The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-13
Special Correspondent to The Times
Dispatch.)

Dfspatch)
WASHINGTON. Jan l2.-There is quiet
ly going on In the wllds OF the Great West
mighty work undertaken by the United
States government IN 20, order .sa tha r,r .ne
ing dams, fashioned of massive granite
blocks, walls of concrete and thousands
tons of earth are rising day by day: rivers
fetal lakes are forming In the hollows OF
the hills. And all this is being brought
about the, life-siving water may be con
Quoted TO the parched soil In regions now
destitute OF vegetation.
The average overalled and perspirins
granger who yields a pick and shovel
in the arduous labor 0. naking bitches TO
carry water to his leo acre homestead
out in the western plains. Is not as 3. rule,
aware that some four thousand years ago
the dusky subjects OF the Pnaraohs per
purposes. AS far back as history takes
us, we find the sons of the SOL deytsing
ways and means to get water
to their fields. In Egypt and
the southern part of Asia. es-
pecially In india, archaeiogists are con-
stantly unearthing evidence. in the shape
of little canals and bitches. that the In
habitants of the dry countries, where the
rainfall was scanty or unequally distribute
ed, not only made use of Irrigation, but
practised II on large scale at the very
dawn of history.
In America. the idea of scientific irri-
cation is OF comparatively recent Growth
but already many a western wilderness
has been transformed into a garden land.
TO appreciate the change. 1t Is only neces-
sary to mount a sadlooking but tempera-
mental ''cayuse'' at some little way-s.a-
spread out on either side Of the Rockies.
in what once was the free range. coun.
try" hit the trail" for long hike = !,
Mile after mile OF heat-cracked earth. of
cacti are left behind. The only Sign Of
life are an occasional RATHER with
don -tread-on-me" written all over him
where, on your approach, the shy little
fellows flop into their holes like miniature
nine-pins knocked over by invisible balls.
But when after five or six hours OF this.
b bGo you You Substantial log shack" set in
the midst of four or five acres of "alfalfa"
of that vivid green which Is only seen on
Noah's Arks. 1t seems like mirage nj
most. AS you lie on your back under the
cottonwood" putting tobacco smoke.
while your pony i doing his b best t. FIJI n
rich alfalfa, you fervently bless that wise
old farmer of ancient days who first nit
upon the Idea of irrigation and thus made
During the late eighties" of the last
century the national government began to
Investigate the possibilities Of scientific ir-
rlgation The result of this investigation
was the discovery that there were from
125, 100000 to 2oo,oo0.0oo acres Of the vast
clamation BY Irrigation, an area six times
that of the improved farm lands Of the
New England States. New York., New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware. Mary
Carolina, Georgia and Florida Combined.
Since that time the government has
been more or less Interested in irrigating
POoSayalf "a hoe 90 Z; M
that the task of changing our desolate
deserts into garden spots was undertaken
IN systematic and earnest manner. The
President. after becoming convinced of
the enormous benefits that would accue to
the West from Irrigation conducted on a
large scale. urged it.upon Congress In his
first message, in his strenuous fashion,
with some 81 his own enthusiasm and
voted large appropriations to carty on the
work of reclaiming Natures waste places
Tuna yaabe nsr he W Nao ans fr r
cation Act. the work lhas been pushed
along vigorously and effectively, with the
result that to-day works are being built
arid land which viii he made to yield
bumper crops of both cereals and for
| age stuff.
One of the most remarkable feats of re-
elalmatlon being put through by tth1e,
1 River. Valley In Arizona. Nearly a quar-
| ter of a century ago the Salt River Val
Icy, a part Of the Great American. desert,
was as desolate a spot as the world could
I show. To-day that same valley supportsta
(, population of over $500 Three thriving
cities have sprung up within its boundar-
les, one of them Phoenix, the capital OF
| the state. Flowering orchards of oranges
| lemons are olives are on all sides Al
! together It would be hard to find more
nourishing community in the country and
this .metamorphosis was brought. about
| merely by the scientific distribution OF
| water, Not satisfied with the wonders
already worked, the. Government Is con-
STRUGGLING a colossal dam in a narrow gor-
sc some sixty miles from Phoenix, at the
junction of the Salt River and Tonic
Greek, This dam Is 265 feet high, ESQ feet
wide, 1853 feet thick At the bottom and u
4 feet at the top.
yolumns could be filled describing the
wonderful results given wherever irrlga.
ton Is tried. There is the famous, OF
rather infamous. Death Valley of califor.
MIA, In comparison to which a few ys trs
itats5 even the Sahara Desert seemed nos.
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