The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-18
4 MARROW VIEW OF uRRIoArIoH.

IGNORANCE IS NOT CONFINED IN modern times
to localities where Is surprised to find It.
it reaches the Of letters Just as 1t envelops the
9diar in the darkest recesses of his reservation We
are nranared 10 iind 1nenrhtenment IN almost every
ot under the sun except That bright and shining
exeanfsz. Is the editorial room of the great daily
paer Tie great educator of the masses Is always held
up as the model Of accurate information and unbiased
views.
fudge then Of our horror when we End III the
Baltimore American, journal usually infallible
Journals ever get De display OF ignorance so aP-
palling that we shudder when think of ii. It Is
also display of narrowmindedness which was not to
be expected from the American. The matter to which
The Herald desires to call attention Is editorial
comment in the American the irrigation features of
President Roosevelts message. Says that paper:
~Ihsre IS absolutely analogy between the I'M
provensnt of rivers and harbor5 and the irrigation of
deserts. The one creates facilities for commerce
and trade already existence, and is, therefore ben
eft 20 The whole people and the nation. The other
derakes do altogether hypothetical service for
future geDeraonsa service which they can be relied
upon TO do for themselves. If convinced that l. Will pay
When irrigation val pay private enterprise viii
undertake it. and It has done already with more or
less profit, OF the lands which the government IS
asked to irrgate at least threefcurhs of them would
remain nvR-preduetive / the Amazon were empted
over them"
Let Us take the last sentence Of this surprising
editorial frs. The beginning Of the comment IS not
ignorance but rank sectonasm 1t is the last sentence
which makes Us doubt that the writer of it ever
IS far vest as the Mississippi river. He has neither
seen the arid lands winch have been reclaimed by rri
CATION, nor has he read anything Of moment on the
subject. We can show him barren soil here in Utah
lyiug adjacent to fertile FARMS
Originally the barren and the fruitful were exactly
the same; all went to make up dreary desert of sage
brush and greasewood Painfully the settlers dug their
rrigatng bitches conducting through them the water
from the mountains. Results were few at first but pa
thence and persistence the battle, and today the ir
gated lands productive as the richest soil IN
any other state.
Had the water been plentiful enough to go around
Tho percentage of untabe land in Utah would be as
p as THAT OF Maryland, almost So it IS with the arid
lands ID other states of the west. Private enterprise
has done ai it can Wherever it has been possible to
ii has been done Private enterprise proved the
truth eli the theory that the desert can be made 'to
Bloom ANA blossom Irrigation Is no longer an expert
fua and 1t is unreasonable for the west ask the
s3sfrr Is continue q large scale whai 1t has been
ICING in smeler way.
e dom want all the reclaimed lands for ourselves.
Gc inYe TIE people OF Maryland, yes the editor
- he American. out herr after the lands have
bsen reclaimed and grow up IN the biggest the freest
the greatest secoS OF ali this great nation Out here
e country is so big we couldn't be narrow if we wanted
We invite all GOOD citizens Of the land to and
make their homes among and accord them hearty
welcome
i the American viii concede Us Just a fragment
Of the money that is being sqaandered the rivers
AID harbors if 1t VIII give portion OF the hard cash
thai has gone into the Maryland creeks and bayous,
VIII show il something that VIII make 1t have a
better appreciation of the west and the people of the
vest We viii make new market for eastern goods;