La Junta tribune., 1904-11-05
How Uncle Sam Is Reclaimins Millions Of Acres
Of Non-Productiye and Arid Lands.
ROOSEvELTs FRIENDSHIP FOR THE WEST
Manner Of Determining Reservoir Sites and How
Organized Effort Secures the Highest Eff
ciency-GIimpses Of the Future
of f"Arid America.

c~nt to the streams. There will be msch
good land. however. which lies too high
In he thus reached, and these lands, IL ir-
rigated nj all. must be supplied by some
form Of pumping device or from artesaan
source. A. the water hows down the
steep river ciranne IL can occa sionaliy
be divertesl and power developed. the
water being used for irrigation later.
This power. carried by the electrical
transmission nentioDci in our iass issue.
csh be used to pump water to the lands
somewhat above the ordinary canals.
A previously stated. il IL one Of the
engineering problems Of the reclamation
service To develop all power possible and
utilize this in irriSstinx the higher lands
by means Of pumping. Another problem
10 thar of discovering the quantity and
quality Of the underground waters and
devisinx means by which these may be
brought To the surfacr. IL uot too saline
for agricultural purposes. Thus the
work of the reclamation engineers In not
merely hydraulic In character: II involves
mechanical and electrical c,,astrurtjoo
md a knowledge OF geological principles
which govern the occurrence OF water
underground.
soms rsdtoas work Tor Uaels eao.
The easily available wsters Of che
arid region have in many instances been
appropriated and put to use by private
enterprises. leaving for the government
only the large. difHcuk or involved pro-
jects. 1t II mot possible anywhere 70
find ideal conditions, and although far
reaching results are to be accomplished.
these will bs achieved only after great
skin and tact bavs been brought to
bear.
Criticism viii be launched sgainss ehs
government by the uninformed, because
OF the apparently slow progress In the
Development Of great irrigation projects.
In all cases II should be remembered
that nearly all of such undertakings In
yolve the application or trial of new
methods and devices aud the dealing with
considerable numbers OF persons who are
private owners OF land under such pro
posed Irrigation projects. II will Be seen
that the work requires NOT merely skul,
but time.
In the execution Of the work, X 10 nee
essary TO utilize lands. rights OF way or
privileges owned By individuals. Many
OF these can be acquired BY purchase:
others must be condemned BY process OF
law. IL 10 not desirable to begin con-
dcmnation proceedings until ali possible
about a fair and busincss-like saie. as Il
Is essential TO secure and maintain the
good will of the community. IL " .
better policy not 20 force matters, but
even to risk some delay. rather than
by main strength to bring about reforms
which will Be appreciated only after
many years.
National IsrBestien for Pvivass LasAs.
As stated. Uncle Sam still owns from
onc-half to nine-trnths Of the area Of
each OF the Western States and terri
tories affected by President Rooseveit's
National Irrigation Act. He IL che big
land owner and will always remain the
proprietor of the great mountain arsas
covered mainly with trees, and from
which come the waters essential b the
life OF agriculture. Much Of the best
land in the valleys has already passed
into private ownership and along almost
every stream In q continuous succession
OF claims taken up under the Homestead
or Desert Land law.
The public land, ~ q rule. " the bench
land adjacent to the valley. Nearly every
scheme for the reclamation of govern
ment land must of necessity involve the
irrigation of land now In private own
erslip. The provisions of the law are
such that the land owned by individuals
can be irrigated in small tracts not To
exceed 10O acres. that being the amount
allowed for each individual. The law
has been 20 framed as to require con-
tinuous residence on and cultivation Of
the land; whether originally in private
or public ownership. the chief purpose
being. Of course. TO bring about imme-
diately 8 dense settlement in small. SELF
sustaining farms.
The projects already agreed upon en-
brace all extremes from those where
nearly all OF the land il in pubic own
ership. to those where most Of the land
Is 1t present owned by Individuals. In
the latter case the lands are now for the
most part vacant, cultivstio having been
attempted with an Inadequate supply
Of water. and failure was the result. II
the land In private ownership were AZ
ready irrigated. there would. Of courss.
b. no need Of governmental interfefence.
but In q ma 5ority OF instances settlers
hnvs come in with good faith and tried
To make homea- In any event, wheeler
they have or mot, they can now Obtain
wafer under the law oaly by rssidenes
and cultivation In small tracts. thu
bringing about the intene ef ths Na1isaal
IrfiSstioa Act
Iod1v 0uat U00o H0ov0oSA
Whenever . project for rsclanatioa e
scvsnmeut land b declared 70 b. feaai-
bic, pubic landa under Il are innsaiats-
J. taken sp under the terms e IL
homestead lav. snd By tie timo -
works are coaplstsd ~ HID = uaae,y
always y private swsessAip. IT,.
whatsvs1 o. Initial cseaieisa 0ay ~
whethsr ~ arid hsd vAs owpea at lr2
b. IL apvesnnsnt = u tsdfVfdaals. IL
sesalts arc IT, saas-eAe esenbmshmsas
- honss 49, soAn fnsns.
WAsss ~ lasa hss1lnos = - Aaaas
u IN la1lvt1nal = osspssnGtsa - lnsUA
watse - 49, enaase - eAenano6 ulen
thsy 49, sabd1vt1s1 81 11.DsaDa - =
enAu e1afes - eeenal ose1lsER -