The Parker post., 1911-10-21
WEST HAS HOMES FOR MIL
LIONS.
Continued from Page ID

communities which will raise in
these new agricultural districts.
Looking forward to 1850 when our
population is likely to be $50 900
900. who can measure the impOr-
tance Of work which will guarantee
homes and employment for ten mil
liens OF people, and which will bring
into cultivation such vast food-pro-
ducing area.
National reclamation gave Il WON
derful impetus TO private enterprise.
and astonishing success in the 90.
Element OF large areas has followed
the efforts Of q number OF corpora
tons working in conjunction with
state governments. There is moro
activity on tho part of individuals il
irrigation work today than in any
previous time in our history. The
development and growth of our aril
states ana territories during the
past five years have been amazing
Land values have steadily risen and
che much desired subdivision Of
large holdings is increasing with tn
rise in values.
| believe the time Will como. arc
al no distant day, when the big land
owner will be regarded as an unda-
3irable citizen, and laws will be en-
acted or taxes so assessed as to make
il Improbable to maintain vast as
tates, OF which only small portions
are productive, and which furnish
no employment for the people. To
my mind one of the most cheering
features OF the present growth of
the west is the breaking up of the
great estates, many of which were
taken from the public domain by
methods more or less questionable.
Here and there are vast tracts of
land held in single ownership, or
by corporations, which interpOse a
barrier to the land hungry and offers
obstacles to the proper development
of the country
In the main, however, the ten
dency strongly is to subdivide The
great cattle ranches are being cut up
in quarter-sectiOn farms. and four
homes or more to the square mile
dot a landscape which a short time
ago, held perhaps only lone ranch
house within the radius Of vision
Ten years ago l drove for two days
across a part of Montana and never
saw spot where the virgin soil had
been turned You cannot drive a
today without seeing cultivated land
The Miracle of irrigation.
The miracle OF irrigation, which is
performed each year in the arid west,
Is most impressive and wonderful
manifestation of natures beneficence
to man
Throughout the winter season the
clouds OF heaven are swept hither
and thither about the uplifted noun
tains, whose heads tower mile
above the plain. On their frowning
fronts and lofty SUBMITS the snow
falls heavily, covering deeply every
peak and promOntory and filling
every chasm; then the warm rays OF
spring and summer sun fall softly
upon the white snow banks and tiny
streams and roaring cataracts burst
forth and journey downward to fill
to overlooking numerous lakes, each
a sapphire gem in the heart of the
mountains.
The heavy clouds, the towering
peaks, the falling snow and gentle
sunshine, the rush and whirl OF de-
scending waters, these are reassuring
evidences OF natures maternal con-
trbutions to the dweller in the
desert.
1t remains but for mans industry
and intelligence to utilize these gen.
erous donations. The engineer finds
no field more attractive than this for
his energies. He : curbs the stream
with masonry dams and lifts the
water into huge canals Water and
land long divorced are welded, and
wavering fields Of grain and orchards
prolific beyond comparison, replace
the wastes of sand and sage
brush.--C. }. Blanchard. U. s. Recla-
nation Service.