The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-07-14
CHICAGO TRIBUNE SAYS
IRRIGATION IS MAGNET;
DRAWS PEOPLE WESTWARD

settled portions of rain belt country
to the east.
In the conduct of this work on
these eleven projects, now almost
doubled in number, 1900 governmer,
employees in the registration and clos
sitied lists were employed, 10000 lab
orers on the ground found employ
ment. and a payroll of $1,000,000 a
month was required to meet the ok
pendture, to say nothing of the cost
of engineering material of all kinds
necessary to construction of the ir-
rigation dams, canals, reservoirs, and
pumping stations.
Are not these figures alone eloquent
of the growing interest in the Jew
farming lands of the far west? AMI
when private enterprise has been do
ing almost twice as much along the
same lines. shall one wonder at the
inte,est of the citizens of the mid
die west?
Prepare for Chicago Exposition.
Over on the fourth floor of the big
office building at 115 Adams street
Secretary Robert L. Cross of the cola
ing Land and Irrigation exposition
this fall at the Chicago Coliseum, TO
be conducted under the auspices Of
The Tribune says he has been
swamped with inquiry, which is in
crossing day after day. Mr.. Cross
had not prepared for inquring land
seekers. He is busy preparing for an
exhibition of all that pertains to all
of tbs vast western farming move
ment now established.
But day after day, by letter and liz
person, people lombard him with in
quiries that in the answering may
promise them, in advance of the OK
position some knowledge of where
they should seek farms for them
selves. They would like to see the
exposition mensely-yes-bu that
comes in the last week of Novemhe.'.
Before November they are hoping
themselves to be settled on that vest
ern farm of their dreams, growing
just such things as shall make the
exposition itself another of the new
wonder of Chicago.
some of these Gales | send across
the street to the federal building fDr
inquiry of the reclamation service
agent" said Mr.. Cross Eve even
tried in a way to anticipate some Of
these questions of particular districts
, by writing headquarters for litera-
ture. issued to meet the inquiry of the
homeseeker at large. I have writ
ten for only one copy of the adver-
Using matter issued by each of the
state commercial associations. state
boards of trade, chambers Of corn
merce, land companies. irrigation
companies. bureaus of emigration
and the scores of county organiza-
tons showing attractions of particl-
lar sections.
"And I've got a library full %
stuff" exclaimed Mr.. Cross. "In HE
beginning l had thought of an ia
formation bureau to meet these III
| expected inquirers needs, but T feel
If we had such bureau we'd be
swamped hopeessly. Some of these
booklets are enough to put the best
magazines in the shade as to art
printing, while in subject matter it
would require a week to read and di-
gest one of them. Is everybody in
the country going west?"
$50 West" Still Sound Advice.
But if Mr.. Cross is overwhelmed
with inquiries, what of the Chicago
offices of some of these private ir-
rigation enterprises where whole
floor of modern Chicago skyscraper
is necessary to accommodate them?
What of the vast circular literature
hv he
service and mailed by tens of thou
sands every day? What of the in
quiries made of the railroad com pam
les interested in colonization
Horace Greeley with his go va;
young man" spoke more wisely than
he knew or could have anticipa-ad.
Today there is a renaissanca Of his
philosophy and stripped of the ro-
nance that accompanied the advice
III Greeley's time, the whole middle
west is awakened to an interest and
inquiry which promises finally to
make of the great west arn territory
" NV half continent that shall leave
its population mark in eight figures
in coming census reports.
Prosaic and practical as the -ush
for farms might seem III comoali-
son with the gold fevers of Years
ago. the law of chance still appeals
TO the, new settler. Once tn Uni:cd
states government had public do
main of two billion acres virtuaI'v
to give away. Today that possession
has sunk to half million ash e@.
VIII any of it be left ten years from
now?