The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-16
BOOTH FUCKERS ADDRESS.
Commander of the Salvation Army
Talks to the Congress.

AAAAS W bAO OOhSAOS1'
ogden, Utah, Sept. 6.-Commander
Booth Tucker addressed the Irrigation
congress today as follows:
There are probably few more import
ant questions now occupying the atten-
ton of this country, nay Of the worlo,
than that which is the occasion for the
gathering of this national congress- To
render habitable and to populate mil
lions of acres of rich land which have
hitherto been labelled desert and
arid" owing to the lack of water, is a
magnificent underta king, worthy of the
combined genius of the national solons
md magi-the wise men of the west
who have here gathered to exchange
views ard lay plans for the future II
Abraham was known as friend of God
and father of nations, we may regard
this perhaps as congress of Abrahams
friends of man and fathers of nations,
who shall. with Gods blessing, fulfill
the ancient prophecy and literally make
the deserts of America. nay or the
world, blossom as rose" thus pro-
viding an ample home and harbor for
is teeming millions.
In September, 1897. the sixth NationaI
irrigation congress passed the following
esolution: Resolved. that we have
leard with great interest and great
pleasure Mrs. Booth fuckers presenta-
ton and explanation of the purposes of
the Salvation army in organizing colo
MES of the worthy poor in our great
cities to settle and build homes upon
the rich irrigated lands of the west
This is a grand, noble and patriotic
work and deserves the earnest COM
mendation and support of every citizen
of our country. The west extends a
hearty welcome to these people. and we
pledge our sympathy and support III
aiding these people to make happy
homes upon our rich and productive
land
That was looking forward before
single colony had been started or
spade turned. The hearty ring of that
genuine western welcome has echoed in
our ears ever since. and has had much
to do with the subsequent success of
our plans. On the present occasion in
stead of Cooking forward" 10 what
might appear an optimistic view OF the
are able to look backward and to say
that our most sanguine expectations
have been fulfilled. and to thank this
national congress for the early and In
te1hgent interest 1t manifested IN our
effort to solve the important question
of systematic colonization. Our methods
and plans have since received the en-
dorsement of the most eminent sociol0-
gists and statesmen of this country, and
while the extent of our enterprise has
been necessarily limited by the amount
of capital at our disposal, the fact that
with such limited resources God has
enabled US to accomplish so much has
made these results appear the more re-
markable.
Personally ] feel the deepest interest
in the question of irrigation. Having
spent some 20 years in India part of the
time as government official responsible
for the welfare of the people, and part
of the time as a Salvation Army mis-
sionary wearing the Hindoo garb, dwell
ing in their houses and intimately ac-
quainted with their daily life, / have
had perhaps exceptional opportunities
for witnessing the immense advantage
that lie within the reach of systematic
irrigation. In India some of the largest
rivers are captured and guided from
their mountain source to their ocean
outlet, retaining millions of acres that
would otherwise be mere desert, and re-
turning in some cases as much as Is
and 20 per cent Interest on the capital
invested. Not only so, but the Hindoo
farmer also utilizes to the utmost the
underflow by means of wells worked day
and night with Persian wheels and bull
lock power.
One main reason, however, why in
India irrigation has met with such re-
markable success has been the fact that
on the borderland and often in the very
midst of these irrigated areas dWellS an
enormous and purely agricultural COM
munity consisting of small farmerS-a
nation of market gardeners one might
almost call them-who are ready to oc-
cupy every acre of land as fast as it is
irrigated. and who have been trained
in all the advantages of irrigation from
childhood. The movement of population
has here been automatic, and has re-
quired but little guidance or encourage
ment on the part of the government.
Our case is somewhat different, and
the fact that this congress is beStOWing
careful consideration upon the kindred
subject of colonization. is to me full of
encouragement.
To irrigate is to populate, to populate
is to colonize. This congress cannot, /
believe, too strongly emphasize the fact
that irrigation is dependent for its sue
cess upon population. Colonization may
be defined as the populating of hitherto
unoccupied tracts of land. Systematic,
scientific colonization is to haphazard
colonization what the railroad is to the
prairie schooner, or what irriga ton is to
the mountain torrent. or what the Red
Indian teDee is to the modern city hall,
or what the galley of Columbus is to the
Atlantic liner.
The lack of systematic colonization