Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1904-06-03
National Irrigation.

Saatouai iTTieANlon.
Few more important or benehcent
movements have ever been inaugurated
by the American government than that
Of the irrigation 4 the arid lands Of
the west. This work is now well under
way, as is shown 10y a recent state
ment sent out by the department Of
the interior In this bulletin is outlin-
ed the distribution Of tire fund appro-
priated by congress under the law
enacted a few years aSo. Twenty
seven million dollars will be expended
curing the next two or three years,
and the work Of construction, when
finished, viii have redeemed 100000
acres Of land, capable Of supporting a
population Of at least 100000
The object of the law is TO make
the government the agent of the peo-
pie in tufnins over the public domain
TO small landowners ON a strictly busi-
ness basis. The settler can buy of the
government the reclaimed land at what
it costs TO redeem il. In this way the
fluid for irrigation will not be exhaust
ed, but will remain intact for making
more land cultivable. The eastern
farmer is not taxed for the benefit OF
the western farm. as would be the case
if the government sold the reclaimed
land at the old figure of S1.2J per acre
The new lands are to be sold to ac-
tual settlers and their purchase limited
TO l60 acres. So great is the fertility
of irrigated land that the average farm
need not exceed forty TO fifty acres 10
support family in abundance. The
population being so much denser than
in other farming districts west of the
Mississippi, life on TIE farm can give
way to life in the village, and the ele-
ment of loneliness which has hereto
fore made the vocation of farming re-
pugnant TO many will be eliminated.
There is one phase of the matter
which is of the utmost importance to
prospective settlers on the irrigated
lands. 1t is thus commented on by the
Chicago Tribune:
Homeseekers should beware of the or
ganized band of swindiers which is re-
ported at work in several western states.
These confidence men pretend to have
inside information" and for fee OF $50
TO 500 agree to locate settlers on the best
la nd They 20 frauds Whpp hsa
time comes for opening the lands to entry
due notice will be given through the pub
lie press.
In this connection the vast move
ments of American population to the
south and west is worthy of note.
Nothing so shows the greatness of the
nation or its future hope than these
vast streams ef humanity constantly
moving to take up all territory where
happy homes may be built and the
foundations of future prosperity laid.
The constant influx of new settlers into
southern states like Texas and Louisi-
ana is especially hopeful. Nothing could
contribute more to the wiping out of
old sectional differences and. by the
increase of white population, the solu-
ton of present race problems.
The conversion of what was once
known as the great American desert"
is equally propitious. 1t must be re-
membered that some of the worlds
greatest civilizations were made possi-
Bile by artificial irrigation. In the course
of another century no imagination can
picture the vast empires that will grow
up in our western domain. The mineral
wealth of the Rocky mountain region,
for example, has scarcely been scratch
ed, and the agricultural resources of
the lands roundabout are even more
important. Westward and southwark
the human tides move.