Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-03-22

T1 NCLE SAM never In the history
of the nation was more pro-
~ fuse in his provision for the
home builder than he is today. The
love Of the soil is inbred in the race.
It is responsible for the pioneering
spirit which has ever sent men west
ward, driven the frontier toward the
setting sun, and built up in the Missis-
sippi valley and beyond an empire
now just on the eve Of its fullest
greatness.
This year will be marked in the his
tory of the homeseeker and settler.
The government will on June Is open
to settlement under the United States
homestead law over 100000 acres of
land in the foothills of the Wind river
range and on the plains Of Wyoming.
Any freeborn citizen Of our country
can secure his quarter section free of
cost, for the nominal land Office fee
land the sum OF one dollar and fifty
cents an acre in easy payments, and
the government land department at
Washington is now ready to give in
formation to all inquirers.
The region covered by this reserva.
ton is being rapidly brought within
easy reach by an extension Of the Chi
cago & Northwestern railway to Lam
der, in the Lander valley. Here the
government land Office is situated and
the allotment of claims next June will
probably be made here and at Sho.
shoni.
This is one Of the finest grazing dis
tricts in the west and it is quite prob
able that the region will with the new
railway facilities develop into cattle
and sheep feeding region greater than
ever before.
Would Sustain 100000 People.
The state of Wyoming, which has
an area of 1880 miles, has sufficient
agricultural and mineral resources to
sustain an army of 100000 people,
yet the estimated population is only
100000. Wyoming today has more
miles of railroad and more natural ad-
vantages to attract population than H.
linois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan
possessed in 1850 The state is inter-
sperced with fertile valleys and rolling
plains covered with nutritious grasses,
which furnishes excellent grazing land
for stock raising. The climate is
healthy, and the medical profession
throughout the country is becoming
more generally cognizant of this fact
every year. The soil is light sandy
loan in the upland, and in the valleys
has a dark, rich appearance, which
when, irrigated produces bountiful
crops in cereals and vegetables of all
kinds. Wyoming has an area of 49,
100000 acres of land that is subject to
entry under the government land laws,
and 100000 acres of this is suitable
for agricultural purposes when prop
arly irrigated. To the state Of Wy
oming is largely due the credit for Sc
curing the act of Congress which pro-
7ides for the reclamation of the arid
ands of the mountain states. Under
this law the revenue derived from the
ale of public land goes into fund
or building reservoirs and canals for
he storage of water and the irrigation
f lands that nature fails to provide
OF. O The government has placed over
27,UUO,000 to the credit of this fund,
nd large proportion of this amount
now being utilized to irrigate two
ig projects in the state of Wyoming.
he most important one is the Sho-
hone irrigation proposition, for which
the government has appropriated ST.
100000 to complete. The other irriga-
ting proposition is known as the North
Platte project, which is now under
construction, and will cost the govern
ment $1,OO0,0O0 before the water can
be turned into the bitches.
It is conservatively estimated that
$1O,O0OO0O will be spent during the
next decade by the federal govern
ment in carrying out irrigating pro-
jects in the state of Wyoming, which
have already been submitted for con-
sideration. The amount of good this
great undertaking will do the state
and humanity in general cannot be
correctly estimated. Thousands of
workmen will be given an opportuni-
ty to. take up land and at the same
time secure employment from the gov
eminent in constructing the big reser-
voirs and bitches. By this method the
workman who ventures into the land
of opportunity is guaranteed steady
employment and at the same time has
a chance to take up a quarter section
Of land and improve it during the con-
s$nh