The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-08

centers. One reason for adopting this
plan in the first place, was doubtless for
protection against the Indians, but it has
become a permanent feature, which is
still adhered TO in making new settle
ments, because most satisfactory TO the
social Instinct
The discovery of gold. in California
created the overland trail, which wound
its tortuous course across the hitherto
trackless wastes Of the arid domain. Its
stations were usually along the banks
of the streams. In the neighborhood Of
these settlers had established themselves,
and by means of simple burrows turned
the waters of the streams upon the bot
tom land. This was the extent of irri-
cation throughout the vast region 1t
traversed outside of Utah. before the
Union colony, at Greeley, Col, became
the second historic instance of the be-
ginning of the present system and one
which furnished a different standpoint
for study of the subject.
AS Utah is the result of a religious
emigration, so Greeley is the creation
of the town meeting. It's founding mark
ed the beginning of new and different
industrial development in Colorado. Be
fore this it was the wealth of the mines
or the migratory and adventurous expe-
rience of the range live stock business
which had attracted settlement. Gree
ley, on the contrary, represented an eff
fort of homemaking people, both to enjoy
landed independence and social and in
tellectual privileges equal to those of the
towns and cities they had left. Among
it's first buildings was Colony hall, and
among its first organizations the Ly-
ceum, in which all the affairs OF the com
munity were debated with a fervor and
fearlessness quite worthy of Horace
Greeley's following. Cooperation was
adopted in the construction and manage
ment of public utilities, of which the tr-
rigation canal was the first and most
important. The wisdom and justice OF
making common property of the town
SITE the beauty and value of which could
only be created by the enterprise and
public spirit of all, was recognized and
put into practice with satisfactory re-
suits The only deliberate extravaganza
was the erection at an early day of a
school building worthy of the Oldest and
richest New England community. The
highest methods, both Of irrigation ana
cultivation, were sought out through
numberless experiments, until Greeley
and it's potatoes grew famous together.
The home and civic institutions of the
colony became the pride Of the state,
an dthe hard-won success of the COM
munity inspired numerous similar under
CaklnRS ana oil Impulse "'-A~AA
resulted in the reclamation and settle
ment of northern Colorado. Boulder,
Iongmont LoVeland and Fort Collins
were the outgrowth of. success at Gree
lev. and each adopted many OF the IDEAS
and tendencies of the parent colony
Twenty years subsequently to the De-
ginning of Utah and contemporaneously
with the settlement Of Colorado similar
Influences began to make themselves felt
OioI1 In
mart. Anaheim Is called the mother col
onv. This was cooperative IN Its incep-
tion. and It's principal irrigation system
has ever remained such. Riverside foI-
lowed a few years later and represented
a higher ideal, but the spirit Of specula-
ton in which California civilization was
born soon fastened itself upon irrigation,
as 1t had done in the case Of mining, and
ran a mad race through Southern Cali
fornia. Irrigation in this state became
corporate and speculative. When Utah and
Colorado had depended only upon their
hands and teams for the building Of irri-
cation works, California issued stocks and
bonds, and so mortgaged its future. Men
began to dream of new race of million
aires, created by making merchandise Of
the melting SHOWS, by selling rights to
the renting" Of water, and collecting
annual toll from a new class of society,
10 De KNOWN as water lCndl4lS.
Before such development proceeds fur
Their 1t is desirable that some common
agreement should be reached concerning
the true character of water rights The
idea of private ownership of water, apart
from the land, cannot prevail without ere
ating institutions essentially feudal In
character A water lord is even more
undesirable than landlord as the domi-
nant element IN society. 1t is indisputa-
BILE. as has already been said, that the
man who owns the water practically owns
the land. A proposition which contem-
plates the turning over Of all land to a
private monopoly, thus making ten
antry of those who may have their homes
upon it in the future, could not hope to
command popular support But the idea
of a private ownership of water, amount
ing to a virtual monopoly of this vital ele-
ment, has been permitted to grow up In