The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-09-18
IRRIGATION
/ I IN The NILS
I'M. L. Fox Writes Of the Plans
5 of tho Government to Water .
Semi Arid Lands.
icAPTAlN SETH BULLOCK
He Administered a Rebuke in Latin
to a Correspondent Who Had
Written WooIIy Stories
About Him.

Deadwood, S. D., Sept. 1.-Governnieat
engineers are In Butte and Meade countles
east of here making surveys preliminary
to experiments In irrigation under the acN
passed by the last congress. The present
program includes the sinking of arteslaih
wells, the erection of dams for the stot
tage Of surface water and system OIL
bitches by which 1t is hoped that apcNt
100000 acres of land may be added to tls.s
sure crop area. The value of irrigation M
this region has been demonstrated by
farmers who have damned the small
streams and gulches, thus storing the wa
ter from the SHOWS and spring rains anu
conveying it by means of small bitches TO
the low lands on their farms. This modesH
method has increased. to an astonishing
extent, the annual production or wheat.
oats, alfalfa and potatoes, and the land
has been quadrupled in value The plans OF
the government include the irrigation or
additional large areas Of land lying pc
tween Belle Fourche and tkvarts on the
Missouri river. 1t Is quite pr0oA Die tna1 the
increased value of this land aha the Ger
tatnty that it will be taken up ~ perna
nent settlers has materially hastA'ed the
plans Of the G. M. &. st. p. Railroad COM
pany which has determined to extern us
line from Evarts either to Belle FouNchc
or Sturgis. One of the most prominent
cattlemen of the Black Hills returned
from New York a few weeks ago and is
known to have stated that he had assur-
ances that such line will be built during:
the next two years. The territory through
which such a line would pass has large
area of good farming lands regardless CT
irrigation prospects, and the people of the
Black Hills feel sure that they are to
have a railroad before great while which,
will connect them with the eastern parc
of the state.
The Errors Of Fasteners.
Each day brings to the Hills a number
Of tourists from points west of Chicago,
and the surprise they express at seeing
such evidences Of civilization Is amusing.
Most Of them expect to see "Alkali Ike
buckskin suit, broad trimmed hat, re-
volvers and scalping knive, long hair anG
a Winchester rifle, lounging at the sta.
ton, looking for a man to kill. All of them
expected to see Spotted Tail and his
braves in gaudy blankets and war bon
nets. Queer that they should forget that
only a few years ago nearly all the peo-
pie of the Black Hills were residents Of
old settled states, and, 1t may be said IN
passing, that there are probably more men
In Deadwood with diplomas from the biA
universities Of the east than may be found,
In any other city of similar size in the
United States. To be sure there are
frontiersmen here; some of them We're
49ers in California; but most of that class
left few years ago for Nome, Valdez.
Circle City or South Africa. They Will be
found always seeking the outposts Of civil
ization, focking to each new gold field
miners, SAMPLERS, adventurers Of ali
classes who find organized society irk-
some.
Seth Bullock. j
Seth Bullock has been familiar char
acter In the Hills since DeadWood was or
ganized He has figured as business man,
politician. sheriff and captain Of rough
riders, but he was discovered by the
metropolitan newspapers in 1900 when
Colonel Roosevelt made his cant
vico president. Bullock Is per-
sonal friend Of the president; and as
such, has become the subject Of much
newspaper gossip, all Of which has been
without authorization on his part, and
much OF which has been false The story
that there was a plan on foot, by demo-
Gratis OF populists, to break up the Roose-
Welt meeting in 1900 and that Bullock sent
word to the ringleaders that he would be
on the platform with his guns, was a.
falsehood, without any shred Of founda-
ton except that Roosevelt was there and
that Bullock was there. The story sent
out few years ago that there had been
Bryan was speaking was equally false.
! The people Of the Hills are free from
rowdyism OF that sort; they like to have
distinguished men visit them, listen with
interest and respect to public speakers
and then vote about as they please.
Bullock Rebukes in Latin.
A good story is told of how Bullock adj
ministered a rebuke in a unique way to
the Chicago correspondent who was re-
; sponsible for the lie. In Colonel Roose-.
velt's party were number of friends and
newspaper men. Captain Bullock decided