Omaha daily bee., 1911-08-13
Copyright. 1911. by Frank G. carpenterJ


-. ASEHNGToN, D. C.-(specal Corre-
IRAYk spondence of The Bee.)-Three years
" ago he was stenographer Wash
ington. He was getting $1,000 year
tSNYTHSN and he had one months annual
IEAzS4yJ tion He had saved $500 by skimp-
ing, and could see but little light for
the future. Then he went west his annual leave
and was present at the opening of some government
irrigated lands at Huntley, in northern Montana. He
dropped into the line Of homeseekers and drew an
allotment Of fortysix acres with the right pay for
1t in ten-year installments.
He resigned his Washington Job, and, using his
savings, built himself home. He then cleared
thirty-five of sagebrush sowed it to oats
and wheat He set out an apple orchard and be-
tween the rows put in 1000 strawberry plants and
Rome, currants. grapes and blackberries. His oats
produced sixty-two bushels. per and the wheat
thirty bushels. The apple trees grew The next year
he planted sugar beets thirty-one of this
land and the therefrom brought in $1,000. The
orchard is rapidly growing and the already esti
mates himself worth at least $40, 900.
That is the story of one mans experience on the
irrigated tracts of the reclamation service which
Uncle Sam is now parceling out to his children He
has already sold thousands of acres on such INSTALL
ments and he has water enough in the big reservoirs
lately built to feed 1000 farms of forty
This land has all been reclaimed from the desert and
It is only the beginning 1t is the first fruits of
reclamation service which has already spent $50 OOO-
900 in DAMS reservoirs and canals. million acres
are now under water and within the next generation
than a million homes will have been added
to those OF our country.
Some of Uncle Sans Settlers.
Before tell you how such farms may be gotten
want to give stories about and letters from
Uncle Sans pioneers. The reclamation bureau at
Washington has large correspondence from those
who have taken such tracts. 1t publishes the value
of the lands and tells what may made from them.
Take the fruit of the Pacific northwest the
Information did not come from the government 1
should not venture to quote it, for the prices
TO be out Of all Irrigated fruit lands owned
by individuals right near some of the government
tracts sell for from 800 to $4,000 per acre, and
some of the sagebrush nearby is bringing $50 per
acre and upward. This is in the Yakima valley and
others of that region where be made at the
outlets OF mountain lakes which will eventually give
$4,000 acre feet. There is enough water there to
redeem half million and there four or
five schemes planned for the Yakima valley alone.
There excellent orchard lands nearly all of the
projects, and the men who have taken up holdings
are rapidly growing in wealth.
Engineer Blanchard of the reclamation service
me OF a man named Silver who planted ten of
orchard near Yakima about six years ago. He netted
t3,70O last year from his fruit and the vegetables
which he raised between the In the same re-
gon J. o. Shadbolt, a dry goods merchant from Mon
lana, made $4,000 from the fruit raised foryone
In 1907 the same orchard yielded gross of
$4,000 and net of 10000, and in the three years
which the has been fruit raising he has netted
$4,000, or more than SIS 1000 year.
The government reports that full-bearing orchards
produce crops OF from $500 TO 81 200 per acre. and
that $500 is less than the average If the trees are
well kept The lands that have been redeemed there
are being largely planted to fruit and millions OF
trees have been set out in the valley during the last
season
Robert Mccormick who a lumberman in Min
hesota. came to this valley ten years ago with rs
cents In his pocket. He worked for a time as team
Btef and with his savings made his first payment on
twenty-five acres OF the government project His
then covered with sage brush. Today II is all
In crops and is paying him $4,000 year above all
bis expenses Last fall he picked OF eight hun
dred boxes of apples from little an acre. making
yield OF about $500 for that amount Of ground A
Wisconsin man the same year sold 5000 worth OF
Hpples from nine acres OF trees