Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1903-10-14
HAVE PLANS FOR IRRIGATION
Lake Fountains in Idaho
Will Furnish Suffi-
Gent Water
UNDER CHARGE OF GOVERNMENT
It rleans Smaller Farms With Greater
Productlveness Affording the Man
of Small Capital Myriad Chances
for Profitable Investment.


A party of government surveyors be-
longing to the Photographic Department
of the government geological survey
corps are engaged in establishing eleva-
ton stakes across Lincoln county into
Adams from Lake Pend D'Oreille, Idaho,
which is the first preliminary to the plan
of carrying water across from this lake
to the regions of middle eastern Wash
ington. A survey was run along down
the Spokane river during the summer,
but that route was found impracticable,
and now the survey is coming along in
the direction of the Central Washington
railroad in the vicinity of Davenport. 1t
is said that the object will be to carry the
water along at as high an elevation as
possible. so that it can be taken in any
direction. Adams, Lincoln, Douglas.
Franklin and other Eastern Washington
counties where there is considerable arid
land, all lie on lower level. Large res
ervoirs would be constructed and lakes
formed in the depressions that were I'M
fit for cultivation, so that vast amount
of surplus water could be stored up for
use during the summer months.
The government has withdrawn sever
al townships of arid land in the counties
named, and those familiar with its plan
Of retaining the waste places, believe
that at no distant date great amount of
water now running to waste, will be di-
verted for the farm lands of the country.
Whether this project is feasible or not
questions as to the expense of getting the
water and the amount that can be furn-
ished must be settled in the future, but
the fact remains that if possible to get
the water great areas of land in the coun-
ties named would be increased in pro-
ductiveness, some reclaimed from desert
wastes and great influx of wealth and
people to the Big Bend Of Eastern Wash
ington.
Irrigation was understood before the
Christian era, and practiced in Egypt,
Asia Minor, Persia and Assyria. En-
gland has always recognized its value.
and has expended three hundred million
dollars in India upon irrigation works,
which have done much to render more
certain the crops of that region. England
is today expanding millions of dollars on
the Nile. in extending the area of irriga-
ton.
Thus the government in taking control
Of the vast arid region of our west, and
so constructing an intelligent system Of
reservoirs and canals as to render an un-
fruitful land productive. merely follows
in the footsteps of ancient dynasties, and
adopts the ideas of intelligent men who
have gone before.
Forty years ago, when the first hus-
bandman was so pleased with little
Nevada valley. hemmed in upon every
side by the great Sierra Nevadas. that he
determined to build there his house of
logs and plastered mud, and begin to
irrigate the desolate soil, he did not
think that upon the very ground which
he chose would spring up prosperous
town of many thousand inhabitants.
This husbandman found also that the
land of sunshine was good for his health
and spirits. Perpetual cheer from the
heavens acts unconsciously upon ones
nature. The dry. pungent air was slim
ulating to his nerves. This was natures
sanitarium, and as its fame spread abroad.
more settlers came to the banks of the
little stream, and the colony Of irrigation
lists began to increase.
Where first the venturesomc farmer
plunged his spade is now the town of
Reno, with homes to shelter eight thou
sand souls, and with university to fur
Their the intellectual life of the residents
of the state.
The essence of the industrial life fost-
cred by irrigation is that of democracy.
Under such condition of agriculture
the small farm is alone paying invest
ment. and the owner has industrial free
dom and social equality with his neigh
Dor. Thus, when the great work of re.
clamation shall be completed. the govern
ment of the United States will stand be-
fore the world as it has always stood-as
the mother of socially equal people
each man distinct and separate unit,
strong in his love for the land and CRATE
full to the nation which has given him the
opportunity to develop his latent powers
to the utmost. This is the strength of
our national life, and only through such
development is our destiny to be fulfilled.
FOR SALE.-S28oo worth of notes and
first mortgage on sec ~ twD ~ n r - in