The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-29
FOR IRRIGATION,
Annual Meeting Is in Session at
Garden City.
Large Delegations Of Farmers
From Arkansas Valley.
VISIT PUMPING PLANT.
President Diesem's Address a
Feature Of the Gathering.
Told Of the Good Work Being
Done by the Settlers.
VISIT PUMPING PLANT.

Garden City. kan, Nov. 2S.-Ihe
fourth annual meeting Of the Western
Kansas Irrigation association opened
here Tuesday with large delegations OF
farmers from the Arkansas valley in
terested i'm irrigation. The afternoon
meeting was addressed by G. L. Miller,
MAYOR. and w. r. Hopkins Prof. H.
BIackmar Of the State university and
L i. Dfesem. president of the associa-
ton. also spoke.
Prof. Blackmar is making study
OF irrigation as pracuced in different
portions of the United States and gave
some valuable points to men engaged
In that line. Today the visitors VIII De
taken to inspect the large pumping
plants i'm the vicinity Of Garden CITY.
The meeting viii close tonight,
President Diesem's speech was as
follows.
no the Members of the Western kan
sas Irrigation Association:
Gentlemeu-It is with much pride
that we may look back at what has
been accomplished along the line OF
IRRIGATION in western Kansas. nave
given much thought and time III
studying the possibility and pracuca-
bility of pumping water IN western
Kansas jim the past 10 years. IL mas
been the aim of this association since
its orga niZatfon four years ago TO help
educate and furnish Information to the
farmers on the expense and pracuca-
bllity of pumping water Tor DOtn large
and small tracts. 1t has been through
the efforts of this association, and the
push and zeal and hard work OF Con-
eressman Victor Murdoch of this dis
trict that brought about the study ana
the advance preliminaries by lne
United States engineers that the gov
eminent plant to be located on the
farmers ditch in the Arkansas valley
has been so far accomplished me
tests so far have been made or the un@
DERIVING waters by the engineers as
to justify them in recommending that
the supply Of water is ample and that
the plant should be established by the
government. 1t now remains for the
people to sign up their contracts with
the proper authorities and this should
be done at once. and every person in
western Kansasis interested and should
help i'm every way possible to further
its completion. Now as to our uuga-
ton of Kansas with Colorado over the
water i'm the Arkansas river will
eventually. ] believe, result in the con-
etruction of many great reservoirs by
the United States government in west
ern Kansas and eastern Colorado
Should Care for Waters.
Western Kansas should harvest its
waters as ii does its crops, and with the
aid of the government in this direction
much can be accomplished for the
benefit of a great area in western Kan
sas The time is not far distant when
the irrigated lands of western Kansas
with its new methods of water sup
piled and the sugar beet industry
growing in proportion that land Will
advance in price to hundreds of dol
lars per acre. This is not at all inn
proba BILE. AS time rolls on the peO-
ple Will awaken to the realization Of
the transformity much sooner than the
most sanguine had expected Mary
new individual plants have been con-
structed in this valley since we last
met here a year ago. Many more
should have been put in, in many sec
lions of western Kansas, in the Paw
nee valley, in the White Woman, and
Smoky river. All these valleys are
susceptible of getting water in suf-
for irrigating all the valley land lying
adjacent TO them.
Irrigation Improvements.
You can travel through the Arkan-
sas valley and see the stirring enter
prise i'm whatever direction you may
chance to cast your eye. New head
gates are being put in on firmer
foundations than heretofore. bitches
and lateralS are being cleaned out to
carry their original appropriation of
water Individual plants from the 5,
10 and 10 horse power gasoline en-
glne up to the IS horse power steam
5'orless engines, have been constructed
and have been put in operation in the
past two years. and connected with
these are centrifugal pumps having a
capacity of $50 gallons to 5000 gallons
OF water per minute, irrigating from
Is acres to 1000 acres TO the Dlant.
These are the things in connection
with what the United States govern
uasI-.a--