Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-03-21

Gam Is oi Ieet, ana navigation Is as
sisted by series of four locks. each
400 feet long and thirty-hve feet wide
They will save great delays and cost
| in the transportation of merchandise,
which Is one of The most important
benefits to be derived from the enter
prise. Formerly navigation up the
rapids was very expensive and tedl-
Gus. for all the boats had to be towed
by Nubians at considerable cost.
| During the construction of the dam
ln average OF l1.000 men were EN-
ployed for more than three years, of
whom 300 were Italian stonemason.
and they laid an average OF 5000 tons
of masonry each working day.
One of the drawbacks OF the en-.
| terprise is that the beautiful ruins of
ancient pagan temples upon the isl
and of Phiiae will be partially sub
merged Mt high water, and some of
them win be entirely covered when
the reservoir is full. Sir Benjamin
Baker and Sir William Garstin, who
have been supervising engineers in
behalf Of the government. offered to
remove the ruins from the island. but
their plans We're not approved. They
have strengthened the pillars and the
walls of the great temple OF Isis and
other important ruins by steel girders
and braces.
It is intended to utilize the water OF
the catBracts. now running entirely to
waste, in great electric plant like
that at Niagara Falls, TO supply heat.
light and power to the towns on the
upper Me, which will doubtless at.
tract manufactures. for plenty OF In.
Dor Is to be had. But OF course the
great utility of the dam ls to extend
the irrigation system and bring under
cultivation the desert which comes
down 10 the river ON both sides
Now that the dam has been com
pleied, however. 1t will be necessary
10 construct a system OF canals and
ter wher II is needed Arid & Co.
have a contract for this work at a
cost OF Sl0,000.000 on similar terms
That is, they are to be paid In install.
ments as rapidly as the contract is
7 carried out. and it Is estimated that
at least ten years will he necessary
for that purpose,
Various enthusiastic estimates are
made as to the area of the desert that
can be reclaimed and the revenues
that will be derived by the govern.
ment, and the wealth that will be ad.
ied to the nation, but It will be many
years before expectations can be re-
| allied, and so far rs the cotton prob
lem is concerned. the demand for the
| Egyptian staple will increase more
rapidly than the supply. Egypt pro
duces from 100000 to 100000 bales
AS soon as the water from the dam
can be utilized. the crop viii jump up
perhaps $4,000 or 100000 bnles, and
gradually increase until the total
| reaches 500, 900 bales Of 500 pounds
each There 1t must stop for years
until the irrigation system lie stlll
further extended
a considerable portion Of the land
TO be improved belongs to private
parties who. of course, will have Il
| LAY Ahill sAdl = Vi Aht NOaA VI AhN IN
provements indirectly. If not directly
The government has already
sold tract Of 100000 to {
syndicate which VIII build al
Irrigation system to bring It under
cultivation. and sell 1t for an advance
Most Of the government land is sole
Al auction bureau under the min
lister OF finance has charge of such al
fairs, and when a man wants to buy {
tract of land there he enters an appli
cation for It. This fact is advertised
in the official newspapers, and bids foi
the same piece Of property are in
ylted from other people. The appll
cant may be the only bidder. In mos
cases he is, but the fact that there cal
be competition is protection agains
speculators, and nobody can obtain {
large tract without exciting attention
and competition.
During the last year G,59i acre
were sold in 16l transactions. Th,
largest lot was 200 acres. The re
mainder averaged less than 30 acres
The unsold available government lam
now amounts to l5s,4Gl acres. and 4
valued at s1G.G55.OO0. which Indicate
the extraordinary effect OF the Intro
duction OF irrigation, The proceed
of the G,594acres sold during the yea
1902 amounted to $1,llG.000. which 1
an average of sl75 an acre.
Poor men who want to buy land ca
borrow money for that purpose fror
the National Bank OF Egypt at a 10y
rate Of interest upon a governmen
guarantee This benevolent featur
Of paternal government has done
great deal Of good. although it wa
adopted only three years ago. In OctC
ber 1900 More than $4,000 fellaheeni
: as the peasant farmers are callet
have taken advantage of IL and hav
borrowed more than 100000 at
= per cent interest. The bank make
, the advances, but the governmen
through the agency Of It's tax gathe
ers, collects the interest and principe
, when due at the same time as a par
of the land tax. Thus the bank, b.
= ing relieved OF the necessity OF mali
tanning an expensive staff Of subord
i--nates, is able to advance small sum
a..