Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-10
OUT WYOMING WAY
How They Make Money in a
Dry State.
VAST IRRIGATION PROJECTS
How Land Is Acquired Under Carey
Act.
AT GREAT PATHFINDER" DAM
Each Man in State Has Average of
One Square Mile to
Himself.
7 GREAT PATHFINDER" DAM
BY WILLIAM F. CURTIS
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.

/
tied sections of the United States. The
recent census showed about $1,000 popu-
lation occupying an area of 5000 square
miles an average of one square mlie
| to every man. woman and child in the
state Yet with Senator's Warren and
Clark at one end of the Capitol at Wash
ington and Representative Mondel at the
other, Wyoming has had more influence
in national legislation for years than the
state of New York. or three-fourths of
the other states of the Union. But that
is not her fault. and she does not apollo
giZe for it.
The actual area of Wyoming is
6o,OOO.0O0 acres. and approximately
| 4o.OOo0U acres is grazing land which
| cannot be cultivated with profit either by
| dry farming or irrigation. The forest re-
serves include 9.OD,OOn acres. About
6,oGO.C00 acres can be irrigated and about
as much more can proftably be farmed
without artificial moisture by dry farm
ing. The limits have been approximately
esta blished by the United States weather
bureau. Wherever the average annual
rainfall exceeds ten inches and sage brush
will grow it is possible. by cultivating the
soil throughout every year and planting
crops every other year, to raise grain, po-
tatoes, alfalfa, field peas and other sta
pies suitable to this climate, except corn,
where the altitude is not higher than 1000
feet above the sea. At higher altlluues
the nights are SO cold and the seasons
are so short that agriculture is not prof
table.
Redeeming Arid Lands.
No state except Idaho has undertaken
the redemption of its arid land with such
energy and intelligence as Wyoming, and
more than fifty different companies and
individuals are now engaged in building
irrigation systems which ought to provide
homes for twice the present population OF
the state. The government Of the United
States is spending millions Of dollars on
several large works. portion of when
have been completed; and the state gov
eminent under an act of Congress intro
duced by Mr.. j. NJ. Carey of Cheyenne,
when he represented Wyoming in the
United States Senate, has entered into
contracts with private corporations for
the redemption of nearly two million acres
of arid lands which II has been permitted
to segregate for development and settle
ment Fully SW.OuU acres are in actual
process of reclamation under the Carey
act in Wyoming at the present time And
If you want to know more about 1t write
to the office of experiment stations, De
partment of Agriculture, Washington, ID.
c., for Bulletin No. 2O5. prepared by Clar-
ence T. Johnston, state engineer. under
the direction Of Samuel Fortier. chief OF
irrigation investigations; or you can
write to Robert I. Fuller. commissioner
Of public lands. Cheyenne. Wyo.. for
copy of his recent report
How to Get Lands.
Mr.. Fuller kindly explained to me the
process of acquiring lands under the Ca
rey act, follows:
The company proposing such develop
ments first makes a survey and plans for
the work which inSnnCtpd and
be approved by the state engineer, and
are submitted with an application to the
state board of land commissioners which
is composed Of the governor. the secretary
of state and the superintendent of public
instruction. The application must describe
the lands that are to be irrigated, the
price to be charged for water rights, the
form of contract TO be used and other
particulars. If the state board approves
of the application it is submitted with
recommendations to the general land Of
flee at Washington, where, upon the ap-
prevail of the Secretary of the Interior,
the lands designated are withdrawn from
entry and placed in control Of the state.
The work Of constructing the irrigation
plant Is done under the inspection of the
state engineer, who requires a system OF
canals or reservoirs sufficient in capacity
to furnish water for the reclamation of
the segregated lands. which are then sold
to actual settlers at a specified price,
based upon the cost of construction of
the PROJECT, out NOT 10 exceed 500 per
acre. This maximum price is allowed
for expensive construction Of the first
class. Any form of construction might
be made expensive, but if it is not made
of concrete and steel it would not be
considered first class. Small canals of a
cooperative nature have sold water for
Carey act lands as low as $40 per acre
in parts of the state remote from the rail
road.
One-Fourth in Advance
The company is not allowed to require
more than one-fourth of the price in ad-
vance, but may take such lesser amount
as the settler may be able to pay, salts
factory to the company, with interest not
to exceed per cent per annum and usual
~ per cent. All of the works are car
ried under the inspection of the state
engineer. who requires specifica lions as
o construction in advance, which must
be approved by him before the state will
enter into contract.
Sales of land to settlers are also con-
Quoted under the supervision of the COM
missioner Of public lands. so that the set
tier is protected as securely as he is under
the reclamation act of the national gov
eminent.
The state land board requires as a
condition of contract that the company
shall not accept money from settlers for
water rights until their project Is COM
pleted, unless the contracts, the money
paid thereon and other evidences Of in
debtedneSs deposited in escrow in
some bank TO be agreed upon, there to
be held until the water contracted for is
ready for delivery. Every precaution is
taken by the state authorities to protect
the settler.
How much of the two million acres has
been taken up under the Carey acto" I
asked.
"A little over one million acres have
been applied for by about fifty different
companies. Some of them have been for
eign, but the state now requires that all
contracting companies shall be incor-
porated under the laws of Wyoming"
Withdrawn From Settlement.
The irrigation map of Wyoming is COW
cred with dark blots. showing the lands
that have been Withdrawn from settle
ment for this purpose, and sooner or
later will be opened to settlement with
plenty of water for every kind of crop
or fruit The rivers of Wyoming are large
and numerous enough to furnish an album
dant supply of moisture for all the land
that can possibly be cultivated, while
the construction of storage works and
reservoirs will prevent the terrible waste
of water and the destructive Gods that
occur every spring when the mountain
SHOWS are suddenly exposed to the hot
sun. When these works are completed
the foods will not only be restrained
Cured annually, but the water will be
available during the dry months. when
il is reeded for the crops.
Up in Big Horn county, in the north
ecn part of the state. the most extensive
and costly irrigation works have been