The Grit-advocate., 1903-06-26
As Others See Us.

Caldwell, special correspondent and
solicitor for The News. Mr.. Caldwell
gained his Information from interviews
with citizens Of Scdgwick county, and
il Is therefore accurate. His article is
a splendid exposition OF the resources
Of Sedgwick county and the advant-
ages 1t oilers to homescekers. For
this reason w rcpublish the article in
full
"Scdgwick county, named after a
grim and gallant general OF the civil
war, and Julesburg, famous on the
once fighting frontier OF the central
west, are fast mingling their martial
memories and war won laurels with
the fair liOwers pucked from the way
side paths of peace, progress and pros
pcrity.
"SedgWick county agricultural de-
Vclopment is ideal. comprising the
rainfall and the re cryOir. The cOun-
ty's irrigation system stretches along
the banks and benches of the South
Platte river, and incluces the Peter
sen, the Settlers, the South Reserva-
tiOn, and the j II. canals, within a
number OF lesser headgatcs, while i'm
mcdiatcly across the Nebraska state
line are the big Western, and Warren
Il Miller canals. The Petersen canal
has its headgateS seventeen miles west
OF Julesburg, is twenty-eight and Il
half miles long. is thirty feet on the
bottom for its first ten miles, has an
trrigating capacity Of 10000 acres and
cost S25, 600.
THE Settlers canal issues from the
river four miles cast of Crook, on the
eastern edge OF Logan county, and
reaches six miles west OF Julesburg, Is
thirty-one miles long, is sixteen feet
on the bottom for third OF its
length, can water l6, 600 acres aud cost
$4,000. The South Reservation canal
is ten miles long and will irrigatc $500
IL five miles long, covers 900 acres
and cost 1920, while the Hemming-
house, Upson, Carlson and Liddle ditch
es will aggregate u length Of five miles,
cost o., 800, and land covering OF 1900
acres
1.-The Western canal heads in the
north edge Of Sedgwick county and six
miles northeast OF Julesbarg,'is tWen-
ty-tive and half miles long, twenty
feet on the bottsm for half its length,
will irrigate 10000 acres and cost
$4,000. The Warren & Miller canal,
oil in Deuel. county, Nebraska, is elev-
en- miles long, fourteen feet on the
bottom for three miles of it's course,
waters 10000 acres and cost 5000.
The Sedgwick county and Jules
burg irrigation system has now an ag-
gregate main canal length In excess OF
eighty miles, total cost appromlmat-
ing $4,000, and 10000 acres actually ir-
rigated alfalfa and grain lands. 1t
will be seen that under this canal sys-
TEN 35, 600 acres are yet open to ir-lga-
tion and settlement. These lands are
bringing now In the market from SIS
to S25 per acre, with perpetual water
rights.
system-including the Western canal
and the Warren & Miller canals
largely tributary to Julesburg. The
main canal is thirty-two miles in
length, with an irrigating covering of
26,00O acres, OF which one-half is still
open to settlement The Sedgwick
county canals carry abundant fall,
spring and early summer water. There
IL nUta single instance of irrigated
harvest failure.
''The production includes bountiful
alfalfa crops, tifty-seven bushels Of
winter wheat and thirty-tive bushels
OF spring wheat to the acre, heavy oats
and big potato and garden vegetable
yields, while corn has reached sixty
bushels per acre. The irrigation sys-
TEN has been constructed without the
contribution of one dollar of outside
capital. In addition to its canal wat
crs the county has made good progress
in windmill construction, both for ir-
rlgation and stock watering purposes.
In this connection can be noted the
fact that the county has still forty or
fifty sections of fine grazing and farm
ing lands on the market.
The county has 400 acres in sugar
bcets this year, the beets being con-
tracted to the Eaton, Colorado, and
Grand Island. Nebraska, sugar factor
les. Both the harvest and sacchariue
success of the Sedgwick county beet
has already been demonstrated, and
indications point to the cultivation
next year Of 1900 or 1000 acres OF the
sugar-bcarerS, with Julesburg sugar
factory slated for 1905 County cattle,
horses, hogs and poultry are yearly ad-
ding to their grading and market val
ues, cattle showing fine beef and dairy
strains, horses displaying the Norman,
;,
hogs piling up heavy breeding weights,
while local poultry yards look like prize
shows.
"The big u. Hall cattle, horse and
mule breeding ranch has just ordered
another large consignment of register
ed males from Iowa. and will double
its breeding and business scope this
year.
"Op the south side of the river
Sedgwick county has large areas yet
available for canal irrigation. Several
years ago Perkins county. Nebraska,
people commenced aud partially com
pleted canal to cover p 900 of these
south side second bottom acres, the
canal to be thence extended, with
storage reservoir attachment, for the
watering OF 100000 acres Of adjacent
table lands, the enterprise, after the
expenditure Of $4,000, being finally
oho pdnna1 The norton of the canal