, 1907-10-05
DELIVERS ADDRESS ON CONNER.
ClAL ADVANTAGE TO WYO-
MING OF IMPROVEMENT
OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
Two Reasons Why Subject Is of Inter.
est to People Of This State-Unfor-
tunate Statements of Early Geo.
graphers Pointed Out BY HustIins
Chief Executive OF State Highest
Above Father of Waters.
Special to The Republican.

opetiul " hepuDllChn.
Memphis, Tenn, Sept 5.-Governo
Bryant B. Brooks of Wyoming deliver
ed the following address at the DeeI
Waterways convention here today, hi!
subject being The Commercial Ad
vantage to Wyoming of River Improve
ment," the governor being listened tt
with deep attention, representing, a.
he does, n of the states furthest from
the nayigable rivers of the country
both in miles and altitude:
Why wyoming is Interested.
Mr.. President and Members of Lit
Convention: There are two reason.
why the subject of River Improvement
interests Wyoming:
First, a discussion of the question
in all it's various phases emphasizes
the Importance of irrigation and tends
to demonstrate the ultimate effect
which irrigation and the conservation
of flood waters will have, not only
in bringing about the transformation
Of the west, but also upon the
commence and business of the
world. 1t calls immediate attention
to the far reaching influence of govern
ment irrigation projects, and thereby
encourages the reclamation service u
even greater activity.
Second, ready transportation on the
Mississippi and its tributaries would
enlarge our markets, promote freight
pn,pnntitioo onJ ail r,nfaria11u T., IN
lieving the freight congestion SO gen.
eral throughout the country.
Necessity for Dams.
First, then, in Importance Is the
necessity of constructing large dams
to impound The spring freshets. This
great work of storing the mountain
torrents is being carried on extensive
ly in all the western states, and eventu'
ally will have a marked effect upon the
flow of the Mississippi, eliminating
somewhat the danger of disastrous
floods, and improving navigation by
insuring an increased and eve flow
later in the season.
A Mighty Stream.
The Father of Waters" is a mighty
river, but MANY Titles make a mick
le", and in time the building Of thou.
sands Of storage reservoirs along the
head waters of all our mountain
streams will have its effect even here
So in a river improvement
and irrigation are sister problems and
il seems to me that Southern and
Western members of Congress should
them.
Two Great Enterprises.
In Wyoming, the government has
two gigantic irrigation enterprises
well under way. Both impound the
food waters of large rivers. On a
branch of the Missouri, in north
western Wyoming, the highest dam
in the world is being built, which will
store all the flood waters in the Sho'
shone river; and on the Platte, which
empties into the Missouri at Platts'
mouth, a dam is well under way, which
when completed, will impound the
flood waters of the Platte in a lake
having n circumference of yer one
hundred miles, and deep enough tc
float the largest vessels.
Healthiest Country on Earth
Thus the flood waters, instead 81
rushing down the Mississippi to breai
the levees and damage property, viii
be used to transform several hundred
thousand acres of sage brGSh-coyerec
waste into productive fields Of grain
and alfalfa, making homes for innumer
able prosperous farmers, in the grand
est, healthiest country on earth.
Returns to the Streams.
In the spring and summer vast areas
will be irrigated. The water will be
used over and over, but not destroyed
for water is i~ndestructible, and later il
the season, by evaporation, rain, an
seepage, this will gradually as OF yor,
find its way down the old Mississippi
to the sea.
Were Wrongly Taught.
Unfortunately, the early geographic
pictured Wyoming as part of thu
Great American Desert" That inap
propriate appellation did more to retac'
western development than everythin!
else combined. The venturesome DO,
and girl, studying in the little re-
school house by the crossroads, wer'
/, given an erroneous impression, whicl
four decades of civilization and er
lightenment have not entirely effaced
Even today, despite the miracle
wrought by inventive genius in Amer,
ca, whereby time N space are ann
hilated, most OF this intelligent Assem-
bly, pictures Wyoming as at least hal
desert, a land of frowning, unexplore
mountains and desolate. sunbake