Omaha daily bee., 1907-10-28
Forestry Bureau Conducting Expert
ments to Conserve Supply.
SCOTTISH RITE MAsoES NE
Membership of Southern Jurisdiction
Now About $4,000.
PUMPING 1RRIaATNe WATER
Testing the Machinery Of Big Elec-
tricaI Plant of WnIistOn Project
ia Now in Prog
resu.
1rrom a star Correspondent }

WASHINGIONt Oct' St'-NopNSi'' ~
gram. )-According 20 bulletin Just ISSUED
by the forestry bureau less than 90 per cent
Of the average tree as it stands in the woods
comes into market In the form Of merchant
able produots The remainder is allowed to
90 TO waste. some trees supposed to be of
little value have been habitually neglected
altogether and LEFT in the woods to fall and
decay.
The seriousness of this waste question
made but little impression on the lumber
man until forests began to fail and prices
reached point where building operations
were Handicapped. Lumoermen, It is as
serted in the bulletin, have too often gone
into the richest forests OF the country and
merely 'skimmed the cream taking only
choice parts OF the trees. and wasting the
remainder. Scarcity has now called halt
and made it necessary to put the whole
tree to its best use.
The investigations Of the government to
discover uses for waste material were first
carried on under something of disadvant-
age because OF the laboratories being in
different cities. Consolidation of forces
and CLOSE cooperation were almost impossi-
BILE. This was remedied last July by the
transfer OF headquarters to Washington A
building suited to the special requirements
OF the work was erected in which the APP
paratus used elsewhere has been installed.
Here the field OF inquiry will be extended to
cover additional phases Of the waste prob
lem as II affects the timber supply.
scottish Rite IasOns.
During the last week the supreme couu-
ell of Scottish Rite Masons for the SOUTH
ern jurisdiction has been meeting in this
city for the purpose of legislating for the
benefit Of that order. According to the
message of thei grand commander. James
d. Richardson of Tennessee upwards Of
5000 Masons have Joined the Scottish Rite
since the last biennial meeting Of the coun-
ell IN 1906 and that the membership in this
branch Of Masonry numbered upwards Of
80 900 The supreme council is at present
composed of twenty-five members. three OF
whom are in extremely feeble condition.
These gentlemen are Frederick Webber,
= hs eeorstapys who isrso years Of agei Mar
tin Collins OF st. Louis, and DR. Mum OF
Georgia The average age OF the twenty
two members Is 65 years and s months and
in the very nature OF things they cannot
much longer continue active work in the
body.
PumpinE IFriEating Water.
The actual pumping of water from the
Missouri river into the canal system of
the wiliiston irrigation project in western
North Dakota has begun. and until cold
weather prevents, tests OF the apparatus
and tho gradual fllling and uprising Of the
main canals and pressure pipes will con-
tinue IN order that the system may be in
good condition TO deliver water for next
seasons crops.
A great deal os interest attaches to this
project by reason of the fact that it is the
hrst to be undertaken in North Dakota.
and also because OF the unique engineering
features IN connection with It.
The Missouri river has a habit of con-
stantly cutting its banks and changing its
channels, that 1t was found impossible
to locate any structure for the diversion
of water by gravity without incurring
enormous expense to protect it from the
scour OF the stream. Moreover its grade
was so nat that any gravity canal would
bd OF prohibitive length. Fortunately large
beds of Ignite were discovered in the vi
cinity. affordlng cheap fuel and the en-
gineers conceived the plan of building a
power house at the coal mines and convey
ing 1t electrically to the river. The pumps
are placed on fioating barges which will ac-
ooinmodate themselves TO. changes IN the
river channel and In the water level. The
water is delivered through pipes with fex.
ible joints into several basins located al
different distances from the shore to b,
safe from encroachment by the shifting
river. From these basins the water will b,
pumped into canals 10 cover the irrigabl,
lands. The basins also serve for the pur,
pose OF settling silt large quantities Of
which arc carried In solution by the Mis-
souh river. During the winter the barge'
will be drawn out OF the water 10 point,
where they will be safe from ice gorge.
and sudden freshets
Power is Turned ON.
on September 3 the steam turbine gen
Grating machinery was started up for tn,
first time and on the following day tho