The Washington times., 1909-11-08
Greatest Migration in Gener-
ationS Now Under
Way.
PROBLEMS OFFERED
BY OVERCROWDING
Department of Agriculture Takes
Issue With the Statement
Of James j. Hill.
By ]. C. wELLIvER.

NA0ou AAAAb AAAN NANANGs
James J. Hill says they are. The De-
partments of Agriculture and Of the
Interior don't agree wi.h him on the
other hand, those two departments find
there IS in progress today such move
West as has never taken place be-
fore since the great migration which
settled the Ohio and Mississippi val
Ieys.
Not only this, but the new migration
10 the semi-arid plains and to the inter
mountain West is Of such tremendous
proportions that it is giving great con-
cern to far-seeing men, who fear that
it is going to be followed by the i'm
position of some new and difficult obli-
cations on the Government
Thousands and tens Of thousands Of
people are erowding into the lands west
Of the 100th meridian, kuying or home
steading; they are building homes on
the farms and starting new towns; they
are starting TO farm that country, and
thus far, since the present movement
began they have had gratifying sue
cess. But It is a region Of sharply lin
tied rainfall; in the last few years,
from all accounts, the precipitation has
been above the normal average. Long
experience has led to the conclusion
that an excess OF moisture covering a
period Of years is certain to be fol-
lowed by a deficiency distributed over
a like period What VIII become Of these
new settlers when the dry and lean
years come?
May Be Repeated.
It is, in short, the serious question
whether the whole region of the Rocky
mountain slope must 90 through another
period OF settlement and depopulation.
as much OF il has done before The
present migration has filed up the west
ern Nebraska and western Kansas
plains. which years ago. in like move
ment. were occupied. only to be largely
abandoned by the settlers when the dry
years came
The present movement, however, is a
vastly bigger one than any former one.
The western parts Of the two DakOtas,
once known as the Bad Lands are
fast being developed and put into culti-
VatiOni fifteen years ago they were
frankly regarded as worthless, and the
most enthusiastic boomer did not dream
o. trying 70 people them Wyoming,
Montana. Colorado. New Mexico, Idaho,
Washington. and Oregon, all come into
this category. The belief is that Ne
braska and Kansas. even TO their west
ernmOst extremes. are now comparative
" safe. new crops and new methods of
cultivation experience IN the effort 10
make the most Of the country, irriga-
ton, and finally. the fact that the pres
ent settlers are possessed OF more means /
than their predecessors have been and
are able TO establish themselves COM
fortably and even TO live through a pc
riod Of leanness while they are learning
what the country is good for.
But all this does not relieve the aglI-
cultural and the public land authorities |
from their anxiety over the outcome. |
Secretary Wilson is centering ali pos |
sible energies in the EFFORT to develop /
means and methods TO assist these .peo-
pie. He VIII try 10 get more means from
congress Tor carrying on the work AT 1
the Interior Department the demand Tor 4
more means viii center LARGELY in i
exclamation work; TO put as much wa
Ter as possible on the lands of these new /
settlers at the earliest possible day, viii /
be the struggle But there is twenty
times as much land as there IS water
VAST areas can never be irrigated. They 4
must be made the most Of without irri- /
CATION, ana mat means that farming or 1
STOCK raising methods must be devised /
Tor them.
Increase Continues.
Judge James W. Witten. OF the Cen
erai Land Office. just returned from
conducting a huge land lottery for the
Standing Rock Indian lands, in west
ern South Dakota. has been immensely
impressed with the great movement 20
the farms in the last few years. He is
assured that II VIII be greater the COM
ing season than ever before.
I'VE nsd 10 600 quarter-sectioa bona-
steads in our lottery on the Standing
Rock lands, he said. and Loo peopIeI
registered In person at the six places ofI
registration, for chance TO draw. Att
Aberdeen S. D., alone no less than s.. cool
registered. They came from All ox.er
Ine country, but mainly from Tov-a /
SUN SUN Dekota, Minnesota, Illinois, Wis
Sotslhs michigan, Indiana and Ohio /
everybody IN all that great valley is
wlid 70 get land. more land Thew bno,g
tIlal the supply OF cheap land will soon
De some forever, and the eagerness with
winch eYery opportunity IS crashed is al
most unbelievable. 4 very fevv r,Cro
years ana IneFe viii be no more cheaDI
land. say nothing Of homesteads.
Z The wonder 10 me, In ali these d,-g,,-
Ihsa nave been conducting, is the
number Of people who come from fbc
: : = tiss' tss Ihey want 70 get land in order
70 be abie 70 leave the cities You c0uid
tax day with the people who caD9s
Tor that drawing. and convince vourseiTI
that the cities were about TO be turned
Inside out, 10 distribute their millions
over the face OF the new West Tbers
were two railroad engineers from St
Paul. who wanted farms 50 they could
leave the road and settle down and
get something together for their FAINT
lies" Neither drew. An old lady from
5anduskY, Ohio, waited day by dsvl
throughout the drawing, In the hone
that her name would be called AT last
7n the afternoon Of the closing daV as
The last numbers were coming out she !
burned away In tears. 10 leave the gath
aring. Hesitating 20 give up, she went
10 the bulletin where the names Of the
lucky ones were posted. and stood. hope
essly coming over the names. What
vas her surprise 20 find her own name
among the earliest called on the fret
DAY. She had drawn one Of the best
Ssaims ia the entire list but had not
IHard her name when II was called
The people are going with plenty Of
money; they build good homes right at
ne outset. they introduce fine stock and
plenty Of II; and they are going to sue
5eed as their predecessors could not do.
The day Of pioneering is past Twol
years after IL Is opened, that country1
VII look Just like sections settled a
generation There IS no frontier and
mere are almost no poor homesteaders
sucn as @e knew In the Ox-train and
prairie schooner fines -