Middletown transcript., 1906-01-04
[Commnnicatedl
TO THE WEST


there is no place like the West. Even
the young man who is destitute OF hope
full ambition will soon throw off the de.
pressing incubus If he breathes for awhile
this inspiring western atmosphere. The
very soil that lies under your feet is POI
tentially rich with hopeful fertility, for
it is a stranger to your farming phospliates
and will be for century to come. Tom
Hood could have said OF the soil OF the
western states that il you tickle it with q
hoe it will laugh with harvest. T" The
agricultural prosperity of the West is SIM
ply phenomenal. Combination farming
has made the farmers rich. They raise
corn to fatten their own cattle and dogs,
and sell their surplus. In Illinois ana
Iowa these lands cannot be bought ior
less than one hundred dollars an acre,
and this may be a low average.
After you leave Lincoln, Nebraska, on
the Burlington route and begin to bear
off toward the Black Hills OF South Da.
kota, YOU enter territory where fhe soil
is less fertile and the farmers le$s pros.
porous. The land is uneven AND ililly
and long before you have reached the
South Dakota line You have gotten into
what is called the train belt eGion" OF
the arid West. The term '.rAIn-belt'
may need some explanation. That great
stretch of territory lying along the western
border of Kansas and Nebraska, and a
still broader stretch along the eastern
border OF Colorado and Wyoming is called
the 'rain-belt' because rain seldom visits
that region. About twenty years ago
of farmers from Iowa, Eastern
Kansas and Eastern Nebraska settled on
these lands filled with tile belief that all
these arid plains needed to make them as
productive as the states from which they
came was to plow and till the soil thor
oughly and then the rainfall would in
crease. They built their towns, erected
in some instances costing
from six to ten Thousand dollars. and they
spent their money to make this part OF
The Great American Desert blossom as
the rose, but it didn't blossom. After q
few years they literally folded their tents
and silently stole awav in the night.
Where towns Of four or FIVE thousand in
habitants had once fourisEed, to-day not
4 house is left standing to tell the tale OF
! hopeful past. A few Pf those enter
prising people who practiced rigid econ
omy and were especially thrifty III brand
ing mavericks have managed to exc OFT
an unenyiable existence awaiting the
building Of the Government reservoirs to
enable them to irrigate their lands. When
this is done this barren train-belt' terri
tory will become the garden spot OF
American. The land is level and the soil
Is deep and rich and it cannot be sur
passed in Iowa or Illinois. These lands
are now being bought mp by syndicates
for mere song from the original settlers
and will be sold for fabulous prices when
The United States Government shall have
brought this section un1er irrigation. Too
immense reservoir SYSTEMS are now being
built, one in Wyoming and one in South
Dakota.
For the information )of those who are
not familiar with this great enterprise L
will explain that the Government has
already appropriated several millions OF
dollars for the erection of reservoirs to
'tore water for irrigatfng the lands in this
srid region. III the future all the pro-
leeds from the sale of government lands
ire to be applied to this purpose. Under
his system it will be but few years be-
ore all the uncultivsted lands in Color
ldo, Utah, Wyoming, Kansas and Ne
oraska and the Oak kotas will be brought
lnder the highest state Of cultivation.
Land that can be Bought to-day for ten
lollars an acre will when irrigated be
worth from seventy-tive to one hundred
lolIars an acre. At the risk of wearying
iou will give you some idea of the North
Platte project which is now building in
Wyoming and Nebraska. This reservoir
yetem will reclaim l50,0 900 acres of bar
en- land in those two States. 1t extends
rom Whaten, Wyoming, to Bridgeport,
Nebraska, distance Of $50 miIes. The
anal is "a feet on the bottom and carries
o feet in depth of water at the head, the
;apacity being estimated at l400 cubic
eet per second. lit will have length ex-
lusive of laterals OF about l50 miles.
About 10000 scres in Wyoming and
bout $4,000 acres in Nebraska will re.
eive water for Irrigation by the Spring of
907, and by the Spring of 1908, $1,000
additional acres will be covered, and in
he Spring of 1909 the entire project will
,e completed, The probable cost per
ere will be about $500 The United
,tates Government has arranged for easy
payments in ten annual installments
which NAV or may not be equal. Ii is
that tile first assessment
will be $l.00l per acre, the second 50 90,
he third So 90, the fourth 81 90 and $500
nnnally thereafter until the last few
ears when it will be raised sufficiently
o make the aggregate $500. These de-
erred payments do not have interest and
10 charges for maintenance and admins
ration will be made, the $35 90 per acre
both these items as well as the
Of the lateral ditch system
t is the purpose reconstruct these lateral
Iitches to each farm or so near to each
arm that the farmer can himself plow
small lateral to reach his land. This is
very important item as everyone who
5 accustomed to farming under the irri-
alton system. well knows. The writer
,nce spent S., 900 to construct laterals TO
lis farm$. This great canal will be con-
tructed In the most substantial manner,
il the culyerts, fumes, syphons, outlet
.ates, waste gates and head works being
)uilt of concrete reinforced with steel.
after majority of the land has paid up
n full It's proportion of the construction
he administration OF the canal will be
urned' over to the association of water
lsers, and the cost of maintenance from
hat time ON should be very small, there
icing little or no structures to be renew-
ID. The source of supply TO this one
ysteIn Of irrigation is the North Platte
River and will be ample for all require
nents. There will pass the diversion
lam each year 100000 acre-feet of
water. 1t is estimated that this vat food
# water is capable of bringing under eul-
iyakion $50, 900 acres. The elevation of
he land is from 800 to 4203 feet, being
500 feet lower than the celebrated farm
ngi section of Greeley, Col, which is ac-
lnowledged to be the most profitable
arrning locality in the United States
The soil under this canal system is
prolific, 110 bushels OF oats
1.-THE acre having baen raised. These
ats will run from 40 to A pounds per
,ushel The average crop of wheat is over
D bushels to tile acre Beets have gone
q tons to tile acre aud which have sold
bF IS 90 per ton on boar the cars at the
2earest station. The saeeharine content
high the laboratory tests show
Rr cent Three crops 81 alfalfa