Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-13
Irrigation In the West.
tpy D. w. Norris, of Grinnell.l

[By D. w. Norr
Because I have been very much in
terested In the subject of irrigation,
and because, ever since irrigation on
a grand scale had become settled
policy. l had an ardent desire to see
some of the areas to be irrigated and
some of the great works that were pc
ing built. I determined to steal ut
tie time from my own personal a1lairs
and see it for myself. was actuated
partly from curiosity, partly from the
need OF recreation, but more from a
desire to inform myself from personal
observation concerning the great
things that were being done In the
world, and hoped to benefit many OF
NV friends. mechanics and young
farmers. who wanted to own land, and
who were not able to investigate for
themselves. When / left Omaha, the
objective point was Reno, Nevada l
chose this point for several reasons.
The Truckee-C Carson project was the
greatest of all the projects yet at
tempted The vast area to he watereo'
the herculean task of diyerting all uhe
water Of considerable river by means
of a canal thirty miles long to q val
lev said to be literally flowing with
milk and honey" the proximity OF
the valley to California: it's secluded
position surrounded by snow capped
mountains; the necessarily equapie
climate of valley so situated all
these things appealed to me. anticl-
pated much pleasure and much profit
and was not disappointed.
An "overland' journey always has,
and presume, always Will appear
strongly 10 one in search OF rest and
information. have crossed the con-
tinent three or four times, and I am
not at all ashamed to confess that the
tourney has not yet lost it's charm
One finds it necessary to go to Chi
cago. He leaves here IN the evening,
breakfasts in Chicago, transacts MS
business and sleeps the next night at
home. 1t is mere incident IN une
daily routine. One goes to New YORK.
The Journey takes few more fours'
hat is all. But when one UNDERTAKES
he .oyerland" the sensation is dis
tinctly different. 1t is just as full or
romance and human interest as thirty
wears aso. He not only arranges mis-
affairs. but he always starts with a
heart full of anticipation. 1t never
grows Old; he never wearies; he Is
again about to travel the paths that
the pioneers trod; to count the mile
stones or civilizations; to witness the
theatre where so many human trage-
dies were enacted. Every foot of the
way is strewn with the ashes OF dead
men. dead heroes, men and women, the
brayest men and women that ever
fought ife's battles.
Waiting for the overland" IN the
union depot at Omaha, every moment
Is fraugllt with intense interest. l
have sat for hours in the union depot
at st. Louis looking at the human
panorama unfolded before me. NO
where on earth can the observing man
see SO much. or learn so much OF nu-
man nature as in one Of these great
starting points of the human tide.
Trains roll in and trains roll out at
Omaha, carrying their burden OF hu-
manity with its hopes and it's fears,
it's griefs and its joys, its hurrying'
eager, hopeful throng looking Tor rest,
health. wealth or chance somewhere
TO secure a foothold or home, or an
opportunity to test ones strength In
the never ending struggle for life, po-
sition and supremacy. Every few
minutes, in such place, the human
Kaleidoscope changes.
Here is the gray haired woman with
her bundles. and in one hand her tick
ct firmly grasped She is on her way
no oh in f6
distant west and who now offers the
old mother home. OF every kind
faced stranger she inquiries concerning
her train and the hour of its depart
ure.
There a squad of Italian laborers,
some of them mere boys, not over
IA. leap from a C. & NV. train from
the east and are huddled in spot
and halted. A smiling uniformed Of
fetal, a man of never failing patience,
advances to meet them. Not one of
them can speak word Of English.
The official examines each ticket with
care and then pilots them to the proper
coach and the proper train. They
have unbounded confidence and faith
in this uniformed, kind faced man.
and they render immediate and i'm
plicit obedience.
Next we'll dressed man approaches
the gate keeper. His legs are unsteady.
his speech thick. He has tarried too
long when the wine was red. The gate
keeper inquiries his destination, he
doesn't know The big uniformed
giant who presides over the labyrinth
Of tracks approaches and the we'll
dressed stranger asks him in a maudlin
and pitiful manner Where my goin',
pleesh tell me where my goin'." And