Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-25
Prof shaler Of Harvard Draws Vivid
Picture of Prosperity.
WATER FOR POWER AND IRRIGATION
Application of Existing supply WIN
Solve the Food Problem ana Make
the Development of Latent
Resources Easy.


! OF the paramount influence by the United
states in the commercial and political af-
/ ialrs OF the Oriental nations is intimately
! Dound up, II not entirely dependent upon
( the development of the Rocky mountain
region by the means OF irrigation. This is
the great national question Of the future
IL is not by the means Of ships, guns and
armies that we will control the Pacific coast
but by acquiring the trade Of the teeminR
millions on the other side. II is manifest
that this goal, for which the commercial ma
tions Of the earth have been contending
since the dawn Of history. cannot be sue
cessfully won in competition with other
nations and the articles which we require
70 trade with these people be hauled across
1000 miles Of unproductive country.
Land transportation is always more ex-
pensive than water; this being true. we
must develop nearer the Pacific coast a
source of supply for the materials with
which to trade with these people, so we
can deliver them to the ships with short
iand hauls. Ny Intimate acquaintance with
the ROCKY mountain region, extending over
period OF nearly thirty years. has con-
Vinced me Of Its wonderful resources. min
eraIs' timber, manufacturing and agricul-
tural, Of which the thousands of millions
In the precious metals which Montana has
produced is mere promise Of what II will
turn out In the future. 1t is manifest. how
ever. that under present conditions you can
not measurably increase the output and en-
large the variety of the metals produced
until you have cheaper labor. Cheaper
labor In turn is dependent upon cheaper
living and cheaper living can only serve as
result Of the development of the agricul-
tural resources Of the Rockies.
Water is the Key.
Water is the key that solves the prob
lem; once turn upon the 100, ,000, 900 acres
OF government land in Montana the water
which now runs to waste past it, causing
destructive noods along the lower reaches
OF the great streams that head in your
state, and 1t will produce OF agricultural
produce an amount equal to any In the
United States. Irrigation is not an expert
ment, 1T is older than history. We read
OF 1t in the hieroglyphics upon the temples
Of ancient Egypt; we find works still in use
in India that were created thousands Of
years ago and again in Arizona and New
Mexico we find irrigation canals so old that
great forests have grown over them, de-
cayed and again q new forest has replaced
the old. Long before the advent Of the
white people in the United States these Ir-
rigation canals supported a highly civilized
people. We have an example in modern
times, England restoring the irrigation
works Of the Pharaohs and of the prehs-
toric races in India.
"Once wake the people of the United
States to the importance of irrigation as
unlocking ths treasure houses of the
mines and aiding the United States in the
acquiring OF its true position on the Pa
cihc coast and the opposition, which con-
servative people naturally have to the un-
known, and, as they suppose, untried and
government appropriations for national ir-
rigation will come even more freely than
they do for the improvement Of rivers and
harbors. 1 say to you from actual knowl-
edge that the land susceptible Of irriga-
tion is capable OF supplying to the world
as much Of the necessaries of life as does
the great Mississippi valley. The semi
arid region is about one-third Of the entire !
area of the United States and of this area /
about one-third can be reclaimed; this pro-
vided the government undertakes the mat |
ter and carries II out on a scale COM
mensurate to the results to be achieved. |
So great is the productiveness of the soil. |
under perfect conditions for agriculture
viz, long days Of continuous sunshine dur
ing the growing season, fertile soil and
water applied just when II Is needed, that
this one-third will equal In aggregate pro-
ductiveness both In quantity and quality
the average productiveness Of the whole
as compared with the Mississippi valley
In other words, the one-third, for which
there is water available for cultivation
will produce from two and one-half to
three times as much as any similar area
OF land in the United States, making the
production Of the Rocky mountains fully
equal to any other similar area Of land.
Natural Power in Plenty.
while the Rocky mountains are some
what deficient In coal, not in quantity but
in quality, It has what is better, a supply
Of water falling from an average eleva-
tion OF $500 feet, constant In quantity
which ID capable Of producing power suf-
ncient to turn the wheels Of the continent.
Now that electricity has permitted the
transmission OF this power to points re-
mote from where It is generated and this,
too. with excellent efficiency owing to the
dryness OF the climate. / am quite sure
that / would prefer the water power of
the Rockies to the coal deposits OF the
Alleghanies. My observation tells me that
the climate of the Rockies will produce
a race Of men and women capable OF the
very best things; It is invigorating, stimu-
lating and Infinitely more mild than the
Mississippi valley. 1t permits, except at
very high elevations, the carrying on of
any sort Of business during the entire year
II is free from destructive storms and to
sum up. It is the best in the United States.
predict for this region a future OF in
finite promise. Once solve the question of
the food supply and give consequent cheaper
labor to the Rocky mountains and there
is no portion Of the United States whose
future is so great Here is the combina-
tion and / cannot see now, though / have
carefully sought for them, any flaws in
the structure Great fertility Of soil, mar
velously stimulating and perfect climate;
mineral resources surprising any similar
area OF country in the world and more
readily accessible; unlimited power and
peopled. as 1t will be In the future by a
superior development OF the best races of
northern Europe. What more could one
ask for any eountryl Harvard college
has recognized the Importance Of this prob
lem by establishing a pFofessorshlp 10
teach the young men that come to our
school the Importance OF the development
BY irrigation OF the Rocky mountain region
Prof. Elwood Mead is the teacher Of this
science In our college, he having been for
years In charge OF the irrigation works
In Wyoming and now eonneetad With tha