Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-06-22
Water for Thirsty Lands
ny Frederic ). IIoskin.

Government sanction has Just been
given for the construction of "a huge
dam which win be the main structure
90 an irrigation system which will
give water 90 man thousand acres ~
LAID I'm New Mexico. Texas and the
Eepubiic 81 Mexico, an in tho yicin
ity of 1T paso Tex The construction
of this great dan nj Elephant Butte
will be the chief work OF the Rio
Grandc project. which Will when COM
pleted restore 10000 acres OF desert
10 a fertility to De cquaicd only ln the
valley of the Nile.
A thousand years ago. or 1000
wears ago. before the dawn of history
and before the American engineer
and his concrete dam construction
had been dreamed of. this part of the
valley OF the Rio Grandc was q huge.
fertile field. II supported q popuia-
ton of thrifty and industrious pco-
/ pie. possessed or a. high degree ~
engineering ~ constructive skill.
Modern man g. not know even tho
inme of this race of people Tie does
not know what was the color of their
skin, what gods they wor~hipptd what
history they enacted. lie docs not
know ~ these people 0ourtshed before
UT MNA'A AAN UAN-NAAN NtiAANNAa NN NaEh lNAt
He knoWs only that these people Sea
the morning of the carccr of the hue
maj race, were Ncrscd an the science
of irrigation. for their sole remaining
monument b. the system of cut stout
waterways which were used 90 bring
the water from storage reservoirs 70
the thirsty land.
Soma OF these ancient prehistoric
canals were cleaned out and repaired
hN tho Indians somewhere about tho
time Columbus sailed into the West.
Spanish explorers. soldiers ana priests
found this valley Inhabited by
sedentnry tribes. engaged in a%ericul-
ture by Irrigation roo years before
John Smith came a. jamestown The
congx ruction OF an irrigation plant IN
this vicinity has tho sanction of the
most ancient and honorable precedent
and usage possible to Dee found Ia the
western world.
The land which Will bt reclaimed
under this irrigation project lies part
IS im the territory of New MeN4,-,
partly IN tho state OF Texas. ana part
Is in the republic OF Aiexico. ON this
account. the project Is peculiarly COM
ulieate0 ly reason ~ the diverse In
terests ~ the federal American goN-
eminent, the Texas state government,
M The Mexican government. Mex
ico ~ the guardian and protector vt
the interests of us people who dwell
IN tho Rio Grande valley just acroe
the line from TcNae. These people
and their ancestors for centuries up-
on centuries had been using the WA
ter 81 the Rio Grande to irrigatc their
lands. Enterprising Americans set
Ting In New Mexico above the line.
In many private irrigation projects.
diverted the water ol the river before
Il reached the point where II becomes
m international stream. The result
OF this was that the land owned hY
the McXicuns no longer could get amy
water and IL WIS turned back 10 the
desert.
ON this account the Republic or
Mcxico instituted claims against the
United States government for dam ,
ages aggrogating about $50, 600, coo. /
These claims ware pending for many
years. Three years z "A treaty was
into between the United States
ana Mexico. under the terms % which
United States agreed 20 construct =
q great irrigation plant and 10 give. (
without charge. water % the $4,000
acres OF Mexican LAND which had been
10y the diversion Of the waters
,f the Rio Grande. The total cost Of
HE Rio Grande irrigation project will
eNHNWW#WNUs ~ AAlftAA NAsNFNH'NN ~ ]
directly ont OF the Unit
ID States treasury. This sum goes to
lay for that proportion OF the project
is devoted to the uses OF Mexi-
20. According 70 the treaty. Mexico
p%ithdraws all of It's $40. 600. 900
'laims in consideration Of the con-
truction of the new irrigation plant.
'he other $4,000. 600 VIII be paid back
o The government by tho persons who
the hand. as Is the ease la all
'ther projects under the reclamation
erNicc.
There was still another complica-
The state OF TeNls formerly :
the Republic of Texas and was
nneNcd to flc United States bs a J
rcaty which established certain preu- !
lar relations. The federal goVerh :
icnt never has owned any public land !
\ Texas, and. therefore. Texas was q
ot Included Ia the prvisions Of the
encral reclamation ret. a special !
iw was passed by To permit q
Ia participate In the hcno- Il
~ Of the reclamation act for tic 4
OF his project. The project
as planned several years ago. but n
n account Of the international and =
complications. prcliminnrs e
rogress necessarily was slow Now Il
u of tho diverse interests have been "a
1iustcd, the project has been given Y
le official sanction Of the depart "a
cnt of the interior. and the actual y
ork will begin Immediately p
OF the l55.000 acre 81 irrigabie =
nd to be reached by the water ~tlh