Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-10-08

Our great West, the Trans-Missls
slppl West has grown amazingly ~
fertility as better methods Of agricul
ture have opened larger areas and
have made the old areas produce more
abundantly, Then the government has
come in with Its wonderful reclama
ton service and has awakened the
sleeping desert. The work as q whole
rivals the Panama Canal in the labor
and expense involved. The employ
ment Of 10000 men and the expendi
ture Of $1.25O.OOO every month are
but incidents In the service. Already
the canals completed reach total Of
1875 miles--as far as from San Fran
cisco to Kansas City. Homes have
been made for ten thousand families,
where before was barren land. In the
past ave years s33.OO0,0o0 has been
spent, and the enterprises already
planned will add more than hundred
millions to this sum. Nor Is this
money spent in one locality. In New
Mexico one Of the largest dams In
the world Is being constructed. In
California and Nevada great reservoirs
and irrigation plants are being built.
In Western Kansas, the beet sugar
raisers have a $25O,OO0 plant for pump
ing to the surface the "underhow,"
found few feet beneath the top soil
Of the Arkansas River valley that
bitches may be filed and crops made
certain. On seven great projects, In
volving the expenditure Of $51,00OOOO
and the reclamation Of over million
acres, the benefit is directly to the
Northwest. These projects lie In
North and South Dakota, Montana and
Washington. In these states lands
that have been considered as worth
less for except for the coarsest kind OF
grazing, are being transformed. No
private enterprise could undertake the
vast plans being carried on BY the
government. 1t has excavated forty
seven tunnels, with total length OF
eleven miles. Among its accomplish
ments are 81 large structures, 675
headworks, fumes, ETC.; It has built
S75 miles Of wagon road in mountain
GUS country, has 727 miles Of telephone
lines, has manufactured In its own
mill ninety thousand barrels Of &C.
ment, and in Its own sawmills has
cut over three million feet Of lum-
Der. All this indicates a work OF the
first magnitude. 1t will be returned
many fold to the nation.
And | want to praise this branch
Of government enterprise; 1t is a mar
vel Of helpfuIness for which We should
all be thankful. 1t deserves our CO.
operation--for 1t is only on the TIRES
hold Of its accomplishments. The time
will come when every drop OF water
that falls on the states embraced In
the Trans-Mississippi states Will be
made to give its full measure OF pro-
duction to the soil. When that time
I
comes the Trans-Mississippi CONNER
cial Congress will represent millions
Of wealth where 1t now represents
thousands.
Along with this utilization Of the
rainfall so that 1t makes the soil pro-
luce up to Its limit Of fertility are
new methods Of agriculture, encour-
aged and aided by the government
through experiment stations, that are
adding immensely to the ability Of the
western farmer who produces crops
and in satisfactory quanti-
les. The western farmer has a great
n ability In crop production today 1
han at any time In his history and the
income Of his farm Is increasing stead. |
ly. In fact there is throughout the |
Trans-M Mississippi country one grand !
onward march Of production that Is I
he marvel Of the world and reflects |
magnificent tribute upon the men I
nd women who dwell on the fertile
ores that we call home. n
Homestead Lands.
Let US hope that settlement Of the Il
noccupled lands will be encouraged Il
y the government in sensible ways. I
he idea prevailing in early days Of s
he republic, that the public domain d
hould be used as a revenue producer, Il
bandoned In favor Of the better meth "
d Of using the same for settlement, O
hould not be revived. The West G
hould be settled up. The quicker the Ii
ublic domain passes into private r,
the better 1t will be for US. @
Try farming homesteads should be Al
rtaroaa o.. - 1aaof oOn ~, eIO ooraa A.