Gilpin observer., 1904-10-20
ARKANSAS RIVER
KANSAS COLORADO HEARING.
Evidence Of State Engineer Carpenter
Quotes Report Of Lieut.. ZebuIon
Pike-interesting Irrigation sta


Pike-interesting irrigation sta
tistics.
Denver, Oct. 19.-The proceedings
OF yesterday in the Kansas Colorado
water rights suits. now being held in
the Court of Appeals room at the
state house, were of great interest.
Professor Carpenter, state engineer,
was on the witness stand all day, and
he introduced more of the testimony
he has been collecting during the last
two years regarding the Arkansas val
ley.
He read from historical writings,
showing that the Arkansas river in
western Kansas frequently ran dry
even in the early days. The effect of
the destruction of timber lands in the
mountains upon the character of the
stream was gone into in detail. Fig
ures were shown indicating the value
OF crops raised in the valley both
before and after irrigation was extern
sive. and the increased value of both
products and lands during recent
years was gone into.
The testimony of the day indicated
clearly that the condition of the Ar
kansas river is not due to irrigation,
but to numerous other causes. In one
of his statements Professor Carpenter
said that il no water was used in Colo
RADIO for irrigation at all it would not
increase the height of the river two
inches.
At the morning session, greater
part of the time was given up to testi-
mony regarding the history of the river
Excerpts from the official report of
Lieut.. Zezulon Pike. published concern
ing his explorations in 1906 were used
as they were made TO the United States
government. In one of the statements
of Zebulon Pike occurs the following:
THE water was not six inches deep
and the stream was not twenty feet
wide"
Statements made by Dr. Elliott
Coues. an army surgeon who published
an annotated edition of Pixies report,
was also read. In one notation DIR.
Boues says: "a queer river this. In
some seasons it is so dry you could not
wet your feet in it for miles; some
times raging flood 200 yards wide"
The reports of Lieutenant Wilkinson
written at about the same time. con-
corning the same portion of the river.
said: The stream is not over twenty
feet wide and is six or seven in depth"
S. S. Ashbaugh, the Kansas attorney,
endeavored to have most of this testi-
mony thrown out, but it was read, the
stenographer noting the objections as
they were made. Other quotations were
made from the writings of Timothy
Flint, who explored the Arkansas in
1888. and Francis Parkman, who did
likewise in 1916. These writer's de-
scribed the river as being filed with
sandbars, streaked occasionally with
insignificant rivulets of water Fran
els Parkman was the writer of The
Oregon Trail"
Other books introduced as having
considerable bearing on the case in
cluded the writings of Major Stephen
H. Long. who visited the region in
1919; book by Richard Irving Dodge.
entitled THE Plains of the Great
West" and portions of the writings of
Edward Everett Hale.
The character of the drainage into
the river from the mountains in early
years was depicted in contrast to that
of the present time. Professor Carpen-
ter during the afternoon testified to the
fact that where the snow formerly was
held on by the shade of the forests, it
now melts and runs off rapidly. Where
formerly the melting of the SHOWS was
gradual and to certain extent kept the
river from going dry until the summer
months. now the snow melts rapidly
and passes off in floods. This he as
cribed to the fact that the forests have
not been preserved. His testimony all
tended to show that but little of the
loss of water is directly due to irriga-
ton.
Among the blue prints entered in
evidence, one shows the benefits de-
rived from irrigation in the counties
along the Arkansas valley. In the six
Teen counties affected, it is clearly
demonstrated that where irrigation
has been carried out the population
has increased as well as the value of
the land and products. Where irriga-
ton is not employed extensively the
population has dwindled and the value
of the land is accordingly lessened.
In 1870 it is shown that there were
forty-eight manufacturing concerns OF
different kinds in the valley. valued at
$15S.055 and paying wages to laboring
men amounting to $70.s56 a year. In
1880 the number of plants increased to
Ill. valued at $940. .639. and paying an
nual wages amounting to 1891, 1916. In
1890 the number of plants had in
creased to 1862. valued at $6.751. .727.
and paying wages amounting to 2.466..
01S. In 1900 the number had increased
to 1912. valued at s22 .7S0,923 and pay
ing wages amounting to $6.470,46S
The improved farm acreage within
the prescribed territory in 1870 was
only 29.962 acres The total value of
the farms in 1870 was $7.154.314. In
1900 they had reached total value OF
| $46,994 500.