The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-09-04
ThObuTn
Says TerFitefy ShOuIe Have
Irrigation Money

Few sentimental alarmists. who are
fearful lest the acceptance of a part
of the National Irrigation Reclamation
fund by this territory be construed az
an admission that Oklahoma may be
clessed as part Of tho arid region,
is disgusting to say the lcast,' said
Secretary Thoburn of the territorial
board Of agriculture. in answer to an
inquiry today. "They seem to be pos.
sessed of a notion that the ariG region
may be definitely separated from the
humid region by an arbitrary boundary
line as If it we're a mere matter of
legislation or political geography, and
that, therefore, any intimation that
the construction of storage reservoirs
miglt be deemed expedient in Beaver
Woodward or Day counties would be
in the nature of slam on the whole
territory which would possibly result
in a slump in local real estate values
in the extreme eastern counties. Tru-
ly if it be a fact that pride goeth be-
fore fall, then Oklahoma has juse
reason to rebuke the vauntings of
few main belt real estate boomers,
who, in this instance. are more willing
than wise
"That western Oklahoma lies upon
the .boarder of the semi-arid region
and that one county (Beaver). lies
wholly within the confines cf that re-
gion, no we'll informed person will
deny. The boastful words Of the
speculative promoters can not be
weighed againsts the convincing evil
dence contained in the compiled rec
ords of the United States weather bu-
reau. A knowledge OF the real truth
concerning the desirability of irriga.
ton in some remote part of Oklahoma
can do no harm, but the most favored
country on earth may be injured by
the Misrepresentation of over Jealous
boomers. Facts are like phantoms-
they never hurt the man who can face
them Even eastern Oklahoma has
experienced seasons when the aggre-
gate rainfall was far below the nor
NAL, but what of that? So have Kan
sas and Missouri, Arkansas and Tex
as So, too, at one time or another,
has every state east Of the Mississippi
river, AID, in fact there is scarcely an
agricultural community in the eastern
half of the United States which has
not, at some period Of its history, seen
the occasion when means and oppor.
tunity TO resort to artificial irrigation
would have been more than welcome
The truth about Oklahoma, then. can
hurt no one, unless it be the fellow
who has lied about it,
What If portion of Oklahoma is
accounted as part of that vaguely
defined realm of shifting boundaries
which is known as the semi-arid re
glon? This region OF soils, that in the
clemens OF natural fertility, have but
few equals and perhaps no superiors
in the world-a region of sunny skies
and health giving atmosphere-is mo-
10 be lightly considered even if It Is
often contemporary sneered at as the
short grass, country True, its eli
mate, as regards the precipitation o
moisture, may not be ideal, but it is
this condition that the irrigation en-
gineer proposes to ameliorate to SONS
extent by making it possible to sup
plement the natural rainfall by tn,
storage of surplus storm water anC
its application by economic irrigation
methods. and l. for one am just ole
fashioned enough to believe that th'
man who makes it possible for more
blades Of grass to grow in a countr!
where it Is some times a long while
between showers is a greater bene
factor than he who. by slkillfully told
half-truth succeeds in temporarll.
raising the speculative value Of rea
estate
Oklahoma is a big country Th'
man who would travel from one ex
tremity of the territory to the othe
must needs go as far as he would ii
riding from Boston to Buffalo. On,
Oklahoma stream, the North Canadian
has more miles Of channel in this ter
ritory alone than has the Ohio rive
in It's entire course from Pittsburg e
Cairo. Fifteen months ago larg'
areas Of the finest farming lands aloni
the valley of the North Canadian wer'
inundated for period Of nearly tw'
weeks by food of water. the create
part Of which was the result OF tor
rental rains in the regions drained b.
the upper course Of this stream II
Beaver county and across the line il