Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1904-09-07
NEWELL TALKS ON IRRIGATION
Chief Newell Of the Reclamation Service
Talks Interestingly On Work Of Irriga-
tion Following Trip Up Missouri River.

4 Chief Newell OF the government REL
service, President e. A.
Of the state irrigation CON
gress, =. + Chandler state irrigation
Congressman Thomas F.
II. G. Plumley Of the Fargo
Forum, W. "A. Hadley, representing
The National irrigation Congress, Supt.
8. w Derrick of the 500 road and
Acting Mayor 3. g. Patterson Of Bis:
marck. returned last night from trip
UP the Missouri river as far as Fort
Stevenson, in the interests Of irriga-
ton in this state. Chief Newell was
invited to make the trip by President.
Williams Of the state congress and it
was made with a view Of familiarizing
him with the nature Of the bench.
lands along the Missouri river, the.
extent Of the coal fields, which might
supply power for pumping water from
the river to the bench lands, and give
him a better idea Of the Missouri river
country, SO that In case favorable re-
port is made upon the project by the
government engineers who are now
accommodating the river, he will be
able to proceed with a personal
knowledge of the character and nature
Of the country. Mr.. Newell was much
pleased with the, trip and the country
through which the party passed. From
Washburn, in Mclean county, they
went north by boat to Fort Stevenson,
Expansion in Mercer county, drove
over the, lands for a considerable dis.
lance from both places and made as
careful an observation OF the nature Of
the river country as was possible in
the brief trip. Mr.. Newell left on the
night train for Glendive, a few hours
after his return, to look over the irri-
cation project being begun by the gov
eminent along the Yellowstone river.
I In the evening a public meeting of
business men of the city was held at
the parlors Of the Northwest hotel,
where Mr. Newell made an address on
the subject Of irrigation In general
and outlined the purposes Of the re-
clamation service and the nature OF
the work being done by the govern
ment. Mr.. Newell is not an irriga-
tion enthusiast, in the sense that resi-
dents of. country where it is be-
lieved irrigation will resolve chance
into certainty in the raising Of crops,
are enthusiastic: B It is rather his bust
ness to, guard against too much en-
thusiasm, in order that he may be
governed only by cool, scientific and
proctical Judgment in, the construc-
ton of irrigation works. With regard
to the proposed irrigation Of the
bench lands. OF the Missouri river he.
was conservative, pointing out that
irrigation engineers were reconnoiter-
ing the stream and that final Judgment
in the matter would have to await
their report. The scheme is novel
one and he pointed out that many con-
ditiohs with relation to irrigation in
this state and the northwest, were
novel. 1t would also mean a great
change from existing conditions, in
that the man who now farms 100 acres
or more could by no means farm that
quantity of irrigated land. Farms
irrigated must naturally be much
smaller, in order to care for the in
creased product Of the land and de-
velop its added productiveness. He
pointed out also, the difference in.
conditions between the south
ern country, such as in Arizona, where
seven crops Of alfalfa could be cut a
year from irrigated lands, against prob
ably three or at most four In the north
erns country, where the frost interferes
with cultivation for Ia consid erable
period OF the year. There was also
to be considered the cost OF putting
water on the land. The government.
reclamation service figured. he. said,
upon delivering to the land irrigated
about so inches Of water Ia addition to-