Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-12-01
WONDERS OF IRRIGATION.

I
| II II not 80 very many years since
| the agitation for government reclaim.
| ton Of the arid lands Of the West was
started by entcrprising and for-seeing
! citizens. At first their plans were
| looked upon al impractical. The enorm-
Gus amount OF money needed for the
building of reservoirs and canals was
thought to preclude any serious con-
slderatlon of the undertaking. But its
friends and advocates continued, IN
spite of discouragements to prove that
1t meant, virtually, the addition TO the
country OF a vast empire with a possi-
Bile population OF ten million souls, or
more. and that the money needed could
be appropriated In installments. and
that the investment would be paying
almost from the start
1t is but short time since these eff
forts were crowned with success ana
the Irrigation bill was passed by Con.
gress. And yet, what has been ac-
complished proves that the contention
VI 'iN lilSHho VI tHhN llltdsuie were
true There are now no less than
eleven important irrigation projects
under way in various states and terri
tories one OF which, IN Nevada Is so
far completed that water is being de-
llyered to about $4,000 acres of what
WIS formerly a barren desert 9th
ers are nearing completion. And It Is
found that home.seekers are not watt
ing for the completion of the irriga-
ton works, They are coming ahead
OF the water, as 1t were and towns and
villages are springing up as by magic
MIR. Clarence j. Blanchard. of the re.
clamation service, short time ago
told about the transformation that Is
taking place. He said, as quoted by
the Minneapolis Journal
Gases are sprnging up like magic
IN many places which for ages have
been the abode Of the coyote and the
jackrabbit. year ago last spring
slept out under the sagebrush on the
Minidoka lands In the Snake river val
ley. Idaho. and the nearest dwelling was
thirty miles away
Last week ! visited the same spot,
travelling across that thirty miles In
a first class passenger train passing
through three new towns, ON every
eighty acres Of the 100 900 acres IN that
tract of government land there Is Il
new farm house, a farmer and his
family. Uncle Sam is preparing TO
bring to him through many miles of
canals ana bitches the precious water
AL ffh "a In m la h4 ant "a
the rose. A mammoth rock-hll dam
across the Snake river Is almost mn
lshcd ana by early spring the sage
brush Will have vanished from this spot
forever"
That Is to say, in a spot where there
was only wild desert, though the pro-
ieCt is not yet completed and though
not drop Of water has yet been deliv.
cred. there had sprung up, In the
course OF year 400 homes housing
az many families which were support
ing three thriving towns What had
been desert given over 10 iaokrabbits
and sage brush was selling as high
priced farm land
Such are the wonders of irrigation.
And Utah has the honor OF being among
the pioneers of reclamation work. Some
Of her prominent citizens have been
among the most fervent advocates ot
the Irrigation act The history Of
Joseph IN Egypt repeated The mobs
that drove the Saints from the confines
Of civilization. because they coveted
their property; the lawless element that
compelled the "Mormons" to pitch
their tents In the desert region Of the
mountains, had only evil intentions. but
the exodus has been turned into bless-
ing, for 1t paved the way for the work
OF reclamation that Is now going on,
and by which the entire nation will be-
blessed. When VIII the eyes Of men
be opened to the works OF Providence?