New-York tribune., 1910-05-10
RESULTS OF IRRIGATION
They Show Up Daniel Webster
as a False Prophet.
CALLED WEST A "DEsERT"
Said Country Beyond the Mis-
souri, Was Worthless" and a
Region of Savages.

Omaha, May 9.-With the figures before
MIN Showing the marvellous growth of the
vast country beyond the Missouri River.
man recently deived into the mast his
tory Of what was once known as the
Great American Desert" so that he might
prepare few comparative ta hles he
went so far back that he found a begin
ming not only in the nothingness quite
usual TO new country but found also a
prophecy that the region, which nov, nro-
duces in various ways over two thousan nd
millions OF dollars worth of marketable
things year, was reIegated seventy years
ago 70 the position at present occupied by
the Desert OF Saraha.
The period Of prophecy was 1s49. The oc-
casion was a bill for the esta blishment of
mail route across the desert" The place
was the United States Senate. and the
prophet was Daniel Webster. He knew of
the Lewis and Clark expedition, and had
read about il. He knew of the Oregon
and California trails. He opposed the bill.
He called the vast area now one Of the
richest sections Of the country "a vast and
worthless area He referred to il as a
region cf savages and wild beasts
Steel rails were laid along the old trails
The savages and wild beasts were brushed
aside. and waving fields Of grain and great
herds Of cattle took the place OF the land
Of waste and destruction In recent years
irrigation has supplied part of the bar
re1 regions with abundant wafer and the
last vestiges Of the desert Will have been
removed when the government and private
plans for an extension OF the system Of
canals and bitches have been completed.
How the Desert" Has Changed.
AS a concrete example OF the change. the
valley Of the Platte. once q dismal and
dry region. produced corn in 1903 valued at
$50 e0o,ooo Superlative expressions only tell
the story adequately of the advancement
IN the Great American Desert" Kansas
valued her livestock in 1903 at nearly $500
COZ go The output Of mines of gold and
silver dwindles into tnsignifcance when
compared with the yearly productivity Of
the farming states. Colorado in fifty years
got out Of her mines a little more than
s.. 600 0oe,eH0
webster knew nothing about the future
OF the Great American Desert" He knew
as little about the Pacific Coast region.
He called It "a coast OF three thousand
miles rockbound. cheerless. uninvtting'
Il was 70 be reached by the mail service
There are rocks out there But if any
earthly paradise is uninviting, then is the
Pacific Coast "cheerless, uninviting'
II can be understood why there was ig-
norance OF conditions in the great West
ern domain seventy years ago. Travel and
romance go hand in hand The travellers
in those davs gave added favor 70 their
tales by pictures Of the difficulties they
had 10 overcome. But the railroads an
initiated q rich field for the Imaginative
writer
When the Union Pacific Railroad was
projected its inception was due 20 what
President Lincoln believed to be a mill
tary necessity. The government lent its
aid 70 pay the enormous expense Of the
Undertaking. To-day the railroads are
carrying thousands of settlers into the
former desert and as soon as the great
irrigation plans are completed there will
Re room n that district for 4 population
as great as there is at present east Of
the Mississippi
States in Zcre of Developn pnaent.
There ere eight states that come espe-
cfalIv into this zone Of vast development
that is in continuous progress. They are
Nebraska Kansas Colorado. Wyoming
| Utah Idaho. Oregon an6 Washington. In
their varied climatic conditions. diversity
! OF soils and elevations every taste or
need of the settler can be satisfied. In the
! irrigated districts there is enough land at
moderate prices for many thousands OF
home seekers.
| These states in 1908 produced cereals.