davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-01-09
Vol. XXVI.-No. %
RecIaiminS Our
Waste Lands
Apache

Paper Read Before the Cha,aauq,la Circle:
In presenting this paper to you to-
day have but the one aim, namely:
to correct, I possible, the many false
impressions harbored by Eastern
folk" concerning what they are wont
to call the Great American Desert.
My subject chiefly is Irrigation;
and the territory have chosen is
the one that exists, from CONNER
cial view, only by irrigation. The
arid districts that lie within the iu-
fuence of the Rocky Mountains, and
that are directly effected by same,
are the districts I wish to cover.
We have, at least, ten states that
lie in the>heart of what unknowing
folks call the American Desert" /
shall prove to you how erroneous
that statement, for I shall show you
how the desert has been subdued,
and can, no longer, be called an OBJ
stacle to civilization.
This paper will have to do with
some of the portions of our west that
have in the last decade been reclaim
ed.
Five years ago the United States
Reclamation Service completed
what is known as the Huntley Pro-
ject," an irregation channel that ex-
tends from the south central portion
of Montana, southward across the
Crow Indian Reserve to the Wyom-
ing line. This tract has opened to
settlers 100000 acres of fine farm
ing land-land that 10 years ag o
wore the yellow of desolation.
In the last FIVE years 5 900 claims
have been taken and there is still
room for 25, 900 families, or settlers.
The sugar beet-reigns supreme, with
alfalfa the leading second.
Thus, we have seen one portion
of the desert bent to the will of the
people, and that once neglected spot
in Montana is now adding millions
of dollars annually to the nations
wealth.
Now let us link Wyoming with
Montana, for where the Huntley
Project" ends at the Montana line
the Shoshone breaks forth from the
Big Horn Basin and continues the
work of irregating the entire north
east part of Wyoming. There, as
we'll as in Montana, the sugar bee
is king.
When you boost one W e st err
state you also boost its nelghbo1
state; so let us add Colorado to oul
chain. We need an absorbant, and
| know of no western city that car
compete with Denver, as to progress
iveness. Twenty years from now
Denver will be one of our larges
commercial centers. | base b i
assertion on the reclamation ane
development of all Coiorado's borde
states. and the completing of th'
Panama Canal.
St. Croix, in a splendid paper
namely: A Rough Forecast" Civ,
us a like impression. He sal d
somewhere between Denver an(
Los Angeles, city will spring up,
and from that statement / gather
that he meant receiving station 70
our great coming western crops
A large project will be opened
next spring that will reclaim 800,
600 acres. A largereservoir, fed b.
the Dolores River, will irregate tn,
entire southwest part of Colorado
This portion. known as the yellow
Jacket" country, extends to the Utal
line.
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-01-09

stream, known as the American
Nile" The Colorado flows through
an arid section known as the Son
ora Messa,' or desert.
Some years ago evidence Of vege-
tation was found back of the Cocopa
Mountains: then reclai mat n
marked the desert for her own"
The U. S. Reclamation Service said:
If primrose will grow on that hot
expanse of sand, why not other plant
life? So, today, some of our finest
fruits and flowers are raised on what
was once called Gods mistake"
You are all aware that the Colora-
do River is the biggest thief river in
our land. Fed by mountain SHOWS
it carries down it, each spring,
enough debris to build city. The
river terminates in delta as large
as the state of Massachusetts, and
there it leaves its great load of grass
es, roots, shrubs, all vegetation life.
This sedimentary matter is gathered,
mixed with the desert sand, and then
the soil is fit for any crop, as shown
by the splendid orchards that grace
the low-lands. The Delta itself has
not, as yet, performed to the will of
man, but in a very few years we will
see master orchard the spot
that was once the harbor of oil float
som from Colorado rivers.
1t was my intention to describe all
of the Reclamation Projects. in the
Rocky Mountain States, but I find
the territory too great, and the sub
ject greater. Nevertheless I shall
touch them all so as not to break the
chain.
The yellow jacket" project in
Colorado carries us into Utah and
there we have three privite projects
that are reclaiming land which lies
beyond the Salt Lake Waste"
Our next state is Arizona, and
there the greatest feat, ever attemped
by the Reclamation Service. is about
to be completed. After many fail
ures, in other directions, the Service
has, at least, succeeded in tapping
the Colorado River. This channe
is to deliver water to that portion o1
Arizona lying between Yuma ano
the Gila River. 1t is the hope ot
the Service to wipe out the desert
places of Arizona, Utah, Colorado
!, Nevada, and lower California and
they are doing so, for every year we
add 1000 miles to the surplus o1
farming land. :
I havn't time to cover this remark.
able feat, but must say that Its pos
slbilities cannot be under estimated
Egypt and Syria went through with
there Nile. what we are going
through with our Colorado. Yor
know how the Nile in Egypt per
J forms for its people, so too will the
| Colorado be made to perform.
r | will not touch on the Colder
, State, for l recall an excellent paper
read by our Secretary, on centra
California. He did not describe
, irregtatlon but he told us of de
volopment that made possible tn,
triumph that is dated 1915.
) Let me call your attention to an
other large project that had Necces
> ity as it's discoverer. Once in th,
long ago, the entire cattle grazing
regions of Southeast California ant
of central Oregon, took on a yellow
: color. Streams dried up. and th
, country was baked brown. Thous
!. ands of head of cattle were dyin.
' daily and the cattle-meD were EN-
j plIatically up against it. Thel
came The Lure" and from that lur
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-01-09
The Last of
Earth and Man
BY H. McC.
BY H. McC.
Paper read before the Chaatauqua CIrclc::

