Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-03-23
ROOSEVELT DAM
FORMALLY OPENED
Greatest Reclamation Project in
World Completed.
COLONEL is HONORED GUEST
Cheering Crowds Congratulate Former
President to Whom is Due Honor
of Starting oject-Roosevslt
Makes Principal Speech.

Roosevelt, Ariz.-Amid the cheers OF
thousands assembled Saturday to wit
ness the formal opening of the largest
dam in the world, the Roosevelt struc
ture across the canyon of the Salt
river. Miss Ethel Roosevelt, under
| the direction of her father, touched
the button that sent the imprisoned
waters Of the Arizona river ripping
through the vast system Of canals that
will transform this sunbaked construc-
ton town and 100000 acres of shift
ing desert sand into a veritable Gar
den of Eden
The arrival Of the Roosevelt party,
who motored seventy-five miles across
the desert to attend the ceremonies,
was a signal for wild hilarity among
those assembled to witness the event
The cheering crowds pressed about
the little group of prominent state
and government officials to offer
thanks and congratulations to the col
onel, to whom in great measure they
owed the successful completion of the
project and he repeatedly removed his
hat in acknowledgement of their
cordial welcome.
These ceremonies mark the success
full termination of one of the greatest
reclamation projects the world has
ever seen. They mean the reclama-
ton of miles Of burning desert, the
termination of years of toll under the
h1o ziDO A1ni1 mr. tho addition
to Arizona's farming lands of a terri
tory whose productive wealth will
equal that of the most favored farm
ing districts of the world.
For countless ages the principal
stream of Arizona, the Salt river, Swol-
len to torrential proportions in the
spring by the melting SHOWS of the
distant mountains and diminishing to
a tiny creek under the blazing sun of
summer, has wound it's tortuous
course through hundreds of miles of
sun-seared desert land that needed but
the application of water to blossom
into luxuriant vegetable life The
waste Of this rich territory was called
to the attention of Colonel Roosevelt
when he occupied the presidential
chair, and he, in turn, ordered the gov
ernment's reclamation department to
investigate.
Engineers were sent to explore the
valley of the Salt river. Maps were
made of it's winding course and sam
pies of it's soil were forwarded to
Washington, with lengthy reports.
Here the reports were passed upon by
the reclamation department, the soil
was analysed and the matter referred
to the president, whose warm interest
had given the scheme life.
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. 1t does
not call upon the taxpayers, but util-
ICES for this purpose fund derived
from the disposal of public land This
fund is not given away 1t is invested
in these works, and then the people
who are benefited must pay back the
cost Of the investment at so much per
acre in ten annual installments. The
AAOH0y CoiIIAS DdCh Is uS6u over again,
every dollar being reinvested in addi-
tional works as fast as payments are
made for those completed.
This, in brief, is the story of the
great Arizona, reclamation project as
outlined by the many speakers who
followed Colonel Roosevelt at the dedi-
cation exercises, each of whom paid
enthusiastic tribute to the prosecu-
ton of the project by the engineers
in charge and the support and interest
of Colonel Roosevelt that made the
scheme practicable.