The state herald., 1904-09-02

the people. II has enacted and enforced
the laws permitting each adult male ciS-
i2cn Of the United States to establish
his own home and rooftree, at II merely
rOminal cost.
When GOOD homcstends began to grow
scarce and corporations, by double
dealing, had largely usurped the birth
right of the individual, the party Of
freedom and justice began to look into
the question of irrigation. 1t proposed
to flank the subtle movements Of land
monopolists, and to practically create a
new heaven and new earth" for the
builder of homes, upon which rests the
corner stone of the republic
Uncle Sam owned the whole arid re-
riOn, and he owned the water supply,
too. He decided to bring the water to
the land, aud by this union to make pos
sible mcasureess bounty for the pres
ent, and future generations. He profits
10y experience. So he decided to fix
mp this new land business in such way
that monopolsts could never again stul-
tify good citizenship by robbing it of
It's own.
Origin of National Act.
In keeping with the wishes of Re
gress passed law, June Il. 1902, au-
thorizing the Government to enter upon
this work of reclaiming arid America.
This law restricts the amount Of such
land to be owned by any one individual
10 lG0 acres, and requires continuous
residence Of five years on the same, TO
acquire title. Such occupants will re-
fund TO the Government. in number of
equal annual installmen,s. the actual
cost of bringing water TO the land. Such
entries cannot be commuted.
Under the act approved June II, 1902,
which is properly the beginning of the
present Government Reclamation Scrv-
Ice. an endless chain" Of funds was
provided by approprinting the receipts
from the sale and disposal Of the public
lands in the thirteen States and three
Territories of the arid region. These
States are; California. Colorado. Idaho,
Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada,
North Dakota. Oregon, South Dakota,
Utah. Washington and Wyoming. Ter
ritories: Arizona. New Mexico and
Oklahoma. This fund at present hovcrs
somewhere near the S25,ooO.O00 mark.
The arid regions Of the United States.
as generally designated. include ahort
iwo-ffths Of its entire area. extending
from about the middle of the continent
westerly nearly to the Pacific Coast and
reaching from Mexico to Canada. There
are no sharply marked lines or divisions
between the arid and the humid areas,
but there is, especially near the center
Of the United States. broad inter
mediate belt. neither distinctly arid nor
distinctly humid. which Is called th-
sub-humid or semi-arid region. This belt
extends over North Dakotn, South Dn-
ko,a western Nebraska. and western
Kansas into Oklahoma and the Pan
handle of Texas.
what L. Being Done.
Since the passage Of the Reclamation
Act the Government has had large
corps Of engineers aud assistants cN-
amining the arid region aud studying
its streams aud water supply carefully.
Important Investigations have been made
at the following places, aud at some
Of them mammoth irrigation projects
nre now under way; Mix River project
In Montana including the investigation
Of the proposed dam sites ut 81. Mary
Lakes. In Wyoming examinations have
been made " the possibilities Of storing
waters In the Bighorn Mountains for
use along their eastern slopes and at
the proposed dam site for the Sweet
water reservoir on the river Of that
name. a tributary of the North Platte.
In Colorado, In the vicinity OF Sterl'
Ing, work has been don. In connection
with the plan 10 utilize the Pnwnec
Pass reservoir site for irrlgatlng lands
ON the north bank 81 South Platte I,iv-
.r Surveys have also been made for
diyerting the waters Of the Gunnison
River through tunnel Into III. Tn
compahsro valley for irrigation. The
Grand River project. involving the use
of the waters Of the Grand River on
the plains west 81 Grand Junction In
Colorado and Utah. has also been the
subject of surveys aud examinations, In
Nevada the Truckcr-C Carson basin has
been examined with u view 10 utilizing
the waters of these rivers aud exam,
lining the storage possibilities of Lake
Tahoe and other lakes In the Sierra Ne
ynds. Investigations have also been
made In the valley OF the Walker Riy.
or, Nevada. In Arizona aud Colorado
an examination of the Colorado River
from IA. Needles To Yumn has been In.
.,irn,-d for the study of plans for th,
reclamation u the low lands along both
sides Of the river. The prHctlcnhiliiy
OF storing the food waters Of the Salt
River has also been investigated. There
are many other instances.
M...ureie.s Possibilities.
The recyrir show that nj least one
third Of the AREA ~ the United States.
,,clusIr. ~ Alaska and our outlying
po..-ssIon-. eonnist- 81 vacant public
land. one ~ the great economic qn.s'
lion. now before the people of thi. couns
uy. /. the utilization 81 this vast nrcn.
much Of which has q rich soll, and nm
d.t ra-i management would b. capable
of sustaining a large population. Th.
no..n,Iil,Is- are stuprndous, Govern
m,pt engineers estimate that III. total
po..lhlp water supply ~ the arid To-
slon il un-iri-n,. II properly conserved.
4, I,rira,r iOn.Dp.Op arr-.. which re-
r,r,- shnw. could he mnd- available,
Thl. unwnisfrd empire, brought fi'in
death 10 lie, say within ten years, could
easily he made to sustain y population
.auai 10 that of the United States y,
present a.. -,
The present President, and the nert
r,..ldrnt II the United Stnt"s-Theo'
bs,, uaoseyfli-is ahead II his genera
don on this, ~ IN many other subjects
al nntiabal Importance Ills ptrsclsht
,isinn II the great destiny u the trpnh'
lie is pregnant with inlismnnir achieve.
msn,- for this future rnrdrn'spo' n'