Paper read before the Chautauqua Carclc:
In dealing with this subject I
studied some time in order to grasp
the real meaning of the above words:
The Last of Earth and Man" Did
it mean the depletion of the earth's
natural resources, or the ultimate
end of the earth as a planet. It's de-
struction by fre?"
Research has led me to believe
that one is the forerunner Of the
other. Let us take into account
some cf our principal natural re-
sources that are fast disappearing;
our forests for instance: One don't
have to leave his native state to be
convinced; go to the northern part
Of Minnesota, visit what was once
vast tracts of timber and what do
you see? Miles and miles of burnt
and charred stumps, relics of what
was once, one of the greatest lumber
producing areas of America. Take
a trip down the old Mississippi,
where you formerly saw steamers
towing long RATS of logs for the mills
at Wjnona, Lacrosse, Dubuque,
Rock Island and many other points.
These mills are all razed now and
have gone to other and more profit
able fields. and thus the ruthless
hand is only stayed for lack of ma
terial. But the grand old forests of
Minnesota and Wisconsin are thing
of the past. The price of lumber
has risen in leaps and bounds. I'll
not confuse your minds by lot of
figures, but suffice to say that in ten
years it has risen 112 per cent; not
mere statistics but actual figures bas-
ed on production and consumption
for these are the two that govern
the price on all our commodities.
Let us consider for moment and
do a little tbeorizlng. Why did
Canada SO strongly reject our offer
of reciprocity? There are several
reasons, but let us consider this as
one of the most essential which JUS
titled Canada in the stand she took:
Canada, comparatively speaking, is
a new country. Her resources are
not vet fully developed and possibly
wont be for years to come, but
they're not starving or freezing.
Nature has been exceedingly bounti-
full to her and she has plenty, but
could she retain that plenty if she
opened her doors to the many ex-
ploiters of the United States? Not
very well, and it's wise people that
rejected the greedy offer Of people
who have had it's public utilities stol-
en-, and now wishes to despoil Cana
da of hers.
Some of our scientists claim there
is still enough coal in the earth to
last us two hundred years; not very
long you would say and | for one
agree with you. Only about Is per
cent. of the coal is realized before it
is consumed, the balance passes up
the smoke stack in the form of car
bon.
Man himself is only about so per
cent. efficient, with proper care and
punishment life could be sustained a
great deal longer than it is. High
living and high cost of living are the
two extremes that are fast terminal
ing the health and morals of man
and war also comes in for its share
of destruction. God speed the time
when universal peace will no longer
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-01-09
$1.OOa Year
tERMS' 6 M onths Fifty Cts.

