New Ulm review., 1907-08-28
Development of Western Arid Lands
Makes Lively Markets For All Kinds
Of Eastern Products - Import Of
Desert Agriculture to Stock Raising
and Mining Interests.
BY MARK BENNETT.

cause it opens an opportunity for thou
sands Of people, young, middle aged
and old, to make new start in life.
The opportunities for making money
in mercantile lines are second only to
those in agriculture and horticulture.
There is work for men in all the build
ing trades that ordinarily find employ
ment in new towns Many new towns
spring up, and the prosperity extends
to all the inha abitants. Then, by a
wider application Of the rule, the pros
perity of the west helps materially to
sustain the prosperity of the east.
The best object lesson that I can
suggest for any one who doubts that
the east is benefiting extensively by
the building up Of western irrigated
tracts is to visit the railroad freight
houses at stations on or near such
lands. There he will see large consign-
ments of farm machinery and imple-
ments, bags Of seed grain, furniture in
great quantity, hardware of every de-
scription, pianos in goodly number,
building materials by the carload,
barbed wire, woven fencing, wire net
ting, groceries and provisions, canned
goods, mercantile stocks and every
thing that is needed to supply human
wants, both the necessities and luxu-
ries. These things are bought not by
carloads alone, but by trainloads, and
usually they are cash purchases.
It is not an uncommon thing for a
retail dealer in a new town to turn
every sixty days. Where business is so
active the profits are good and the
sales are for cash. Everybody has
money in a newly irrigated region
The settlers usually bring enough with
them to make first payments on the
lands and the water rights, the irri-
eating company spends large sums for
teams, labor and supplies, and good
wages are the rule. Employment is al
ways at hanG for those who come
without money, and all cash is kept in
rapid circulation. Besides the usual
retail stores for general merchandise,
furniture, hardware, drugs and gro
ceries, the new communities soon de-
mand steam laundry or two livery
stables, hotels and boarding houses,
barber shops lumber yards, banks,
churches, telephone exchange, real
estate and insurance Offices, law Of
fees, newspaper and printing offices
and all else that goes to make com
plete towns. Brickyards often start in
and do profitable business. Yards
for the manufacture Of cement build
Ing blocks are new and profitable en-
terprises. When harvest time comes
the buyers and shippers of grain and
other farm products have business to
do.
The opening Of 100000 acres under
irrigation warrants the plating of four
or five villages. Each one will grow
in a few years to be thriving place.
In fact, thrift comes early to a new
town amid such surroundings, for no
country is so rich in its possibilities as
a reclaimed section Of the desert. The
railroad business done in one of these
towns where irrigation has called the
people together in a new social or
ganization is astonishing to any one
who has not made himself familiar
with such progress. 1t is we'll illus
trated in the towns of the Arkansas
valley from Pueblo eastward into Kan
sas. There is little if any land in that
whole region which, having a good wa
ter right, can be bought for less than
5000 an acre. Much Of it is held at
$500 and over. The towns of Rocky
Ford, La Junta, Las Animas, Lamar.
Granada, Holly and Garden City are
all thriving centers of trade, most of
them having large factories for the
of beet sugar It is only
a question Of time when the same con
ditions must prevail in the newer re-
gions and the land values must go to
the same figures
dropped into general store in
little crossroads place a few miles
north of Denver and fell into conver-
sation with the proprietor. The sum of
$4,000 would have covered the value
of his entire stock A number Of Gus
toners were making purchases, and
farm wagons were hitched at posts
along the highway. The storekeeper
admitted that he was doing not less
than $50 a day at a profit of 20 to 25
per cent Yet about him was only
partially irrigated country, and there
were scarcely a dozen houses in the
settlement. He was surrounded by
larger places. The more extensive irri-
CATION which in the next two years is
to reclaim all the land surrounding
this small storekeeper will bring trade
to him beyond his widest dreams.
After an inspection Of newly re
claimed region one cannot doubt the
substantial benefit which the east must