, 1908-04-28
Terms Of subscription.
THE LA Il Project.

itorial correspondence III Is always
n pleasure to visit the town of Doug
las. There is something doing all tbs
time. Just at present one is greeted
with the statement hat Douglas is
so acres each. The lands lie for the
most part OF the west and southwest
of Douglas at a distance of from n
to twelve miles. Tne water right is
upon the La Prele, from which the
Hood waters will be diverted this year
thereof as the canal will carry. Next
year the big reservoir for storage pur-
poses will have been completed in time
to catch the flood waters and water
will be furnished the settlers at any
time they may need IL. This project
in the entire west. The lands segre-
gated are sagebrush lands with soil
many feet in depth. 1t is of a sedimen-
tary character with lime base. AL
ready the lands are dotted with houses,
something like a score of settlers hay
AuE tplduiiGutu NhNhinNANto oh thNb
claims. The average elevation is APP
proximately 5000 feet, making 1t pos
sible to raise all kinds of small grain
and all the vegetables that do not re
quire an exceedingly long and hot sea
son. Fruit does very well, there be-
ing many growing beds of strawber,
ries in the city of Douglas and a mum
Der of varieties of small fruits, such as
currants, gooseberries, raspberries,
etc. Apples, plums, crabapples, etc,
also do very well. In its native state,
the soil presents a dubious appearance
eye it is full of tremendous possibili,
ties. II intending settlers could be
taken to the Careyhurst ranch, a few
miles up the Platte, before they were
introduced to the lands under the La
Prele canal. their hearts would be
lighter and their confidence supreme.
At the Careyhurst ranch almost every
thing is raised and in quantities to as
tonish the farmers Of the east.
The main canal of theta Prele pro-
ject is practically completed. 1t is a
fine piece of work. There are three
tunnels in its course. the longest one
OF which is 900 feet. One large flume
of the Maginnis type cost $4,000. While
I was in Douglas the chief engineer of
the dam that is TO be constructed and
for which the contract has been let ar,
rived from the Boysen dam. He is NJ.
Chnr1a. TT IN~1a1 - tho Ap,b,,rSap IIu-
draulic Construction company of Bos-
ton, Mass. The La Prele dam is to be
1856 feet high and will back the water
of the stream only two miles, so great
is its fall. 1t will impound 15,100 acre
feet Of water. The company agrees 20
complete the dan in about eight
months from the beginning of the work
and work will be commenced 1 n the
next month. A big force will be
brought down from the Boysen dam as
soon as it is completed, which will be
in about two weeks.
The total expenditure in building the
irrigation works for this enterprise
will not be far from 5000, 1000, hut the
anticipated results Warrant the out
lay. In addition to the lands on the
west side of the North Platte, 1t is
planned to reclaim something like A 800
acres oil the east side, to the south of
Douglas, The water will be taken
across the. river through syphons.
The promoters of this large enter
prise are DIR. ]. NJ. Wilson, Mr.. w. F
Hamilton, Mr.. B. ]. Erwin, all of Doug
las, Wyo., and ]. NJ. Ellingsworth of
Lincoln, Neb. Parties are now being
taken to these lands almost daily and
numerous applications are being filed.
The maximum cost of the water is $50
per acre, divided in ten annual INSTALL
ments of So each, with interest on de-
ferred payments at the rate of 6 per
cent.
Four hundred homes will mean at
least ar addition of 1000 people to the
agricultural population of Converse
county and this number of rural pop1l-
lation will mean a like number of ur-
ban citizens. Converse county is a
great sheep county and it needs the pro-
ducts of just such a tract of land for
the highest development of the sheep
business. Alfalfa, field pease, barley
and small grain of all kinds will turn
the sheep and the lambs of the county
into the finished product instead Of
feeders for the gain of the spectators
of Colorado and Nebraska.
Fetterman Project.
In addition to the large acreage in
the La Prele project. the lands in the
Fetterman project will ne under water
this year. The old Brockway ditch has
been completed n water will be
turned upon the land this season. 1t
is all in private holdings at the present
time, but it will be none the less ad-
vantaseous to the city of Douglas to
have it transformed from a desert to
green delds and happy homes. This
latter tract is being reclaimed by
Messrs. Morton, Williams and Rich
ards, Hon. John Morton being the
principal holder. There has been a
tremendous expenditure to bring water
upon these lands, the Platte being a
very unruly stream right at this point
1t was necessary to carry the water
around a bluff near the river and ali
the calculations of the engineers We're
placed at naught by the turbulent
stream and the uncertain soil. As a
final solution of the problem a ste Il
f1ump ~ tho Ma piuuic pottorp hoe haap