The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-11-06
SAGEBRUSH WASTES
NOW WAVING FIELDS
Reclamation Work Sees DeS-
ert Vanish as Settlers
Appear on Scene.

A quarter of century ago any
mention of the Great American desert
called up visions of a region OF limit
less extent. sun-baked. parched and
desOlate. A country associated always
with tales Of suffering and death, OF
unfriendly savages and deadly reptiles.
for years il was passed over by Con-
gress as worthless. The marvellous
transformation which has been
wrought in two decades in this land
Of silence and sunshine furnishes one
Of the most interesting and inspiring
pages in the annals of our republics
Development The great American
desert is vanishing from the map. It's
boundaries have shrunken. and it no
longer presents a formidable barrier
to the growth and progress of the far
west.
Twelve million acres OF this rainless
country have been subdued by means
OF agriculture and irrigation, and are
producing bOuntiful and assured har-
vests every year. A quarter Of a mil
lion families are residing on farms
and as many more have found homes
and occupations in the cities, towns
and villages which have sprung up in
the midst OF the agricultural areas
Great dams have been constructed TO
DOul4A the AA00uHf ana tAllOuSl ~
600 miles OF canals and bitches the
life giving water has been turned upon
the dusty desert.
Streams Are Harnessed.
The streams have been harnessed
for power, and an era Of manufac-
turing is dawning, in which all OF the
raw products OF the farm, the forests
and the mines will be prepared for the
markets Of the world.
The comforts and luXuries hereto
fore unknown in agricultural regions
already are Obtainable in many of the
western valleys. The farmer lights
and heats his home with electricity.
and his heavy work is done cheaply
by the same potent force.
Trolley lines bring the farm and
town close together. In a majority Of
the irrigated districts the farms are
small-nOt more than 40 acres each.
With 16 10 60 farm families to the
square mile. isolation is eliminated
and life in the country becomes more
nearly urban than rural. While pic
neering in this new country calls for
a good deal of grit and not little hard
work the compensation is sure and
abundant.
No Chiid's Play.
Carving out a home in the desert
is no child's play. II is a mans work.
but there are few places where ma
ture responds more quickly to intelli-
gent industry than the irrigated cOun-
try. On the government projects the
past year has been a cOnspicuousIy
prosperous one. The success Of the
average farmer in many instances has
been remarkable.
on several OF the projects the crops
on individual farms this year have
Welded enough 10 enable the owners
to repay the government every dollar
Of their obligations if they We're 50
inclined. As the payments 10 the gov
ernment extend over a period Of ten
years without interest, there is no OBJ
ject in meeting the same in advance.
and most of the farmers therefore are
devoting their revenues TO improving
their homes and in purchasing live
stock and implements.
one OF the most interesting features
OF the upbuilding Of these new COM
munlties Is the large number of set
tiers who have come from the cities