The Glenwood post., 1912-05-11
Celebration Last Saturday Of Big Pro-
iect Which Will Mean Much
For Garfield County
GOV. SHAFRoTH GIVES COMMAND

Last Saturday, May 4, was a most
important day in the history of Gar
field county, that being the date of the
formal dedication by the governor OF
the state of the Wilcox canal, the
largest irrigation enterprise in the
county and one of the very best of
such projectes in the whole state of
| Colorado.
A special train over the Midland
conveyed the visitors from Glenwood
| and intermediate points to Rifle where
the headgate is located and where the
dedicatory services were held.
After an invocation by Bishop Brews-
| ter of Glcnwood, Governor Shafroth
was introduced by Engineer John Field
and he made a very fitting address.
He said in part:
eve often regret, or at least we
say we regret that this is an arid
country. And yet we forget that if We
had an abundance of rainfall we would
not have this splendid, fertile soil.
| There is no country in the world today
that is so fortunate as that country
which can place the water on the soil
when it is needed and only when it is
needed. Let US remember this when
we are tempted to bemoan the fact
that this is an arid land for therein is
our safety. People from the eastern
states and from all over the world
marvel at the wonderful fertility and
productiveness of our soil in this ard
but irrigated region forgetful of that
important fact that in countries where
there is an abundance of rainfall the
productive elements are washed and
leached out of the soil and the land,
if it is to be kept at its best in the
line of productiveness, must be con-
stantly renewed with potash and other
forms of fertilizer.
''This is great project and one OF
the many being built throughout our
state to carry the lifegiving waters to
heretofore unproductive areas of land
of latent possibilities, needing only the
touch of water to make it blossom as
| the rose.
"We do not know and we cannot
| comprehend the value of water in tn
country. We cannot understand it,
but if you would know the real value
of water you have only to go to Cali
fornia where water sells for $500 to
$4,000 per inch. There is where water
is scarce and high priced. We in Colo
RADIO have three million acres of irri'
gated lands while our total population
does not exceed 100000.
''Think of the progress we have
made along the lines of agriculture
and horticulture in the past hundred
years. The apple tree with its 30 t.
40 varieties is simply the product of
the wild crab and when we realize that
the 500 varieties of peaches have all
sprung from little plant that was
once considered poisonous we begin to
redllZe Wldt culture anu lntelnSeuI uc-
| velopment will do.''
| After the governor had complimented
the company and the citizens of the
county on the completion of the
great enterprise and ordered the open
ing of the headgates Father Walsh
made an eloquent address at the close
of which, at his direction, Miss Mar
tina, the little daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. Arthur Havemeyer, standing upon
the bridge of the headgate, east upon
the waters in the canal bread, apples
and flowers and thus amidst great en-
thusiasm and cheering was the Wilcox
canal formally opened and dedicated.
During the afternoon the train pro-
ceeded with the crowd from Rifle to
Grand Valley, at all times in sight Of
the big canal and stopping at Webster
hill and the pumping plant for an in
spection of the ditch and the machin-
cry.
At Grand Valley in the evening an