Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-08-23

| Reservoir company. 27000 acres; the
| Medicine Wheel Canal company, b6,Ooo
acres the Eden canal & Irrigation
company, $1,000 aces. and the western
are number OF other projects In this
state, no one of which VIII reclaim
more than 10000 acres.
AMENDMENT PROBABLE.
Ex-senator Carey, the author of the
act, stated in recent interview with
| the writer that when the act passed II
| was generally understood among his
| colleagues In the senate that II any
| state should secure the reclamation or
the maximum amount permitted by the
| Carey act, and feel the need OF the
amendment of the law TO permit of the
| patenting OF still larger amounts OF
| the public domain to the state, there
would be no difficulty in securing such
amendment. Both Idaho and Wyo-
| ming are now within measurable dls-
lance of the time when every acre per-
| mitted to be segregated under the eN-
| listing law will be called for. In neither
of these states has Carey act irrigation
| been applied or projected to nearly all
| the land readily available. 1t is, there
| fore, probable that an amendment VIII
| be proposed to the law permitting the
| donation of 100000 or more acres TO
| any state able to secure the recialna-
ton of sucn amounts.
OREGON WIDE AWAKE,
The most important state project UNI
| der way in Oregon, under the carey
| act. Is that of the DesChutes Irrigation
| & Power company--really a consolida-
| ton of three smaller projects compris-
| Ing in all 25,000 acres of land. the
| LANDS thus being reclaimed are all in
! the desert between Crooked river on
the north. Bear Creek mountains on tho
south, and the Deschutes river on the
| west.
COLORADO HAS BEEN SLOW.
Considering the topographic advan-
tages and the abundant water supply
available in Colorado, capitalists nave
| been strangely slow to seize the OPP
portunlties open to them for prontaple
| enterprises in that state, The act was
accepted by the state legislature IL
| years ago, but not until within the
| past few months was an important pro-
| 1ect started under its provisions. That
| is located in Routt county, on the Lit
| tie Snake rivera tributary OF the
Yampa. This enterprise Is being con-
Quoted by the Snake River Canal COM
| pany. The reservoir VIII be located on
the Slater Fork canyon of the Little
Snake river. deriving its waters from
the mountains north OF Hahn's peak.
The dam will be 65 fee, nigh and ~
feet wide at the top, impounding enough
water for the irrigation of from bO.Voo
to SIS 900 acres OF land In addition TO
| the reservoir 60 miles of canals ana
| laterals will be constructed, the plan
| costing about 100000. THIS however,
represents u first cost of plant of only
| Sc for each acre of land reclaimed, as
against an average first cost OF govern
inent irrigation projects amounting to
S35 acre. By building the dam 30 rect
higher, its storage capacity can be
| doubled As the water supply Is ann
! pie and the lands available, 1t is prob
able that this will ultimately be done.
OFFERS SPECIAL ADVANTAGES.
The Carey act is peculiar in that its
provisions offer special advantages to
both settlers and construction COM
| panies. AS stated by c. 70. Wantland,
| a railroad companys general sales
agent who has made particular study
| OF all public land questions. this law
| affords to capital its only opportunity
| to share in the reclamation of the Arid
| Empire. Irrigation enterprises, con-
| Quoted by private persons or corpora
| tions, are impracticable under either
| the homestead or the desert land laws,
but under the Carey act capital Is alb
| solutely secure. while the rights of set
| tiers are fully protected by state super
| vision and control The state. in fact,
owns the land until the settler has
| paid for his water rights; and deferred
| payments for the water rights are
first lien upon the land in favor of
the construction company until they
have been fully liquidated.
SETTLERS GET BIG BENEFITS.
The advantages to the settlers con-
sist in the extremely easy terms offered,
| and In the fact that the ownership Of
| tha itriprp tim INF bair
hands when the construction company
has been paid. Each state has its own
laws, defining the terms upon which
ownership of lands and water rights
may be acquired The two are in
| separable. The lands segregated under
| the Carey act cannot be acquired with
out the water rights. nor can the water
rights be acquired without the lands.
| Most OF the states have modelled their
| laws after those of Idaho. which are.
therefore, fairly typical. Under these
| laws an entry can be made either In
person or by agent, the amount being
| limited to 100 acres to one person. No
resident is required until within six
months after notice that water Is ready
| for delivery, After that time residence
is continuous until final proof, which
| is usually made within 90 days, but
which can be made at any time within
| three years after delivery of water
One eighth Of the land is required to
be cultivated, and Carey act entries are
assisnable.
ENCOURAGES HOME SEEKERS.
These liberal provisions of the law are
| particularly attractive to homeseekers.
Suitable reclamation or the land is
required; but at the same time resi-
dence is not required until water is
| ready for delivery. and until conditions
are such that life is tolerable. The
| fact that entries are transferable and
| title easily acquired are OF inestimablc
| value In giving credit TO members of
| these new communities that are being
established in the desert with both
| bankers and merchants.
ASSISTS POOR MAN.
The consideration IS OF tho highest
| Importance to the man who is poor In
! this worlds goods, but who cherishes
| the laudable ambition TO acquire a
| home. The price of land Is so cents
an acre, payable to the state, % cents at
! the time entry Is made and 90 cents
| payable on the making OF final proof.
! The price Of water rights varies from
$40 up 10 s25 an acre, payable IN annual
! instruments, In most cases OF 81 an acre.
with interest at G per cent on deferred
payments. II is not unusual in the
| wonderfully fertile virgin soil Of thesA
| irrigated lands 70 realize moro than
enough from the first crop TO pay for
the entire cost Of the land and perpet-
ual water rights.