The Elbert County tribune., 1902-10-09
IRRIGATION CONGRESS
OPENS AT COLORADO SPRINGS

Gathering Of Delegates-President
Roosevelt Teleorsphs His Good
Wishes
Colorado Springs. Colo, Oct. THE
tenth annual convention of the Ma
tional Irrigation Congress opened at 2
o'clock yesterday afternoon in the
Antlers hotel with every prospect of
proving the most successful meeting in
the history of irrigation. At the close
f-'the session about 295 delegates he'd
registered at headquarters. The num-
ber will be sweiled TO-DAY by the ar
rival of several delegations, the largest
of which will be from the Dakotas-
When President Thomas F. Walsh
called the conference to order the ball
room OF the Antlers was filed with rep
resentatives and delegates from twen-
ty-five states and territories. The mes
sage of President Roosevelt to the con-
gress was received with loud cheers and
was an inspiration for the work under
taken.
The sessions of the congress are be-
ing held in the ball room, which has
been elaborately decorated Extending
across the stage Is the motto, An Ex-
Arid America" and on either side ap-
pear the notices. Save the Forest,
and "Store the Floods" AT the rear of
the hall across the balcony these mot
toes are designed in maple leaves and
these. together with the shields of sew
eral states and the national colors,
complete the decorations. Secretary
Mnyson stated last night that from pres
ent indications the conference will sur
pass all previous sessions in numbers
and in work accomplished.
The conference opened at 2 o'clock
with President Walsh presiding Rev
DIR. Braislin offered prayer. At its con-
clusion a message from President
Roosevelt. who had been invited. but
was unable to be present, was read, as
follows:
Washington. D. c.. Oct 6,-Accept
my hearty good wishes. Nothing has
been done in which | have taken
greater interest during my administra-
tion than the Inauguration of nation
ally aided irrigation.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
President Walsh then delivered his
annual address on Humanitarian As
pect of National Irrigation" He
showed how the condition of the poor
err classes would be improved by the
reclamation of arid lands and suggested
that great good could be accomplished
by philanthropists If they would place
some of their money in promoting irri-
RdllOn Vi tIt Eifdi tiih ittlPho-
President Walsh said in part:
Gentlemen of the Convention-We
assemble to-day under very pleasant
circumstances. We are here not merely
to discuss measures. to formulate reso-
lutions, and to map out a plan of cam
paign, as we have SO often done on
former occasions. But we are here,
first of all, to celebrate great victory
to rejoice at the birth of new pol
Icy which the National Irrigation Con-
gress has given to the nation. 1t is
happy hour in the history of the great
West.
I'm this hour of triumph we owe a
word of thanks to the patriotic far
sighted and enthusiastic men who in
augurated this movement dozen
years ago. They saw, on one hand.
what had been accomplished by the pio-
neer settlers among these far western
valleys; and, on the other hand. they
saw vast area of rich land which
was practically worthless unless re-
claimed by irrigation. They realized
that here new population as great as
the present total of the United States
might be sustained in high dgree OF
comfort and prosperity.
"But there could have been no sub
stantial success at this early day had
we not been extremely fortunate in the
character of our public men at Wash
ington. First and foremost, our CRATE
full acknowledgements are due to Theo-
dore Roosevelt, President of the Unit
ed States. His message to Congress-
in December, 1901, marked the begin
ming of q new epoch in the history of
western America. 1t placed the cause
of national irrigation in a position
where 1t could no longer be denied
hearing. Without the powerful aid of
the administration we could not possi-
bly, have succeeded in inaugurating
the new policy at so early a day.
"Our thanks are also due to the
great commercial interests of the Unit
ed States, which took the broadcast pos
sible view of the proposition and lent
their potent influence to our cause.
'"rhe Inauguration of the national ir-
rigation policy means a great deal to
all our western states. II will add i'm
mensely to their wealth and popula-
tion and greatly broaden the basis OF
their prosperity. 1t means even more
to the nation as whole. II opens the
way to a new era of internal develop
ment and domestic expansion as great
as any similar period of its magnificent
past. 1t is equivalent to the addition
of new empire as important as that
drained by the Mississippi river and its
tributaries.
"The Inauguration of national irri-
cation means that every family in the
United States who wants a home upon
the soil may have one. 1t means that
the door is open to permit the man
who is not needed where he is. to go
to the place where he is needed. 1t
means the restoration of those auto
matte social conditions which in past
generations relieved the pressure OF
population upon the old centers and
constantly extended the frontiers of
civilization toward the north. the