Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1905-04-20
Minutes of Irrigation Meeting

held at Williston. N. D., April Is. 1905
Meeting called to order BY w. b.
diversion, who stated the object IF the
meeting. On motion duly seconded !.
W. 3. diversion was made chairman, A.
l.. Butler, secretary.
Purcival NJ. Churchill. engineer in
| charge of the Willlstpa. Williams
| County project, took tho A,or and in 90
| address stated substance As follows:
That they were sent here last fall to
| see what could be done to divert irriga.
ton and also the feasibility Of a pump.
lug station, and alter month looking
| over The ground it WIS found that irri.
CATION MAS more feasible by the pump.
ing system than by gravity; that they
maize extensive survey At Buford aud
Nesson, N. D., Int 80 far had done but
lille on the WiIiiston project. That
| the Buford scheme is m assured thing
| sDi permanent association has been
! formed and incorporated. That since
coming here in February, they had
! mace temporary survey along the
Muddy creek in what is known as the
W'iliston project. and that il the land
be designated as feasible. aud that the
! ditch carried At a level of the Tande
school house. irrigating all that laud
tributary to the Muddy creek, includ-
Ing tho Stony and az lar down the river
rs Bakers Jerry, That two aeld parties
are now out making a more extensive
survey and more definite report will
be given at the next meeting. He
| stated that the government has funds
derived by the sales of arid lands in the
western states, 10 b. diverted to irrigs-
ton purposes, and that they were send
ing out engineers to sec where irriRa-
ton was possible, not only here but all
over the west. that the government
intends this money for the purpose of
putting in irrigation plants without
interest to the people tributary to this
plant and they to pay back to the gov.
eminent at = small rate per year, d.
pending upon tho expense of the plant,
| and that the fret pay ment vas not to be
made until after the first crop, and that
! the pay ment would be apportioned' in
equal parts, to 10 paid back in ten
years. and that the cost Of intainance
and running to BE- paid by the people
deriving the benefit, and further. after
making . permanent survey, the people
must increase their desire and see that
the cost is secured before tho govern
| ment will 70 ahead, that 90 far there
had been lack Of interest shown here
by the people until to-day, although he
believes 1t is more through thoir lack Of
knowledge regarding the situation hut
that the government was ready to 70
ahead Whenever the people we're. hut 1t
| Users Ast oclstion before the govern.
ment would do anything permanently.
! Hon. n. A. Storrs. Electrical En-.
Rineer. U. s. r.. s. underworld to show
people the necessity Of the organization
and give them ashort talk on the value
ofirvigation and aiso stated that unless
the people of North Dakota took q
greater interest in tho work that the
money was apt to be spent some where
else.
| Mr.. diversion gave a talk on the value
OF irrigation M shown by tho western
States where it has been practiced and
Interest taken by the stock men and BY
the courts in those states by the project,
and that tho interest," vas such in tho
western states, and that the demand
was 60 great and being 90 eagerly
pushed there, that little more time
would be given 10 unless something
i'm .nediatsly vas done.
| Mr.. Storrs then explained the matter
Of distribution Of the water, giving the
amount that would b. put on and stated
the amount through the gro wing season,
I WulCn WOuIu % SUOuS SO10o luCOeU
everv ten days, he stated thai there was
no limit to the water here and 40 far ~
the plants wss concerned in Montana
and North Dakota it would have 10
rceptable influence on tho Missouri
riyer. He estimated the cost would be
about eighty cents per acre rer foot Of
water and that here it would require
about two feet Of water. making the cost
Of maintenance about one dollar and
sky cents per acre.
q. B. Aetzxer presented bis report in
. petition praying the government to
Cause inspection Of the Muddy valley
for irrigation projects, which was as
follows:
Williston, North Dakota. April 7th.
1905, to the Honorabls Secretary of tie
Interior, Washington, D. G. We. the
undersigned resident owners, and
owners of land at or near Williston,
North Dakota, which we believe can be
irrigated entirely by npins from the
Missouri river or by g.avity Of the
Little Muddy creek. respectfully petit
zion you TO cause investigation to be
made in the feasibility of irvIRstiug our
land, and state that W are dssirous OF