The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-12-02
WILL LEAD ALL STATES IN lRRI-
GATED AREA.
FOUR GREAT PROJECTS
Eastern Central and Northern Parts
Of State to be Scene Of Great
Activity.

: Washington, Nov. 29.-Montana's
prospects under the reclamation law
grow brighter as the work of the vari-
Gus government engineering parties
in the state proceeds:
The preliminary Investigations o n
Quoted this year in several parts OF
the state are highly gratifying, and
presage the ultimate reclamation OF
many hundred thousands of acres of
productive land. The engineers OF
the reclamation service have been
employed principally in the eastern,
central and northern parts of the
state, and careful studies have been
made therein of the water supply,
the irrigable areas and the physical
and engineering features surrounding
several projects. While it is too
early to summarize the results OF the
seasons Investigations, it is known
that Montana has at least four fea-
sible projects requiring only sufficient
money in the reclamation fund to in
sure their construction at an early
date. These are the Milk river, Sun
river, Yellowstone river and Big Horn
river.
1t is a matter Of considerable re-
.'oicing to the service that the difficult
ties surrounding the first mentioned
project in the way of private claims
apparently can be overcome without
the government being forced to pay
an e%xorbitant price for the rights OF
way. The discovery of another and
larger reservoir site which is believed
to exist farther up the river points to
an easy solution of what has been a
most vexatious problem to the engi-
neers. A portion of the reservoir site
first considered, known as the Bow
dom lake, was in private ownership,
and in order to obtain the right to it's
use it seemed probable that the gov
eminent would be held up by the
owners.
The more carefully the Milk river
project is studied the bigger it grows
in it's possibilities. It's construction
prosperous and populous farming com
munities in the northwest.
The summers work of Engineer
Robbins and his field parties in Sun
river basin has been pushed forward
as rapidly as was consistent with ac-
ouracy and thoroughness. Indications
point to the early presentation to the
chief engineer of the plans of a very
large project on this splendid stream
which will add thousands of acres to
Montana's wealth-producing area.
Over on the eastern border of the
state, where flows the Yellowstone,
Engineer Weymouth has concluded
his work for the season, and the sue
cess of this project is practically as
sured. 1t means the further addition
VI OV,VOV dClOo VI 1IIlSdICU lduu W
the states total.
Field parties engaged this year in
the coded portion of the Grow Indian
reservation have reported an exceed
ingly satisfactory season, investiga.
tons demonstrating the wisdom and
far-sightedness of Congressman Dix.
on's work which made it possible to
bring this investigation under the re-
clamation law. 1t is believed that the
coded portion contains several humid
red thousand acres of exceedingly flne
land which can be reclaimed by a
comprehensive government system of
canals, and at a moderate cost per
acre.
AS the Investigations progress in
the state it grows more and more ap-
parent that Montana is destined in the
near future to head all the intermoun.
tain states in the area OF irrigated
land. The millions of dollars of gov
eminent money to be spent there in
these great works will give employ
ment to thousands of laborers and
will tax to the utmost the producing
capacity of every cultivated acre in
the state to supply the local demand.
The reclamation of a million acres OF
land now desert and worthless will
add 10000 families to the rural pro-
duction, and as many more to the
cities, towns and villages which will
spring up quickly in the midst of the
oasis which will be created by each
of these enormous public works. With
the increase in farms and their enor-
nous annual productions railroads will
nonuontinv those rich aroas with