The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-03-29
WEDNESDAY, MARCH %, 1906.
TAKE HOLD AND LIFT"

One of the catchy and inspiring
business maxims of the present day
is: "Take hold and lift,' or, put If
more condensed form: sect busy!'
1t is applicable to every undertaking
in which one is interested, and the
most able and successful opponents OF
its force aud merit are recognized as
the citizens who do things.
The residents of Milk river valley
are to be congratulated upon their re.
cent action in deciding to ''take hold
and lift." in connection with the pro.
posed great government irrigation
project in that part OF Montana. For
a long time previous 10 the enactment
OF the national irrigation law three
years ago, it was the general under.
standing that the Milk river project
would be the first great government
work in Montana under the proposed
law. The necessary water supply was
available, hundreds of thousands of
acres of land conveniently located for
irrigation could be reached by the
proposed system, and everything
seemed favorable for the early com
of work upon this project.
Immense areas of land we're with
drawn from entry as a precaution
against speculative raids by land
uro hhars un1 #osh,, 1;,,:oD.c
preparations made for converting a
desert waste into desirable locations
for home builders.
Then the public began to hear of
projects in other parts of Montana
that deserved investigation by the
reclamation service, and the Milk
river project was allowed to drag
along under the supervision of several
small parties of government survey
ors. The friends of other irrigation
projects were "getting busy" and
claiming attention. Difficulties OF
more or less serious import appeared
in the Milk river country; the Bow.
dom lake hold.up, the Canadian COM
plicatiOn and other matters were men.
toned as obstacles that would cause
delay, and 1t began to appear that the
Milk river project was in danger of
being sidetracked.
Confronted by these unsatisfactory
conditions, the citizens of Milk river
valley decided to ''take hold and
lift." They assembled in the respect,
i've towns, selected delegates to a
meeting of representatives from each
section of the valley, and formed q
United Irrigation association whose
purpose is to cur the reclamation
OF the entire Milk river valley. 1t was
also arranged to "take hold and
lift" by sending to Washington q
delegation Of representative citizens
to personally urge that work be com.
menced at once upon at least a part
Of the Milk river project.
This delegation decided to leave for
Washington on Sunday morning,
March 26, and by u remarkable coin.
cidence there came from the national
capital on Saturday afternoon, March
., a dispatch to this effect:
Secretary of the Interior Hitch
cock today set aside 81, 600, 600 pro.
visionally from the reclamation fund
Tor the construction of storage reser.
'oir works in the St. Mary river,
Montana. district for the diversion of
stored waters to Milk river.
1.-The prospects are excellent for
early commencement of the construc-
ton OF the Milk river project. 1t is
especially important that u water
users association be formed immedi-
ately to enter into negotiations with
the secretary of the interior for the
repayment into the reclamation fund
OF the cost of the irrigation works."
That announcement indicates a de.
sire on the part of the federal authori-
ties to proceed with the work of con.
struction, provided the necessary gov.
ernment regulations are observed by
those who will benefit from the un.
dertaking. That such assurance will
be forthcoming, and that work will be
commenced upon the project at an
early date, is confidently expected by
a community which is determined tc
stake hold and lift"