Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1902-07-17
NO LONGER A DREAM
Irrax.tfsa Bfn Reeessiy Pnsed ~
VIII stimulate the
Rapid Development 81 The
Arid WesG
Especial washington Letter.

kck~NAA4 NASEA-sAlE LcAAcNl
Y I l. said 10 be possible TO irrigate
a large portion Of the great desert
IF SAHARA BY making openings for
the Nediterranen sea ard flooding the
vast acreage; but BY retaining control
over the waters so that the desert shall
rot become an additional sea AL
things are apparently possible to mod
err civil engineering and some Of Us
may live 10 zee the desert blossom al
the rose
When the fathers and mothers of to-
eAy were school children they studied
Biographies which showed upon their
maps Of the country west Of Omaha
unknown and Genominated The
Great American Desert ThsS was
orly IS or 20 year. ago Just think of
what an immense empire has been de-
veloPed il that short space Of time
Ever since the railroads penetrated
the wilGs and businesses and stretched
their arms 70 the golden gate our peo-
pc have been approaching the problem
CT retaining The Great American
Desert BY i~rrigatirg its arid millions
Of acres - that happy homes may
there be built cf peoples comprising a
Tremendous population
II i a well-knovn fact that forestry
suS irrigation must receive simultane-
Gus attention II i no. too soon for
the general government TO take cog
rxauce e the paipabls fact that the
destruction OF the forests in the great
lake region has affected the Mississippi
river within 4 generation Unless
the trees shall receive protection the
river viii run dry and become a giori-
"Reminiscences; and future genera
tiors may place the Father of Wa
tiers" among the myths Of the aborig-
ines.
There was a time vher the valley Of
the Jordan was the most fertile and
beautiful in the then civilized world
Solomon, reputed to have been excep-
tionally wise. began the destruction
of the forests in the hill country of
Lebanon His successors continued
the crusade against the trees until the
hills became barren. and the Jordan n
miserable creek The plain Of Ex-
6raelon. which was famed for its fer
tility and hsauteous grandeur. became
as it Is to-day. almost a Kissing and a
byword for its barrerness.
Having a broad view Of the lessons
TO be learned from the past. and to be
applied to the present and immediate
future. President Rooseveltin his mes
says to the congress last December.
said: The forest reserves should be
set apart forever for the use and bene-
fit Of u people - a whole and not
sacrificed to the shortxighted greed Of
the few. The forests are natural res
ervoirS- By restraining the streams
IN food and repEenishing them in
drought they make possible the use
Of waters otherwise wasted Forest
conservation i therefore water couser-
vatior- The forests alone. however.
cannot fully regulate and conserve the
waters OF the arid region Great
storage works are necessary to equal
Ire the flow OF streams and to save the
food waters The storing of the
foods in reservoirs at the heaGwaters
Of our rivers Is but the enlargement
OF our present policy of river control.
under which feveeS are built on the
lower reaches Of the same streams.
The government should construct and