El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-06
a NOVEL THEORY
That Early Irritation w. rks in this
Region We're Built by Men From
Egypt and Assyria or Familiar
With Their Ways

Judge w. +. Orr. of Waco. is out in
an article in which he contends that
prior to the Christian era Texas pri-
maries were fed with water by irriga-
Iicn c1nals. He says there is no doubt
r't tina The citizens of this country
who are now extinct. practiced irriga-
ton and many signs of their work vet
exist.
- have just been reading reports
made by George II. Maxwell" Judge
Orr said. and I was struck with the
force OF his reasoning. Mr.. Maxwell
Is the chairman of the executive COM
| Tnitten of the National Irrigation As
ISOLATION. He says irrigation on a
! national plan under the supervision OF
tn government will bring into utiliza-
! ton vast tracts of lard embraced in
the arid districts and provide homes
for millions of peopis. Enormous
areas wholly reproductive would be
converted into gardens. as the soil of
tho SO called deserts is rich. and water
on'v is needed tn reclaim the immense
arit domain and convert il into arich
foOd-producing region equal to thee
best farming land in the world
Not only is irrigation needed to re-
claim arid lands, but it is needed to in
crease the productiveness of lands
within the region of regular rainfall
+. IL Newell the photographer of the
rectly says that two-thirds of the land
of the forty-five states combined in the
union. and all of the territories would
he greatly benefited by proper sys-
ten: Of irrigation based upo. storage |
of surplus river water.
The eminent men now discussing |
will no doubt succeed in in |
ducing the present generation to re-
sumo methods which existed 1000
isphere. hut in the world. Ny theory
is that the ancient reservoirs and ca
nails of the Western world out OF use
mad partly effaCed. except in the rspub-
lies south of the Rio Grande. We're con-
structed by engineers who learned
their art from masters of the profess
sion who had been driven into exile
and found asylum from eastern perse-
utors on this hemisphere. which from
earliest ages has been the refuge of the
oppressed.
Germans. Russians and French are
'estoring in Assavria the canals and
.queductS built 1000 years before the
'oming of Christ. which ir those DAYS
urned the surplus water of the Eu-
Dhrates and the Tigris on the plains
md caused deserts to pield figs pome-
Sranates. oranges. lemons and all man
her of grain. as well as cotton In
SSNpt the tbrlllSh engineers are re- |
on the Nile the vast systems
or the storage and delivery of water
or purposes of irrigation. which when
completed. will be n mere restoration
IF conditions which existed before the
pyramids were built.
I'm Texas everp pint of surplus water |
an be retained. provided the controll-
ng works are constructed on 4 plan | (
adequate 10 the immensely of the pro- ,
ect. II it would cost billions it would
reate billions. Every tributary, how
yer small. should have its storage
anks. every river its dozen or two
and the entire state should
,e intersected with canals. Thus
would food drainage cease drouth lose
Is sting and smiling plenty bless each
year. Instead of 50o-acre
arms. a tilier of the soil owuld find q
We acres yielding plenty for his pur-
oSe.
In reasoning on the problem of
eneral irrigation. fish and water fowl |
hould not he overlooked. Every body
ould eat trout. and everybody could
ave ducks and geese. Let taxation for
imposes of war cease. Let each ma
ion preserve its water. its game, its
Drests. its birds. and devote the public
evenues to those purposes only. and
overly will disappear from the entire
'orld. Texas is well situated for ir-
igatioin. ard | say let the good work !
egin as soon as possible.