The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-03-23
DAM IS NOW Open
GREATEST RECLAMATION PRO
JEcT ~ WORLD HAS BEEN
succrssFuLLY COMPLETED.
ROOSEVELT is HoNoRtO GUEST
Cheering crswss Congratulate Former
President to whcns IL Que Honor Of
sfsrtins prcisct--Roossvelt Makes
Principal ersseh.

the cheers OF thousands assembled TO.
dsy to Witness the formal opening o.
the largest dam in the world, ths
Roosevelt structure across the csnyoa
Of the salt river. Miss Ethel Roose'
welt. under the direction Of her father
touched the button that sent the i'm
prisoned waters of the Arizona riyei
ripping through the vast system o.
canals that win transform this sun
baked construction town and zoo,oou
acres OF shifting desert sand into =
yeriiabie Garden OF Eden.
The arrival OF the Roosevelt party,
who motorsd rs miles across the
desert to attend the ceremonies. was
4 signal for wild hilarity among those
assembled to witness the event. The
cheering crowds pressed about the
litile group OF prominent state and
government officials to offer thanks
and congratulations to the colonel, to
whom in great measure they owed
the successful completion OF the pro-
ject and he repeatedly removed his
hat In acknowledgment OF their cor.
dial welcome.
AFTER tho first enthusiastic greeting
had died away tho party was escorted
10 platform erected near the famous
dam. Here every convenience that
could add to the comfort Of the hon
ored guest had been installed and
here. surrounded by an eager thrcnE
or sunburnt plainsnen. farmers, and
artisans employed upon the great
work. the three days ceremonies IN
honor OF the formal dedication Of the
great work, began.
Greatest World has Ever Seen.
Theses ceremonies mark the sue
cesslul termination OF one OF the
greatest reclamation projects the
world has ever seen. They mean the
reclamation of miles OF burning de
sert, the termination CT years OF toll
under the blazing Arizona sun. aEa
the addition TO Arizonas farming
lands OF territory whose productive
wealth will equal that OF the most
favored farming districts of the
world.
For countless ages the principal
stream OF Arizona. the Salt river
swollen to torrential proportions II
the spring BY the melting SHOWS o.
the distant mountains and diminish
Ing to tiny creek under the blazing
sun OF summer, has wound its tor
tuons course through hundreds o.
miles o. sun-scsred desert land thai
needed but the application Of waite
to blossom into iuxuriant vegetable
life. The waste OF this rich territory
was called TO the attention OF Colone
Roosevelt when he occupied the presi
Dental chair. and he. In turn. orderes
the governments reclamation depart
ment to investigate.
Engineers were sent to explore th'
valley OF the salt river. Maps wer'
made OF its winding course and sam
Piles OF It's soil were forwarded t
Washington, with lengthy reports
Here the reports were passed upol
BY the reclamation department. tn
soil was analysed and the matter re
ferred TO the president. whose warn
interest had given the scheme life,
Desert to niossom a. Rose.
but aside from tho mere physica
construction OF the dam are other in
teresting features. The ingenuou
method the government employed 4
finance the scheme, so that every cen
OF the sum expended could be uset
again TO promote stlll more reclama
ton projects; and the soil condition
that makes the arid desert land so fei
tile when water is applied In thi
warm climate and with the brillian
sunshine almost every day in tn
year, the growth OF plants is phe
nomenal
Crops follow crops In constant sue
cession and when the soil is we'll sub
dued, high-srsde fruit trees are Sc
out, 30 that with proper handling thl
land which without water canno
grow anything of value. is able to re
4 turn an enormous revenue amounting
to hundreds of dollars per acre, OF
even. when set in fruit. several thou
sand.
suit BY Government.
All of this is produced without di
rect cost TO the people OF the United
States. The government builds the
great dam and canal system. Ii doe.
not call upon the taxpayers. but util
lies for this purpose a fund derived
from the disposal Of public land. This
fund is not given away. 1t is invest
ed In these works, and then the PEG
pie who are benefited must pay bacl
the cost Of the investment at so mucl
per acre in ten annual instaIlments
The money coming back is used owe
again, every dollar being reinveste'
in additional works as fast as pay
ments are made for those completed
Al the close OF the celebration, Il
day. the colonel win be shown abou
the works by the reclamation experts
attend banquet in his honor. an
spend the night At Roosevelt, motol
Ing hack to Rkocnix in the mornin
70 continue his journey 20 csliforni
where he is sehe1pled to address "a
students OF the University of Cal
fornia
I