The sun., 1901-08-04
6O-62 West 23d st.
NEW IRRIGATION IN KANSAS.
The Reservoir system to he Tried on Q
Large Scale.
From the 50. Louis Globe Democrat.

From the 50. Louis Globe Democrat
ABILENE, Kan, July 20.-The Kansas
farmer has been aroused TO the necessity
Of moistening his fields artifcially If he ia to
harvest regular crops. The western coun-
ties out OF which 1875 900 people moved in
the half dozen years succeeding 1900 are
filing up again, but with another class Of
residents. Those coming now are cattle
men, small ranch owners and wheat grow
ers. They have planned their operations
differently from the early days, and every
farm and ranch has a method Of securing
some moisture outside OF that furnished by
the nfrequent clouds. ~
On q large scale the reservoir system
Of irrigation Is being taken up. 1t has
been demonstrated that the prairie rivers
will not furnish enough water to keep the
bitches filled regularly. The Arkansas
River is dry nearly all the summer. Over its
half-mile bed one may cross on white sands
and not moisten a lady's shoe. At times
notably In June, when the sun hrst melts
the snow in the mountains, there u rise,
and the water fills the whole river bed eight
TO ten feet deep. The irrigators propose
TO save this water, leading il by large canals
back from the river TO the sites Of an
cient lakes many Of which are found on
the plains. In eastern Colorado five such
reservoirs have been prepared, holding
enough water to irrigate a territory forty
miles In diameter. The Kansas Legislature
has just put into effect law by which iand
for such reservoirs may be condemned ny
the courts and converted into public utll'y'
One extensive undertaking has oeeh
begun, the transformation OF what is known
4. .n l.,ss into a a
is a sunken bit Of ground, thirteen miles
long and eight miles vide, surrounded py
a ridge nineteen 10 thirty feet high IL
was once a lake, but has been used az
coursing ground and pasture land SINE
the States settlement. The American
Coursing Association for many years hed
its meets here, and many milhonaIes
came In private cars to enjoy the sport.
Members OF the English nobility IRON
Montana ranches also came with vaies
and servants. Huge canals leading from
the Arkansas River, a dozen miles away
have been dug and at high water the "hGIo "h
depression will be converted into nm
At the lower end will be twenty-five ioot
fall, where the overflow will give power 70
an electric plant sufficient TO run mn
and probably trolley line 10 connect
the villages around the lake. IL will be tie
largest body Of water between the Hlls-
soui River and the mountains, ana ~ suoh
will attract much attention.
More import ant perhaps, than the reset
v,~i-Ahe AevHfNI irrigation that "a uIl-
dertaken 10y farmers all over the state IN
the whole semi-arid belt scarcelya farmer II
found who has not some plan for watering
n few acres near his house, II not several
fields The Jumbo" windmills consrstuR
Of four fan, water-wheel contrivances, WIN
the lower half boxed up, are familiar on me
Western plains. and the horizontal WIND
mill, made at the expense OF a few dollars
yet lifting hundreds Of barrels OF wate.,
daily. IL making the farmer independent 2i
the rainfall The horizontal mill Is eas'y
handled, and IL in no danger from the hlgh
winds that wreck those on towers Inc
prairie winds are mostly from the south os
southwest, so that no great variation ''
direction is needed.
The underfiow. or sheet-water. away
found at depth Of twenty 60 thirty ieel ON
tho bottom lands, gives an inexhausInI"
supply Of water. No mill can run dry, ana n"
garden and small truck patch are kep' ~
growing condition. even though the dread'l
1hot winds" blow. II Is proving the salva-
ton Of the Western farmer, and is making
him independent.
Colonies are being organized 10 utilize IN"
irrigated lands under the reservoirs. Agent,
Of the companies owning the bitches have
been sent TO Europe and among the Ger
mans OF Pennsylvania Offering free trans
ortation and other inducements, such as
free rent for a wear. A beet sugar refinery
has been erected at Lamar. and another VIII
be built at la Junts. Sugar heetS grow
luyuriantly, and II enough colonists can h'
secured 10 til the lands there will b" most
successful future for this industry, Dur-
ing the year IL has been IN operation II haS
proved ext raordnarily pro porous. II Is oi-
crop that the Western prairies can raise IN
abundance every year. Ekk6