Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-03-14

tinental traveller sees 1t from bis ny
Ing train. Ard the ceusus figures are
not. encouraging Nevertheless Nevada
has abundant potentialities and will
some day turn the laugh upon those
who have made II the object OF bitter
and ~ceaseiess derlsion. And irrigation
Is the golden key which win unlock
the door of its really immense re-
sources. II the land laws. now used
for getting lands for speculation and
cattle grazing, shall be repealed BY
congress, 20 that the government
lands can remain government lands
until they are irrigated by the govern.
ment and turned owe I real homc-
steaders, then agriculture in the west
will double and q~uadruple and min.
ing and every western industry will
Jump forward. The government work,
now progressing 10 well along the
Truckee river. promises much for Ne
vadA. It viii bring farmers to the
state and They will produce food for
men ana forage for beasts. Fortunate.
ly the public lands under the Truckee
project have been reserved BY the sec
rotary Of the Interior from entry under
the Desert Land law and they can
only be taken under the fiye.year
Homestead law. All such lands
throughout the west which Uncle Sam
may irrigate. this year Or next, Or IN
the next rs years. should be in effect
reserved.
But take the matter OF the rich ore
bodies on Nevada. Why do they lie
u~ndeyeloped. ID spite OF the strenuous
enterprise so charactIstic Of our time?
Simply becauae they are remote from
civilization. The cost OF hauling sup.
plies In and of hauling the product
ont Ii prohibitory These silent dis
iricts with their potentialities of
wealth, are waiting for something ~
happen. And that something Is irri
Cation.
The watering OF lands ID thsir
neighborhood means. first q all, q
permanent population which may be
drawn upon to furnish labor In the
development Of the mines. Next, 1t
means food for mtn and teams Al
prices which viii perait the industry
10 flourish. Finally il means an irri
sistIbie Invitation TO the iron horse, for
the railroad ever follows where the
of production point the way.
Western Mines Depend Upon lrriga.
ton.
II the entire irrigated area Of the
west, some eight million acres, which
practically constitutes the west,
should suddenly revert 70 the desert.
shat effect would Il have on the in
iustrial life Of the arid region and
he business OF the country AZ large?
first OF all, II would close a multitude
4 paying mines, now turning out tens
millions In value every year. II
would knock down tho value OF rail-.
Dad securities. rs never before aud
brow the stock exchanges into con
ulsions. II would cause an enormous
hrinkage OF real estate values. quick
I followed BY the d%epopulation OF
lany localities ~ prosperous and
And eastern merchants and
manufacturers would find that the bot
,m had dropped out OF the biggest
art OF their western market.
We have but TO reverse the PROPOSE
on 10 understand what II means TO
oublo the irrigated area Of the west.
means. OF course, a vast Increase
i the number OF paying mines. and.
Consequently. in the annual production
I precious metals. It means higher
for railroad securities and real
state, and more business for eastern
,erchants and manufacturers. In q
rord, irrigation Is the straight road to
ational prosperity-the surest influ-
nee for It's continuance and for its
onstant enlargement.
Tho stupendous enterprise Of re-