The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-01-10


the best advantage.
Let us see how and where we can.
! will divide the state into three dis
tricts, viz: 3a Si
First The Missouri river and its
tributaries. ;s5 .5s
Second The central basin compris-
Ing the Mouse and James rivers, a pcr-
ton Of the Sheyenne river and Devils
Lake.
Third The Red river valley.
The first district. the Missouri, /
find the principal tributaries on the
south side, the Little Missouri, the
Knife, the Heart and Cannon Ball.
These should give a fair supply of
water for irrigation purposes. The
Missouri river would form good ba-
sis of supply, although 1t has only few
and small tributaries at the north.
The second district would lay be-
tween the district that the Missouri
could not reach to irrjgate and the
Red river valley.
That is watered at the north by the
Mouse river and Devils lake, and at
the central and southern part by the
James and Sheyenne rivers. [
Commencing at the north, the Mouse
river can be diverted alta point in Nc
Henry county to course east by south
east through a low natural channel
dotted by small lakes, to empty into
Devils lake. OF course, the question
of right to divert stream might arise,
especially an International question,
for this stream returns to the British
possessions, from whence it comes.
The waters entering DeviB lake can
flow into the Sheyenne river through
a low channel leading from the lake
which 1t appears was at one time Its
outlet; south of these the Sheyenne
and James rivers, with some small
lakes, would be the irrigating sources
These rivers have steep, irregular
banks of considerable altitude, in
many places. Dams at intervals
would have to be placed and the water
elevated into reservoirs. These dis
tricts are rapidly passing outside of
the semi-arid zone, having received a
suffciency of moisture for crops the
last few years.
We now come to the third district,
the Red river valley, in which differ
ent conditions prevail Those of the
Missouri and central basin require ir-
rigation, being semi-arid districts; we
of the valley, drainage, in places.
They want moisture for the growth
and development of their crops; we,
at times, have too much of 1t and want
a way to remove it. The objects are
the same-productivene 4
They want moisture, we at times
have too much Of It.. Metaphorically
speaking, we of the valley are stand
patters;" we want protection from
flOOds-those of the other districts
want moisture, for revenue, IL not
otherwise. think that / can see
why 1.-THE slope" Is opposed to prohi-
bition and the valley in favor, Of 1t.
Senator Cashel urged that congress
be memoralized to SO amend the ma
tional irrigation laws that portion
of the national reclamation fund be
used for irrigation purposes; that the
convention pass resolutions urging
the state delegation to take prompt
action.
His plan of drainage includes bitches
two miles apart on section lines ex-.
tending back seven and a half miles
on the average from the Red river.
es.length Of the bitches to be. de-
scided by the commissions and en-
gineers. XII. ,is tsi
This plan would make total OF
700 miles of such bitches along the
Red river In the state. They would
be 16 feet wide at the top and six and
one-half at the bottom The dirt to
be excavated would reach the total
OF $3.50 cubic yards per mile and for
700 miles would total $812, 000,0 900;
600 bridges would cost $4,000; 1900
culverts $36, 900; right of way, $4,000;
engineer and other expenses, 1000.
Grand total, $1,000, 900. One-fourth Of
our fund now available would drain
1000, 900 acres. r.
: The dirt from the bitches could be
used for making roads and by keep
ing the sides Of the roads and bitches
erased, the section would have til
best roads In the world and would he
veritable garden Of Eden. 4
The money to do this work being
borrowed from the irrigation fund and
paid by the tax payers. The cost
would be but 81 per acre or $3.50 per
quarter section. This would be repaid
In twenty years, So a year plus inter-
est The total cost to the farmer of
principal and interest to be repaid to
the United States would be $1,21O.
The whole matter to be In charge of al
special commission of the state.
The second part of the senator's
plan embraces a series 4 of smaller
bitches on all section lines to be con-
structed under the supervision Of the
county. .9,i ~ p
The loss to the valley through crop
failure as the result Of poor drainage
during fifteen years aggregates $14,-
( 100000, during the next twenty-five
years, $25,000,000 will be saved in
crops alone Is proper drainage is se-,
cured. This means $4,000, 900 will
have been lost to the wealth OF the
state In forty years. ~ Bis
The Red river should be shortened
by bitches acros lands from Grand
Forks to the international boundary.
The river could be shortened 33H
miles ina lineal distance Of IS miles.
The daming of Lake Traverse to d.
vert storm water into the Minnesota
river; the daming of the Cheyenne
and the daming Of the Pembina riv-
ers to prevent the rush of water in
the Red river and resulting In foods;
nIREEs0T an DRAINAGE.
State Drainage Easinser Geo. A. Ralph
Reads. 4; "a " I sitting Papar.
Geo. 3 III Grookston, en-
gineer of the HE drainage commits
sion Of that kte, delivered an inter-
esting and highly educational paper
this afternoon before the convention.
Mr.. Ralph said: X Fl
The STATE of Minnasota Id 4 Z 4 = raa