The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-06-12
TllWDOK4 Dan. A0AH0

Vast regions Of the west transform. !
ed from a dreary waste to fruitful
fields pouring forth their wealth Of
golden grains and ripened fruits; and
water the magician whose marvellous
touch has wrought the transforma-
ton. Such is the story of the reclaim
alton service of the United States gov
ernment. The full Importance Of this
work Is obtainable only by compari-
son.
The 25 projects upon which the
government is now engaged, when de-
yeloped to their full extent, will add
S,19S,00O acres to the crop-producing
area of the United States. Add to
these 1S other projects which are held
in abeyance, pending the completion
Of the first mentioned, and which Will
reclaim 1870, 900 acres, and we have a
grand total OF 6,468,O0O acres. This
enormous area to-day is practically
worthless. It returns revenues neith-
er to the states in which 1t is located,
nor to the nation to which 1t largely
belongs. 1t is utilized only short
period in each year for grazing mo-
madic herds that are driven over it..
Potentially, it is the richest, the most
fertile and productive land in the
world, and is capable Of supporting in
comfort an agricultural population as
dense as can be found in any of the
older settled parts of our country. BY
expendIng s6O.OOO.O0O on the 25 engin-
eering works now in process OF con-
struction, The reclamation service will
reclaim S,19S, 900 acres, Of cultivated
area equal to the total acreage In
crops in the four states Of Connecti
cut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire
and Florida. The diversified crops
enormous yields from irrigated lands
and the excellent prices for all farm
products in the west warrant the as
sumption that this land viii return an
nually an income larger than the
farmers receive in the four states
named. For comparison, let us say
that the revenues per acre will be the
same. 1t is apparent, then, that this
area reclaimed will each year increass
the value Of farm crops by 10000, 600
it viii add $2S2 100000 to the taxable
property Of the people; it will fur
nish homes for $4,000 families OF
farms and in villages and towns.
Although only four years have pass
cd since the enactment of the law
the engineers are to-day employs
upon the construction Of 25 great 70
jects In IL states and two territories
The expenditures average more thal
a million dollars a month. Three Q
4 the great projects are practically con
pleted, and six more will be in servic
this summer. On many Of the prt
jects the work goes forward night an
day, and the rate Of progress is stril
ingly at variance with that at whic
government work usually proceeds.
There is, of course, a reason fc
this. The reclamation service is abst
lutely divorced from politics; it Is
business organization and its motiv
is to build engineering works and
erect an empire in the desert.
The reclamation fund available fC
the 25 projects now under wa
amounts approximately to 100000
Before these are completed it will
about SAL 900, 600 When this has bee
expended, 100000 acres will ha1
been reclaimed and will begin to r
turn annually s4,00O,OOO to the fun
Chief among the big Irrigation u
dertakings are the Salt river proie'
In Arizona; the Minidoka project
Idaho: the Yakima valley project
Washington, which is now in sever'
units but will be eventually combine
in one great system, embracing 400
600 acres; the Rio Grande project
New Mexico; the Huntley project
Montana and in Wyoming the grei
Shoshone project involving several di
fcult engineering feats; the Uncor
pahgre project in Colorado, and Il
u.idue project in Oregon and Cal
fornia called the klamath project.
A summation Of the work Of Il
reclamation service to January
1907. shows that It has dug 1887 mils
Of canals, or nearly the distance fro
Washington to Omaha. Some Of u
canals carry whole rivers, like Il
Truckee river, in Nevada, and Il
North Platte. in Wyoming. The tu
nels excavated are A II number, al
have an aggregate length of 9
miles. The service has erected
large structures. including two gre
dams in Nevada and the Minidol
dam in Idaho. so feet high and g
feet long. 1t has completed $40 hea