Churchill standard. (Fallon, Nev) 1903-1908, 1904-03-05
WANT HOMES IN
THE WEST.

first boom in building large ir-
rigation works in the west was
at its height Is years ago. The
investment was then very pop
ular and eastern and foreign
money readily responded to the
call of the promoters. With
only a few exceptions every
western state and territory re-
ceived the benefits of this expen-
diture.
But this development proved
Disappointing on the side of
colonization. 1t was found that
arid land, worthless without
water, was still without practi-
cal value after the water had
been provided unless there was
a man there to till the soil, and
this man did not come in sufici-
emf numbers.
As an investment, irrigation
lapsed into unpopularity and
the active campaign OF reclama-
ton by means of private enter
prise came to AN end. Since
then two things have happened.
The tide oil settlement has
caught up with irrigation.
There is now but little virgin
soil opSn To the homeseeker ex-
cept in the valleys of the arid
region. Furthermore, the peo-
pie have become educated as to
the merits OF the irrigated farm.
They understand what it means
to have their crops insured by
the ditch. They appreciate the
advantage OF self-sufficiencv and
of near neighbors Offered bv the
small, diversified irrigated farm.
So they are moving into all the
places prepared for them by the
enterprise OF other years.
California is getting many OF
them. But just how many will
not be known until another CEN
sus is taken The railroads re-
port that they brought $40. 900
people to California during
1908. OF wnom only 90. 900 had
return tickets.
One hopeful report comes from
the newlv-reclaimed desert in
the eastesn part 81 San Diego
county On January L, 1901,
there was not 4 single white
man in the neighhorhood. On
January |. 1902. there was only
Il camp with a dozen surveyors.
January l. 1903. saw a popula-
ton OF about 1000. while on
January /. 1904. finds about
5000 on the ground. They are
still coming very rapidly and
another year is likely to disclose
an even larger gain.
The beautiful Yakima valley in
eastern Washington is witness
ing q similar growth Indeed,
this holds true of many parts of
the Pacific north west drained
by the Columbia river and its
tributaries, including eastern
Oregon and southern Idaho.
The Rocky Mountain states
are finding a strong demand for
their irrigated lands. Wyoming,
Colorado, Utah and New Mex
leo are gaining recruits very
rapidly. And, perhaps more en-
couraging than anything else, is
the activity ofsettlement in the
long-neglected State of Nevada.
Railroad and mining develop
ment has much TO do with it,
but Nevada is also the beneficiary
of the general movement of pop
ulation to irrigated lands.
The lesson of all this is that
the Inauguration of the new
national irrigation policy is well
timed and that the duty of saw.
ing the public lands for actual
settlers presses urgently upon
Congress. 1t can no longer be
claimed that the people do not
crave homes in the west. They
are clamoring at the doors of
this great empire and every acre
that the government shall re-
claim will be promptly taken by
those who are ready to cultivate
the soil in good faith.
If we needed the specnlator in
the past as a sort OF advance