Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-09-16
irrigation N WYOMING
When All Possible Has Been
Done, 900, 900 Acres Will
Be Reclaimed
WYOMING LIKES ROOSEVELT
The Presidents Wonderful Popularity
Among All Glasses Was Increased by
His Western Trip Last Spring
Mountain States Expected to Give
Him Heaviest Vote Ever Polled
There.

Cheyenne Wyo., Sept. 16.-Wyoming
is moving rapidly in irrigation mat
ters. At this time it has $4,000 acres
with abundant water supply. and ap-
plications are on file with the state
board for the approval of projects
which win irrigat,s from $4,000 to 49,
900 acres more. Three hundred and
fifty miles of callais have been built,
or are undar way, and when all pro-
jects at present uucompleted are COM
pleted, the land reclaimed will require
about 10000 cubic feet of water per
second. Irrigated land brings from $40
To $50 per acre; In Colorado similar
land brings from $3.50 to $500 per acre.
When all that has been done that is
possible in Wyoming. 100000 acres
OF land. now arid, will be reclaimed.
Wyoming imports most of her vege-
table and farm products, and irrigation
for perhaps ten years to come will not
so far beyond supplying she home de-
mand.
The mountains OF the state form the
water shed for three great basins. In
Mount Union streams rise which go
into the Colorado, the Columbia and
the Missouri. 1t has the best water
supply of any of the arid states, and a
larger number of smaller areas. that
can be irrigated. Under the constitu-
ton, water in the lakes and streams
is the property of the state, and its use
Is permitted under carefully drawn
statutes. which protects the rights of
the individual and encourage enter
prise.
Perhaps the best example of what
irrigation has done In Wyoming is to
be found at Wheatland, u town of A.
500, about seventy-lfve miles north of
Cheyenne. This town was founded In
1894, in the heart of plain 80 arid that
it did not support single living plant.
Advantage was taken of q water sup
ply from a neignboring hill, and under
the Carey act, passed by congress IN
1884, q settlement was formed. Wheat
land is now one OF the most prosper
Gus places in the state. In agricultural
resources it Is as rich as the country
around Greeley, Col, and the $4,000
acres under cultivat ton supply con-
siderable portion Of the demands OF
that portion of the state. The reser-
yoir at Wheatland covers 5000 acres
and is thirty feet deep. It cost W.
900 ,0o0
C.. Il. Johnston, state engineer. esti-
mates that after all has been done that
can be done in the way of irrigation,
Wyoming will have 100000 more popu-
lation than she could have without II
rigation, In the past year permits Tor
1900 bitches were applied for. and l.
900 bitches were completed. The work
is going forward RAPIDLY. and the peo-
ple are satisfied. For a good many
years the cattlemen opposed national
irrigation, because 1t would break the
land up into small farms. Increase
the population and destroy the big
ranches. OF late years there has been
radical change of public opinion. and
today sentiment in the state is strongly
in favor of the federal proposition, and
irrigation, by whatever means, is en-
couraged literally. The sta thinks
it has a better system of irrigation
laws THAI Colorado or Utah, that the
machinery for executing these laws Is
simpler and more likely to attract the
settler, and that it's irrigated lands are
cheaper and they are glad of 1t.
One OF the big government reservoir
projects is near the center of this state,
in Natroni county. OH the Sweet Water
or the North Plat river. Such res
ervoir as the government has in mind
would irrigate 100000 to 10000 acres
of desert land In Goshen Hole, AMI
perhaps 100000 acres farther down.
on the North Platte.
No story Of Wyoming would be COM
plete without reference to the wonder
full popularity OF the president among
all classes Mr.. Roosevelt was popu
lar before he made his western trip
last spring, but that popularity has
been greatly Increased. The ranchmen
believe in him, they talk about him at
every opportunity. and seem to be-
lieve that he Will POLL the heaviest
vote ever poued by presidential can