Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-10

forced with steel between perpendicular
cliffs more than 300 feet high The bot
tom of the gorge is only sixty feet wide;
at the top 1t is only 200 feet wide, and
when the dam is completed the entire
gorge will be filled with water and a
lake extending back several miles will
contain a sufficient amount Of water to
irrigate half a million acres of land.
The pathfinder" Dam.
Another great work of the reclamation
service is the pathfinder" dam. about
fifty miles south of Caspar. and 100 miles
north of Cheyenne, at the junction of the
North Platte and Sweetwater rivers.
There dam 164 feet high has been COM
pleted across canyon, which makes a
reservoir, eighteen miles long. averaging
six miles wide and eighty feet deep. This
is intended to irrigate about 100000 acres
Of land in southern Wyoming and west
ern Nebraska. and the project will cost
about So JOO.GOO when complete.
1t is intended to make the North Platte
river the main canal to be cut by lat
erals at right angles through its course
and release the water from the storage
crop season. The Platte river is roaring
torrent for six months in the year and as
dry as a bone for the remainder. but
hereafter. with the dam and the new re-
1t will be compelled to act in rational
manner and furnish water when it is
needed. Already about 10000 acres trib-
utary to the Northwestern, the Burling-
ton and the Union Pacific railroads are
being supplied with water. and the land
is being rapidly taken up in tracts of
eighty acres. at the rate Of $40 per acre,
payable in ten years.
One of the largest enterprises in the
state which has been temporarily sus-
papda6 undertaken nv Chicago
syndicate. known as the Big Horn Basin
Development Company. Under its con-
tract it agreed TO irrigate a large area
Of fertile land on the Burlington rail-
way, in the northern part OF the state.
and promised to have it opened for set
Element May 10. 1905 But the company
did not have the necessary means to
complete the construction, and its affairs
is negotiating with the officials of the
state for a settlement that will protect
all the parties concerned.
Touring the State.
Mr.. 9. W. Williams, state commissioner
of immigration. is now at Lander. making
tour of all the counties for the pur-
pose of informing himself as to condi-
tons and resources. SO that he may in
diligently perform the duties of his Of
flee. which has been newly created.
tempt on the part of the authorities of
Wyoming to induce immigration, said
Mr.. Williams. There has been a bureau
o. immigration. consisting of three state
officials. but they never gave much at
tention to the subject until three months
ago, when they appointed mes a commits
sioner with an allowance for printing and
advertising, and authorized me to visit
all parts of the state to inform myself. so
that l can give information and advice"
hnf iC q Ypnr ri n pnf
come to Wyoming?' 1 asked.
Because the resources and the ad
vantages OF the state have not been
properly advertised. replied Mr.. VIII
liamS. THE facts are not known. And
the climate has bad reputation. There
is a general impression that our winters
are very severe and, unfortunately, the
Union Pacific railroad, which is our main
thoroughfare, passes through a bleak, cold
and desolate country, which gives travel
ers a bad impression. Then, again, our
stockmen don't want immigration: they
don't want to give up their ranges. They
complain that they are crowded now. and
there has been a very large increase III
both fiocks and herds throughout WyOm-
ing.
I'VE have a variety of climates and a
certain portion of the state has very
severe winters but here at Lander, in
the central part o. Wyoming among the
foothills OF the Rocky mountains, is
climate almost Identical with that of
Colorado Springs. The Wind river valley,
being sheltered by high mountain ranges
to the north and west always has a mild
winter and never any loss OF cattle or
sheep from storms. The reports of the
weather bureau will show only one other
place has less wind and only two other
places-Santa Barbara, Cal, and Lynch
burg, Va. have more sunshine.
Variety of Minerals
The mineral resources of the STATE have
great variety. and their development
hasn't yet been begun. We have thou
sands of square miles of mineral country
that has never been explored. We have
mountains Of iron beds of coal petro-
leum, asphaltum, asbestos and all of the
precious metals. while prospectors are
constantly discovering new metals that
we do not know anything about.
In agriculture We can raise everything
but cotton and corn. Wheat and other
grains. alfalfa and hay. potatoes and
other root crops. fruits of all kinds and
berries will grow both under dry farming
and irrigation. and there are now about
eral government and the Carey act. al
ready in progress that will sustain a
million more people whom we are invit-
ing to come and take Tree homes
How are you going to induce them to
Gomez"
by making known the advantages of
Wyoming said Mr.. Williams Il am
varied resources of the state and the
methods by which a newcomer can OBJ
tain farm and home. We will also
publish sectional pamphlets covering the
several counties of the state with their
different conditions and resources and the