Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1904-11-14
Ignite FOR IRRIGATION WORK
Guy E. Mitchell Tells OF the Possibilities of
Ignite Coal As a Means To Irrigation
In Some Parts of the West. y

-s.. Il 49,. ..,, ~. IT,. ID
souri, and ranging anywhere from 20
to so feet above the river. there are
tens Of thousands ;of fertile, acres.
This great basin ranges from a mile
and half to three miles wide. the
greater part of the entire length Of
the Missouri as it flows through North
Dakota, and it is probable that there.
are hundred and fifty: thousand acres
of such land. To irrigate this would
be a great thing for North Dakota.
But this is not all. The government
is figuring on lifting the water to
height of even $50 feet, possibly 200
out onto the high benches behind the
bluffs, which may be possible with un.
limited supplies OF ignite at less than
dollar ton. --....
~..- Sixty Feet Coal Veins. ::
The, Ignite veins are of enormous
size. An accompanying illustration
shows q .26-foot vein. Engineer Sam
uel B. Robbins of the reclamation serv-
ice told me Of a 60-foot lign1ts vein
which he ran across in recon-
naissance Of the Little Missouri river,
in the western part of the state. In
trip up the Missouri I observed great
seams in the blufrs which held thous-
ands and thousands of tons. :
The governments plan would prob
ably be to establish enormous pump.
ing plants at some Of these outcrops-
probably the largest pumping plants
in the world-and perhaps go into the
coal mining business itself on vast
scale and pump real rivers of irriga
ton water out onto the higher benches
and at the same time perhaps generate
great electrical power from this cen
trail plant, which could be transmitted
fifty miles UP and down the, river fol
the operation of smaller plants tc
water the lower bench lands lying be
tween the bluffs.
A Fine Opportunity for Homemal<ine
I :ms'~:..9 80 Lost. ,'''~ T.. ~, .
I was particularly taken with 8
splendid lower bench Of some forty OF
more thousand acres of what was the
Fort Stevenson reservation. not fa1
4 from the terminus of the 500 road
which runs through Washburn. This
was thrown open few years ago. I'm
der conditions which now prove {
great misfortune. Were it. still gov
eminent land, it could be irrigated BY
the government. and would furnish {
large number Of settlers ideal oppor
tunities for homes. Great unwisdon
was displayed in the handling Of thi.
magnificent tract Of land. It was no
even thrown open to homestead settle
ment, but was put up at auction, will
the. result that the settlers had n,
chance to secure it. and it was absorb
ed by one large corporation located !,
Cincinnati. 1t is to be hoped that i
any more such opportunities come t
4 North Dakota the people Of the stat
i will more closely watch their rea
4 interests. .e.a.s: 49,. 49,, .,
At some future time. when land an
y water; values +: shall have impressed
:. themselves upon Dakota farmers, tn
latter for what it Is really worth, CON
puted upon the basis Of what waite
will make land produce, with careful
/ farming, it may be possible to eve
, build great dam, five times the siz
, OF the Nile Dam, and thus spread tn
! Old Muddy out upon the lands in
il vast yellow fertilizing, vitalizing doot
I and to reclaim an empire: at presen
: we may see plants perfected for th
, watering Of Il q number. of hundre
) thousand acres tributary to the Mi
T Souri, by utilizing that cheapest {
fuels, Ignite. Certain It is that ther
) are great numbers Of smaller proDns
{ TONS throughout the state whar
j. pumping for irrigation by Ignite ca
i be made most profitable. q
L. An Accurate Marlxsman.
Ri Ias "A rc1Ira ~ IL ono NJ the hest h,Icinoc