The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-30
By FRANK G. CARPENTER.
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washington, D. c.
I write to-day OF ono OF the biggest
schemes of Uncle Sam. patriarch II
Is scheme which means the creation
of millions of farms and of new soil
which will feed more than fifty mil
lions of people. 1t means the bring
Ing under cultivation waste land which
contains some of the richest earth on
the face of the globe. and the creation
of new real estate wealth which will
aggregate from ten TO fifteen billions of
dollars. l refer to the drainage of the
swomps now scattered over the Union.
The scientists of the government, are
engaged in surveying them. They have
already plotted something like ten mil
lion acres and there are sixty or seven
ty millions yet 10 be mapped. They are
going over the country with spirit
levels measuring the hills and hollows
and sounding the depths. Their work
us so carefully done that the civil engi-
neers can run their canals by look at
the maps, and they really form the
basis of the working plans for the
swamps. M 4l i
The swamps of the Atlantic States ara
under Mr.. Frank Sutton; those of the
Central States under Mr.. w. H. Heron.
while the Rocky Mountains and Pacific
Coast are respectively managed by MIR.
sledge Tatum and Mr.. T. G. Gerdine.
Each Of these men has large corps
of surveyors. and all visit the various
sections and work together after fixed
plans. During the past week ! have
TAXED With these geographers, and
through my Investigations at the Geo
logical Survey and In the Agricultural
Department am able 10 give some idea
OF what may be done
Dig Wet Spots in Uncle Spu,s pncl;
Talk about your acres Of diamonds,
These wet spots on Uncle Sans farm
are worth m0te' than any diamond field
in the plat.au,"os South Africa. They
contain thousands. of millions of easily
available wealth and they are scattered
all over the Union
FIRST let me tell you what they
amount TO. The experts of the govern
tnent nave estimated their area al he
tween seventy-sevcn and seventy-nine
inl!lon acres. and the probability is
mat they Will run millions more Al
me lowest calculation they represent
country bigger than Great Britain
ana aha ireland, and equal 10 the three
a,ates OF Indiana. Illinois and Ohio
,t my nave soil WHICH is richer than
iiollanu, and their area is ten tt,ncs a
great. Holland is now feeding aIn,ost
siH million people and at the Same ratio
thcse Wet lands have potential food
suppiy Tor almost sixty millions q,
zen millions more than the half ~
our whole population!
where the Swamps Are.
ana now taAe your ma p OF the Unitea
states and see where they ara Tbcy
are not scattered over the desert AVA.
on from the railroads amid Tie o.
!ohs and valleys of the arid West T,h.,
are crosse 10 the centres of our uon,i-
iatiph' ana are 10 he found in almost
every state Of The live, up to-date East
Some OF them lie near the bic cities
olhers are surrounded by farms worm
huhnred dollars an acre and nearly
the markets. ~
" me swamp land seventy-tw Two mil
non acres lie east OF the great plains
ana twenty or thirty millions nrc fo,nd
IN the mississippi delta There I. "a
vast tracts in The Northern statcs
Minncsota ALOE has something ike fo,r
Htiiiion acres. and Michigan. one fourth
a. iiiuch more inc State of Maine has
between three and four millions ,rbo,a
is a vast tract in North Dakota Ana
WISCONSIN has several millions wbirb
need only 10 be drained To NJ ,nrr
into farms. 'teu
We look upon Illinois as throneh,y
settled. We know IT is one 81 ~
! atest corn States and that the Land
Ne worth from 500 to $500 an acre
..i Revert ,t' eiess that state has more thar
Two million acres Of Hooded lands thn,
\ might he redeemed. and which win ho
Z richer than any now farrned There
are altogether, In the East seventeen
Z states, every one OF which has mar
1 than a million acres OF swamps. nnd
4 there arc twelve others each Of whict
Z mas a quarter of a million to one mil,
4 hon acres that could be easily drained
The Sacramento VALLEY.
he average man of the East thinks
nf8 California rs arid rather than wet
3 lie knows that great part OF IL (.
Irrigated, and he looks upon much oi
iS i as a desert. Nevertheless, thai Stat,
81 has some OF the richest swamplanu.
IL pr tho world. The Sacrament River
& which runs through the middle OF II