Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-10-13
JIM HILL ON
IRRIGATION
He Says II viii Add Millions to the
Population Of Montana, Idaho
and Washington.
N INTERESTING INTERVIEW
His View az to the Best Field in the
World for a Young Man
Today.

gan, ''of the northwest and its oppor-
tunities?' had touched upon a sub
ject nearest his heart and I knew it,
says a writer in the New York Her
aid:
1.-The northwest" he repeated, Il
think l know something about it. I've
made it my business for SO years."
His eyes twinkled and he continued
amiably:
Il have given the best years of my
life to the development of that reg
ion, and what time remains of it will
be devoted to the northwest's inter.
ests.''
He said it with pride that was
good to see, and then a reminiscent
light shot under the shaggy brows.
when l first crossed the Red riv-
er in North Dakota there were only
two horses in the valley and the near.
est settler kept frontier stage sta
ton at Pomme de Terre, the old wood
en- stockade. My first trip down the
valley was made behind three dogs
and one of them was a yellow dog
He smiled amusedly and went on !:
AT that time l was not sure that the
country would be settled in my life
time. but two years later, when l en-.
tered the valley, l saw a wagon track
and where it had cut the sod the earth
was pulverized and the grass that
grew in the ruts was a foot higher
than the prairie grass, and l knew that
God in his wisdom had made it for a
good purpose"
The Best Field.
What and where is the best field
today for an ambitious young man.?
l asked.
There you are," he exclaimed
"The best field? Why, all the wealth
in the world comes from four sources
either the farm, the forest, the mine
or the sea. But as to the best field
of opportunity, that depends upon the
man, and the good men are in great
err demand than they ever were. The
simple truth is that the man who at
tends to his work will succeed any
where. Success never comes to man
who is watching the clock for fear he
might work a minute overtime. The
man who succeeds is the man who is
not satisfied merely to do the work
lJid out for him, but does more. But
how to produce wealth; that answer
may be found in the thorough organic
alton which is going on in ever,
branch of modern business life. Bet
ter methods of conducting business
are coming into rapid adoption, ant
the man who works with system ha!
common sense and the right materia
in him. that man can make his wa,
to the top, no matter how humble hi'
start or how poor his circumstances;
To certain extent l am in favo
of a college education for young
man just to the length that it broad
ems his higher conceptions of life, in
creases his manhood and does no
make him a prig.
"But many students leave their al
ma mater with a disgust for a bust
ness career and a feeling bordering OF
contempt for the practical worker
| Such a sentiment is unwhOlesOme TO
social conditions, dangerous to indus
| trial and political institutions ant
should be wiped out. What we ough
to teach in college and church AM
home is the healthy doctrine that nc
body in this world has right to liv'
without work; nobody has a right II
exist on the energies OF another.
"The day has come when we nee'
the broad system of public education
along agricultural lines. The success
full farmer must be trained in the pre-
cess of nature, in the elements OF Eel
tility, in the soil, in the methods o
cultivation, in the diversification O
it's crops, in the best rules of harves,
ing and marketing them, in farm mt
chanics and such engineering meth
DDS as are necessary to enable tn
farmer to cope with the engineerin
problems of his own farm. And
will say right now that, while 1t ha
not been proven that the higher edl
cation makes the most successful mar
I firmly believe that the more INTEL
gent the man is the more intelligent
he can do his work-whether at feel
or forge. office, shop or mine.
There is something in the cond
ton of the times which drives me
into acting together. Our finest e.
amples of western civilization sho
this dominant spirit and it Is tn
strongest force in the economic iii
of our country today
Chances in the West.
! But the best chances for Wester
hOmesteaders-what are they at pre-
ent?" interrupt.
He thought minute earnestly an
said: at was once thought that Vi
Gle Sam was rich enough to give
farm to each of his heirs, but he can
do that now; his family has increase
too fast. Besides that portion or tn
United States which can be cultiva
ed without irrigation is very Unite
Not many years ago Kansas was II
frontier, but now the land is occupit
; to the Pacific coast, and those wi
, want to become settlers in Unc
. Sans domain must first solve II
) problem of irrigation.
} con the mountains and rivers ar
/, deserts of this far western COUNT
( nature calls for cooperation. No'
of course, | want the west to be II
: best land under the sun, and am !
terested in it's prosperity and in u
} institutions which are to be enJoyt
, by those who shall live there after n
work Is finished.
But there are three vital question
9 to be considered in the making OF o.
( west. and these are irrigation, colo
: ization and cooperation. Working o
state and national irrigation polici
: which shall make homes for million
5 has been agitated for years. In Nor
t Dakota the water supply throu'
> wells and other reservoirs can be ma
t to irrigate about two million acres;
k Montana, ten millions; in Idaho. thr
S millions; in Washington, three m
lions The land not susceptible to &