The Florence tribune., 1900-08-18
HOPE OF THE FUTURE. In Irrigation Lies the Salvation of
 the Nation. George H. Maxwell Sets Forth Clearly and Plainly What the People Must Do With Their Acres of Arid
 Lands.
From the Anaconda News, July 2sl

From the Anaconda News, July 25l
 George II. Maxwell, executive chair man of the National Irrigation associa- tion, delivered an exceedingly inter- esting and intertaining lecture last evening at the Margaret. The subject of Mir. Maxwells lecture was irriga- tion and he handled it in a manner which showed that he has given the subject the deepest thought. During the entire two hours of MT. Maxwell's lecture his listeners were held in clos est attention. Mir. Maxwell's profound knowledge of the question upon which he talked was clearly evidenced throughout the entire lecture. His argument was set forth clearly and plainly. He did not attempt any great flights or oratory. He knew he ad- dressed men who like to hear the truth and hear it in plain words. Mir. Max well, however, made up for his sparse use of big words by his intense earn estness. He has way of getting right down to the bottom of his subject and | he has ever in mind the fact that it is his chief aim to make his audience understand instead of bewildering them with long and involved sentences. Last nights audience was heart and soul with Mir. Maxwell. They had come there to hear the vast problem of irrigation elucidated and they heard it. They applauded the speaker literally, but were not bois- terous in their demonstration. They took into their minds the points which Mir. Maxwell set forth and they will think them over calmly at their leisure. Mir. Maxwell has an excellent voice and splendid stage presence. His words come with distinctness of bell notes and could easily be heard in every part of the house.
 The lecture was under the auspices of the Deer Lodge County Trades and Labor assembly. John K. Boarman, city attorney, presided, and introduced 1 Mir. Maxwell in a few words.
 Mir. Maxwell at once plunged into his subject. He said that although the people of Anaconda do not live in a community where irrigation is mat | ter of vital importance at this time, the people of this region are daily be- coming more concerned with it.. In that way he accounted for the interest which is being taken in the meetings throughout the country. The purpose of the organization which he repre- sented was to impress upon the people of the nation the impor tance of irriga- tion. So far, unfortunately, only a few realize the magnitude of the pos abilities which the problem involves If one were to ask every man he meets what should be done with the waste waters of the west, 99 out of hundrst would say he didn't know. But th' light is rapidly spreading and the peo pie are coming to a realization of wha is before them.
 ''Irrigation to-day is not only one O the greatest questions before the peo pie. It is by all odds the greatest, ant the people are going to solve it as the! solve every other great question. The land problem, said Mir. Maxwell is the underlying basis of socia economy. Macaulay said that the re publican institutions of this countr, would endure so long as there is al outlet for the surplus population when the outlet is stopped and tn cities begin to get blocked then tn republican institutions will begin t. crumble and fall. Mir. Maxwell di not subscribe to the prophecy. Tn American people had grappled witt great questions before and they hat solved them: they are solving them te day. The fact that about all the Ian
 where irrigation is not needed has bee
 taken up and converted into farms not cause of alarm. There are mi . lions upon millions of acres of rich an fertile land in the United States whic awaits but the magic touch of wate to make it blossom and bloom even a does the land of the Mississippi valley o The people own two-thirds of the CT
 tire western half of the United State What is it worth, what are it's capabi
 ities, what will it accomplish and do
 The government owns 100, ,000, ,000 acre
 of land which is capable of reclami
 tion by irrigation. The governmeI
 land alone in the western territory
 enough to support a population greate 3 than the entire population of the Uni
 ed States at this time. If the foe ! waters that now go to waste and carr
 destruction with them as they go wei
 stored in reservoirs and used as the
 are required for the reclamation
 land the "great unwatered empire Q the West" would, within ten years, a
 ford homes. and comfortable home