The Greeley tribune., 1910-05-19
FAPIy EVENING FIRE DESTROYS 0RPIlEUM THEATRE
AND WILSON POOL HALL WHILE lMbUNt bUlLDNu
AND OTHER ADJOINING PROPERTY Much DAMAGED
CONGRESS- TO
HE GREATEST SUCCESS

HE GREATEST SUCCfSS
Pueblo. May lS.-It is n peculiar
ly appropriate and equally signih
cant fact that the Eighteenth Ma
tional Irrigation Congress. Pueblo.
September a6-30. 1910. will be held
In the city named for the tribe ot
Indians that first practiced tho an
cient art of irrigation in this coun-
try-the Pueblo tribe.
These Indians inhabitated por-
tions OF what are now the territor-
les OF New Mexico and Arizona. as
we'll as southern Colorado, Their
descendantswere still cultivating the
land and practicing irrigation when
the Spanish came to these parts. CEN
turtles ago. with the sword in one
hand and the cross in the other.
Traces OF the work of this tribe are
still to be found in the great south
west. and the marvel OF modern en-
gineering Is the precision with which
they constructed their bitches and
their works.
The Mormons, in Utah. were the
first English-speaking people to en-
tertain the practice of irrigation in
anything like systematic manner
in the west. and their successes are
a matter of history. Southern Cali
fornia was the next English-speak-
ing section OF the west to put water
on the land, and 1t partly grew from
the labors of the placer miners, who
utilized the water with which they
washed their ore to grow crops upon
the lands.
Colorado. in its northern section.
was one of the first portions OF the
=
ancient art. and its success has been
marked. Every problem In irrtsa-
tion-and there are many-has been
solved in the Fort Morgan. Fort Col
Inns, Boulder. Greeley districts and
on the North Platte and Cache la
Poudre.
1t has been estimated that there
are forty million acres In the west
susceptible OF irrigation. of which
the twenty-five government projects
now complete or in process or con-
struction will comprise more than
three million acres. Private projects
have already taken care OF more than
ten million acres, and other private
projects. now in contemplation or
under way will have an additional
acreage OF five millions, Added to
this must be enumerated proposed
government projects, thirteen in all,
ready for funds to construct them.
having an acreage OF three and
quarter millions.
One OF the most gratifying things
OF the year. and result that may
be directly traced to the influence
of the National Irrigation congress-.
is the act of congress approved on
February 25. 1910. amending the
census act in several particulars but
more especially providing for COM
plete census OF private irrigation pro-
jects. This contemplates the acre
age. the crops. the capital invested.
and will furnish accurate and Of
fetal figures for the benefit OF not
only irrigationists and agriculturists
but engineers. capitalists and public
experts. This inquiry will be made
portion of the regular census TAX
ing. to begin April Is. The unusual
effort put forth by the friends OF
the eighteenth national irrigation
| congress and its officials is directly
responsible for this marked progress
| and result
An irrigationist publicfst has re-
Gently figured. in careful and con-
servative way, that census today
would show fully 250,000 farms in
| tue QulteN SIdlto uuueT ultCueS,
watering more than fifteen million
acres OF land. The state OF Colorado.
within which the eighteenth congress
will be held September $3.50, next.
leads all other states. having three
and half million acres under wat
er. and 10000 miles Of canals and
laterals California has the largest
number OF irriRators, while the state
OF Washington has the greatest per-
| lcentage in the number of irrigators
The world at large has seventy
FIVE billion acres under irrigation.
II Is interesting to know that
there were but 10000 acres under
irrigation in 1870. compared with
the fifteen millions at present. That
was forty years ago. The National
Irrigation congress was born in 1890.
so the life of the congress that gave
the west and the country the national
reclamation act and really started
this great development work Is ex-
actly one-half the time that has
elapsed since there were but paltry
900 acres under water in the
United States.
1t is. then, quite appropriate that
the latest and greatest of the annual
sessions of the most potential de-
velopment agency of the country
should be held in the state that
leads all in the acreage under irriga-
ton. and in the city named for the
tribe OF Indians that introduced and
successfully practiced irrigation In