Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-05-05
MIR. GRUNSkY TALKS
!. OF IRRIGATION
THE Chief CONSULTING ENGI
NEER OF RECLAMATION sERv-
ICE INsPEcTs BISMARCK.
~. PROJECT.

g. 3. Grunsky of Washington City,
who is consulting engineer of the
reclamation service, arrived in the
city yesterday and has been in con-
sultation with the government en-
gineers and the state irrigation en-
gineers as to the Bismarck irrigation
project. To the Tribune Mr.. Grunsky
said:
II am on a tour of the irrigation pro-
ject of the government and will visit all
of them during the coming summer.
l stopped here to familiarize myself
with the local project, not to do any
detail work in the matter. This is
one of the smallest projects the gov
eminent has offered the people and
1t is but natural the reclamation serv-
ice has no special interest in it. The
government has made the offer to the
people to put in the plant and it is
up to them to accept or reject it.
There will be no urging done by the de.
partment, but the department does
want to know within a reasonable
time If the land owners desire the
water; i they do, and agree to 20
into the association the engineers will
complete the detail surveys and work
will be commenced.
while this is one of the smallest
projects the government has taken
under consideration, it is no sign it
Will be of less value to the people
than the largest schemes. On the
other, hand the watering of these
lands is OF immense value to your city
irrigation means intensified FARMING
and intensified farming means fam.
Lies on small tracts of land, In.
creased production means wealth to
the producer and this wealth would
oe distributed in this city and used
over and over again in business oner
atlons. The assurance of plenty Of
water assures high values to land, and
the moment work on the plant com.
mences values begin to go up.
Mr.. French and l drove over the
proposed irrigation district this morn.
Ing and saw no obstacles to snc.
cessful Irrigation. It is very simple
proposition, it seems to me. am
aston1shed to hear some of vour
farmers are opposed to the project
and am sure their opposition must
arse from lack Of knowledge of the
subject. There need be no fear on
their part that the bitches will fill I'M
that the government, will seize their
lands IN case the project should not
De success, or that there is the
slightest chance for graft in any quar-
ter. They have no trouble with
bitches filing up in the dustiest sec.
lions OF the west, for the drifting
stops the moment the water gets on
the land; the government is a kind
one to its people, and the engineers
cannot be interested financially in an
acre of Irrigated land before or after
the work is done. For your own
sakes hope this work will 70 on.
1t means great deal to your people.
and missing this chance will be
realized as a calamity in the years to
come"
Mr.. Gunsky is a most affable man
to meet. He is recognized as one of
the leading engineers in the country
and was member of the late Panama
commission, and upon retiring from
that was appointed consulting en-.
gineer of the reclamation service by
President Roosevelt and draws the
largest salary of any man in this serv.
Ice. He leaves tonight for Billings.
sa33 Cost ERfino a$Ae Ara A;oh