over into the |
next one, for this all came from the labor
Of his hand and the result was beautiful to
look upon.