The Washington weekly post., 1900-11-27


&c. Of water taken from rivers, wells,
and lakes.
Irrigation may be Of equally ancient
origin In America for aueht known Ia
the contrary, for when the spaniards con-
quered Peru in the sixteenth century they
found an elaborate system of canals con-
ducting water to every part OF tie Incas'
empire. When Cortez crushed the Aztec
empire In Mexico he DESTROYED another
system Of irrigation works which would
have done credit TO his own countrvnen.
The Spaniards. again, derived their
knowledge OF irrigation from the Moors.
and the writer has himself examined the
perfect arrangement of "acequias," as
they call them, as they at present exist
IN the province OF Granada and existed at
the lime Ferdinand and Columbus signed
contract for the discovery Of America.
The same names and the same methods
were applied by the spaniards TO their
operations In California, and more than
a hundred years ago the mission fathers
raised immense crops OF wheat barley,
&c, by pursuing the systems Of their an
cestors In the mother country-Spain. The
Pueblo Indians Of Arizona and New Mex
leo had "acequias" when they were dis
covered by the Spaniards, more than 300
years ago.
system In Ancient Times.
The first pathways Of civilized man In
America may be traced along the coasts
and rivers, which were, Of course, the
first 10 be brought under cultivation, and
II was many years before the mountain
boundaries were broken down and the
vast and fertile plains Of the boundless
west opened to occupation But In the
process OF development even these have
been fully occupied, and an ever-increas-
Ing population is clamoring for new agri-
cultural worlds TO conquer II is only
fifty-one years since the Mormons
gave the impetus to recent irrigation in
America, and set an example for others
10 follow when they turned up the arid
alkaline soil of the Great Salt Lake Val
ley and planted their scanty stock of DO
tatOes. looking to a crop that might save
them from starvation the following year.
They were probably taught by the Pueblo
Indians how 10 pursue the very best meth
DDS, and others since have benefited
Their success in making the wilderness
blossom with fruitful gardens and farms
and in establishing homes in what was
then an arid desert has been a constant
incentive anu ltHlluueE 10 Inelf netRnbOfS.
Intelligent cooperation has been their
guarantee of success. and this has been
followed in many colonies attempted
since, notably in the Greeley colony. of
Colorado, the beauty and value of which
were created by public spirit and enter
prise combined. What these colonies have
done others may do But it is argued that
these had the pick of the unoccupled
lands and that the present arid areas are
too vast and sterile to be attacked even
by communal cooperative effort; in brief.
that they need the contented human be-
ings. Some of their works, in fact. are
monumental, as, for instance the gigantic
dams and reservoirs they have built and
the hundreds Of canals and conduits they
have constructed for brining water from
the mountain ravines through barren.
burning deserts TO create blooming para
discs as sbOdes for prosperous families.
Many great works might be cited. but as
an example of an engineering feat, accom-
plished after great expenditure OF money
and labor, take the great Sweetwater
dam in San Diego County, Cal, which
cost in round numbers about $l,OO1.OOO. 1t
was considered one Of the finest in the
country and impOunded one of the most
attractive sheets of water in California.
AT its maximum height of seventy feet
the water in the artificial lake created by
this dam across a raYine covers 72l acres.
with a storage capacity of nearly 5000
GJ,00 gallons. 1t has a neighbor in a
near county, the Bear Valley dam, which
at its maximum height of sixty feet COW
ers 2,Sl2 acres with water and controls 21.-
O0O,0O,OO0 gallons. Another (the Merced
reservoir covers 800 acres and stores
about 7,OOO.0 100000 gallons. The cost of a
dam or reservoir, if rightly located TO
store water for an immense area, is in
significant when compared with the en-
hancemeHt of values of the lands.
Sources of Irrigation supply,
OF the various sources of irrigation.
such as rivers lakes, and artesian wells.
the first two are directly and the last in
directly dependent upbn forest conserva-
ton for continuous service One of The
most beneficent acts of legislation in the
opinion Of many qualified TO Judge. was
that by which the unoccupied mountain
and forest lands owned by the govern
ment were a few years ago withdrawn
from sale and made permanent tracts of
the vast national domain. The purpose
OF this act was, as already mentioned.
the conservation of the forests in danger
OF destruction and the consequent protec-
ton OF the springs and streams within
their boundaries. Its wisdom is already
manifest, in the Yosemite National Park.
for example. This wonderland was set
apart by Congress as a national reserya
in 1890, the latest 10 be added to the LIST
being the region around Lake Tahoe. San
Bernardino Mountains, and San Gabrielle.
With an area of about /. 400 miles, in the
very heart of the Sierra Nevada the
Yosemite includes at least twenty snow
clad peaks among It's lofty mountains.
hundreds of beautiful streams and lakes,
glorious waterfalls, immense groves of
gigantic trees, gorges, canyons. and val
leyS, in which there IS a great
diversity of vegetation. 1t was such
fine grazing ground that the sneep-
men, mainly Mexican herders. drove vast
hocks into this region every spring. These
not only ate all the grass, but destroyed
millions of shrubs and young trees by
browsing. When they went back 10 the
lowlands in the fan of the year the
herdsmen would set fire 10 the forest and
. thus complete the work of destruction.
one or the first things done after the
acquisition OF the Yosemite as a national
park was 10 establish there a troop Of
United States soldiers. the commander OF
whom was de facto superintendent OF the
reservation, with authority TO arrest and
eNpel every intruding sheep herder. with
his nOcks. The result is shown In the re-
turning beauty OF the park, which Is now
carpeted with flowers, small trees, ard
shrubs where before the soil was so de-
nuded that 1t was almost absolutely har-
Fen. II Is not claimed that the soldiers
are altogether a benefit since they assist
the Indians in depicting the streams ~
fish, but in the main they have been of
great value
Forest fires no longer rage, endangAriug
the lives OF visitors; springs are agaIY,
yelling forth from the hillsldes. the small
shrubbery retains the snow and prevenfs
foods caused By rapid melting In the
spring. and the rivers are affected favor
ably SO. take II all in ALL the experiment
Of protecting the forests and at the same
time conserving vast pleasure grounds for
the people has proved an unqualified sue
cess.