Philip weekly review. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 1907-1912, 1912-07-04
IS II 4 FANCY OR 4 FACT?
A Scheme Proposed that Would
Benefit the Western Slope
Immensely-Cal It q Dream

ming OF Barbara Worth, in
which is developed the reclama-
ton Of the Colorado river desert
lands, is the visionary project of
a Lyman county dreamer.
Philosophy tells US that the
dreamer is the man who leads the
way for all advancements and
scientific improvements. Whether
or not this vision is one which
time, money and brains will some
day materialize is creating much
speculation.
Here we have a reclamation
project greater than anything Of
that nature ever before attempt
ed and which, should it be FEAST
BILE, would revolutionize agricul-
tural conditions in the northwest,
affecting the entire nation and
the worlds commerce.
Last month the flooding of the
lower Mississippi valley caused a
loss of $75,OOO,OOO, besides the
loss of many lives. This water
comes from the mountains and
after causing this tremendous dar
age, is wasted in the Gulf of
Mexico.
IL the money used to repair
the damage in the southern states
were used to tap the Missouri
river In one or more places it
would finance this visionary pro-
ject, reclaim millions Of acres of
semi-arid land and prevent q re-
petition Of this great annual
/, waste in the south.
The critic will say that the
Missouri river and it's tributari-
. es do not furnilh all the water
, foy the Mississippi. True, there
are the Arkansas, the Red, the
. Ohio, the Big Black, the Yazoo,
and others but # tapping the Mis-
. sOuri would decrease by only a
fraction the volume of water in
the Mississippi it would prevent
= repetition of the flood loss. 1t
is the last straw that breaks the
camel 8 back and it is the last gal
lon of water which breaks the
1eyee.
Fort Buford, North Dakota, is
in the northwestern corner Of
that state. 1t is on the Missouri
river and it is almost 1900 feet
above sea level. If portion Of
the water were turned southeast
across the state, following the
course of the Missouri on line
varying from forty to one hun
dred miles west of the rivers
/ course and ON down through the
! state Of South Dakota, it could
1 be distributed In such q way
| that over eight million acres Of
the finest agricultural lands in
the world would be reclaimed.
The White river would serve as
an outlet as any extension OF
this project would necessitate
raising the water some 700 feet
over the plateau which lies
south of the White river valley.
A discussion as to what this
project would mean to the north
! west and the commercial world
would fill volumes and would
start economists to running
around in circles. An irrigation
project of this magnitude would
necessitate a stupendous amount
Of labor and capital and it would
mean that the federal govern
nent or at least the states most
benefited would necessarily be
the promoters.
The Mississippi levee system
is made up by the states united
and the federal government. A
similar organization should invest
gate this suggestion and possibly
work in connection with the leve'
system. Even the most casual
/ reader will readily see what q
wonderful enterprise this tapping
Of the Missouri and distribution
Of the water would be.
We now hear the question: Cal
d be done; is it practical; will il
pay7 The answer is only q con-
lecture. We have at hand only
q few facts and theories with
| which to work.
| In the first place, which is the
more feasible, . system Of aque'
| ducts or . system Of channels
II Il : question Tor engineers
There are hills valleys and
streams to cross. Take for ex
ample TIE aqueduct systems EN-
l ployed by the cities Of Los An
| geles, Denver and New YoFi
+ city il furnishing their water Su|