The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-09-16
Observations By Seth Bottomley

bleak looking sagebush the contrast
could not be greater. for the greenness
OF The vegetation was intensified by the
blcakness of the desert. But if it show
ed what a great factor water is III add
ing to our domain for homes. it also
showed the fearful evil OF allowing pri
vate parties to own that water. for the
wretehed, shabby looking surroundings
of the settlers ON those irrigated tracts
indicated privation and poverty that
under right conditions would be UNI
necessary if not impossible.
If there is any more refined cruelty
! than to send an intelligent, well edu-
Gated young wife to help carve out a
! home in the wilderness under such cir
cumstances | don't know what it is.
! Churches, schools and social lie are
out OF the question, and poverty. pri-
walton and isolation is the lot of the
settlers on irrigated land for long weary
years, Tor even if nature is kind, the
railroad and irrigation companies are
merciless i'll their eXactions. The lands
in tie delta of the Sacramento and San
joaquin rivers are an example Of the
other extreme of finishing the world,'
that is Kidding land of its super abund-
ance OF water. The delta of those two
rivers. which form the two famous val
lcys of those names, own their origina
/ tion to the crosious of the soil from
the surrounding ranges OF mountains
during Hoods | was tolu by III old
native of the san Joaquin valley that
this process is still going ON, and he at
tributcd the wonderful richness OF the
soil to the deposits left by the floods.
This refers to land that is flooded only
for Il short time during spring freshcts.
But there are hundreds of thousands of
acres IN the lower reaches OF those
rivers and along the shores of the bays
into which they flow that are natural
s"amps. This land can only be brought
into cultivation by Il comprehensive sys-
TEN of dikcs. such as has worked such
wonders in Holland. A little work of
this kind has been done below Stock
ton but in a bungliDg hap hazard way.
But botchy as the work has been done,
the yields OF everything they raise on
the reclaimed lands shows its wonderful
possibilities.
But the same evils are met here as
i'll the case of irrigated laud Com
panies have done this work. or rather
hired cheap Oriental labor TO do it,
own the land. and rent it out. or work
it by proxy with the same kind OF la
Dor. That is, all the evils of absentee
landlordism and coolie labor already
curse that. what ought to be-
earthly paradise. | made the trip
each way between Stockton and
San Francisco on the San Joaquin
river. and nothing could be more
depressing than the scenes of the human
habitations along the banks of The river
proper before it extends into the BAY.
For the greater part of the way the
land is Il dead level from which the
water is diked out by the crudest and
fimsiest of earth embankment. The
numerous landings" along the river,
which is merely water channel through
Il swamp, are just jumping off places,
some with rude excuse of jetty but
many with none at all. Most of the
buildings, except those on large estates,
worked with coolie labor are i'm keep
ing with the jettys, finsy makeshifs.
The channels divide the land into what
are locally known as the Islands," tie
only communication with the cities be-
ing by two lines OF steamboats,. and
smaller nondecsrpt craft. These yes
sells market the products of the Islands.
and carry the ranchers to and from the
cities. The islands are noted for their
vast yields OF produce. especially of
vegetables and garden truck. but. as it
is everywhere where private parties
and corporations have got control of
the natural resources of wealth, these
vast yields are for The benefit of the
few. Hall Caine" says, imam exists
Tor the benefit of the few and the con
ditlOn of the scrfs of the landlords of
the Islands and the "watcrlords" OF the
irrigated districts of Colorado are
heart -sickening examples of the truth
of what he says. But not only are the
ranchers ''ranched'' by the landowners.
SD an acre is paid for rent but The
market for their produce is "cornered"
by produce kings" Strange. and humi-
HATING. too. to we free-bo of the great
Anglo saxon race. the most powerful
and richest of these commercial pirates
is japanese. He it is who in turn
lie of themselves and their and
who dictates the price his subjects
shall receive for the fruits of their
labor, and therefore the standard OF
life of themselves and their
families. Is it not time that conserva- !
ton got busy conserving: