The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-06
TURN ON THE WATER J, /
The Irrigation Congress Opens To-
day Under Most ,Auspicious -
- Circumstances. :.
President Thomas F. Walsh Congrat.
ulates the Delegates Upon the
Great Work Done.

Colorado Springs, COL, Oct. 6.-The
tenth national irrigation congress opened
at o'clock this afternoon under circum-
stances most suspicious.
President Thomas F. Walsh Of the con-
gress. arrived in the city yesterday and
found everything in readiness for the
three days convention. Delegates poured
in by every train and the indications are
the congress will be the most largely at
tended over held. President Roosevelt
sent message Of congratulation and COR
dial sympathy
In opening the congress Mr.. Walsh said:
I'VE here, first Of all, to celebrate q
great .victory-to rejoice at the birth Of
a new policy which the national irrigation
congress has given to the nation.
First and foremost, our grateful &C
acknowledgements are due to Theodore
Roosevelt. president Of the United States.
His message to congress In December,
1901, marked the beginning Of new
epoch in the history Of western America.
1t placed the cause of national irriga-
ton in position where it could not longer
be denied a hearing. Without the power
full aid Of the administration we could not
possibly have succeeded in inaugurating
the new policy at so early a day.
1T Is not the dream of empire that may
come to a great nation with the conquest
Of a territory which appeals to my i'm
agination. But it is tho dream of home
and independence which will come to
many struggling family: We must
doubtless devise a means by which the
poorest families may be helped to get
homes on the soil. Government land at
actual cost does not wholly solve the
problem. There are railroad fares to be
met, homes to be built, lands to be i'm
proved and mouths to be fed before the
lands come into bearing. Thus the prob
lem of colonization is by no means wholly
solved by putting the water on the land.
do not how q man could have q
nobler monument than a colony Of happy
families or even one family enjoying the
security of life on the irrigated farm as
the result Of his assistance.
IF you ask me for an example Of what
might be accomplished in this line, I point
you to the irrigated valleys Of Utah.
These were settled by comparatively poor
men, many Of whom were assisted by a
powerful organization. They live on small
farms. They enjoy economic independ-
ence by the simple method Of producing
the variety of things which they consume
They live chiefly In villages and so have
social advantages not usually within the
reach Of farming communities. It is an
amazing statement but the United States
census vouches for its verify, that of
their $4,000 farms, 19, 900 are wholly free
from incumbrance. Think of arid America
with Its hundred million acres of irrigable
land as densely settled as those Utah
valleys.
1T Is when I think of it In this way
that my enthusiasm is kindled until mind
and heart are ablaze. I thank God that I
have lived to see the great policy Of ma
| tional irrigation actually carried out -
other addresses were made by Senator
Patterson Of Colorado; Representatives
Bell and Shafroth Of Colorado, and c. B
Boothe, Of Los Angeles, former president
of the congress.
appointment OF committees closed the
afternoon program. The presidents mes
sage, referred to above, was as follows:
wv Washington. Oct. 6.-Accept my
hearty good wishes. Nothing has beer
! done in which I have taken greater inter-
est during my administration than the in.
augurat1on Of nationally aided irriga ton
Theodore Roosevelt"
The morning was taken up with the re.
! ception Of delegates from all parts Of the
west, morning trains having brought large
delegations from Minnesota, Nebraska
Utah. Oregon, California and Arizona
The New Mexico delegation reached the
city yesterday. Ex-Governor l.. B. Prince
vice president Of the congress is amone
| those here.
| The personnel Of this congress is re-
garded as decidedly higher in characte,
! than that Of any previous irrigation gath.
ering and Thomas F. Walsh, president Of
the congress-, said to-day:
| Il look for the most successful gather
ing in the history Of the irrigation move.
| ment."