navy 0VPPOII OOu uVO1C CCO W ulOiC uSCs
full channels.
A few scientific facts about the
earth in general will in all probabil-
ity not be amiss. There is certain
school of philosophers who hold or
rather maintain, that the earth-is ap-
parently in its youth and we can not
see our way to contradict this. 1t
is claimed that at one time the earth
was a molten mass thrown off from
one of the. larger planets, and the
various degrees of temperature at
different depths seems to demonstrate
that fact. The upheavels and erup-
tions are the escapement of gases
and solids confined in subterrane-
an space which is brought near the
surface by the constant change which
takes place, dueto the shrinkage of
the earth's surfac Our recent
earthquake at San Francisco was an
example Of this, it being an upheavel
of the earth's surface, due to shrink
age caused by the strain produced
by contraction and expansion. Heat
expands, and cooler substances con-
tract. 1t is well known fact that
the interior of the earth is still
molten mass and the undue expan-
sion was too rapid for the earth's
cooler surface, thus causing an earth
quake.
Islands have been known to rise
out of the oceans bed when even
rock was uncharted, and thus again
the scientists say that the shrinkage
Is not entirely confined to the dry
portions of the earth's surface-na-
ture seeks its weakest spots. Our
mountain chains, which form the
backbone of our ointment, are but
an uprising of the earth's surface in
order to keep pace with it's RAPIDLY
cooling interior. As the moon and
the tides act in harmony, thus the
tendency of the earth to maintain its
equilibrium, according to Newton.
II nun l f,.iorl
claims man as a regenerated monkey.
Well, even so, for one reject his
theory and refuse to believe that my
ancestors hung by their tails n d
t brew cocOanuts at each other.
And even farther prediction is made
that this rejuvenatiEg process even
brings him one step nearer self-an-
Inhalation, and that the number of
years of mans allotr ent on this
earth is 'c.onsi erably shorter
than it was centuries ago. How true
this is | do not claim to know, but
1t is substantiated by comparison Of
the average man of today with those
of Rome when she was in her glory,
and also Greece, whose people were
pronounced the limit of endurance
and of model physic. The women of
this decade show this decline in ply
sic to a greater extent, intellectually
they are far superior to their sisters
Of Rome and Greece who were the
chattel of mon. While their hard
ship hardened them physically it
numbed them intellectually, thus it
can be seen what was of benifit to
them in one way was a detriment in
others.
I've touched good deal on the
material side Of this subject, let's
look at the scientific side, and see
what sort of a conclusion we can
draw, or what the ultimate end of
man concerning this earth is. It's
destruction by fire will. to my mind,
be its end, for, fire is the only reason
able end to its destruction wat
afpd f,11o o4dYl r
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-01-09
SALTWATER MINNESOTA THURSDAY JANUARY 9. 1913

rowing band OF Indians told the cat
tlemen that far to the northeast
were lands that abounded in bunch
grass, (that luxury is worth more to
cattle than any yet grown) if they
could fight their way through the
Cascades, til es..ssr cattle would be
saved.
| Western folk, love to tell how
they turned d the trick, for after
months of hard labor they reached
basin" that was to be in after years
the greatest producing spot in the
world. The cattlemen stayed in
the basin" and today 100 miles from
Spokane, Washington, We have a
great empire; the Big Bend Country
on the west; the far famed Palouse
Country on the east, and the heart Of
Washington for its center. This
vast empire contains 100000
acres; five counties in Wash
ington, three in Oregon, and one in
Idaho. In the last ten years 500, 900
claims" were settled, and $4,000
new settlers go in there yearly.
The John Day River in Oregon ir-
regates nearly one half of this section.
The Oregon in Washington, and the
Clearwater and Salmon Rivers in
Idaho cover the other half.
One more link and 1 have done:
Idaho, with its great Lewiston
Country"-12. 100000 acres in that
country alone. Then we have the
famous %Camas Prarie" with it s
100000 acres of grass bearing and
grain producing land. Out side of
, the forest reserve there are 1000, 900
acres of unclaimed land; 100 acres
are yours, if you only irrigate.
Had | the time l could keep on
, linking the many Reclamation Pro-
jects until l carried you far north to
t he Saskatchewan wheat fields.
Calgary was nothing twelve years
| ago. To day it is the metropolis OF
t Northwest Canada. Was it bet
ter soil that caused the late exodus
, into Alberta? Not bit of it! Is the
: climate more favorable than that in
| Our Vest? No! Then why did SO
{ many cross the line' in the last few
years? The main cause was the
great "Barrona Dam," (the largest
t in the world and it's golden promise
, of irrigation. This dam is fed by the
Bow River, and it supplies water to
} $500 miles of bitches Twas this
f project" that lured Americans to
Canada; alao dissatisfaction with
our (then) Homestead Law"
: The exodus into Canada was O u +
blessing in disguise. for, through it
we pot our Homestead Law" chang
ed. Final claim can now be made
! in 5 years instead of Z years. The
residence clause is now years in
stead of years, and. pest of all, a
person need not Did down a
claim;;" for the law says 6 months in
year is all that is needed for i'm
provement. In other words. you can
be absent from your claim for 6
months and it still belongs to you.
We started on the eastern slope OF
the Rocky Mountains. We end on
the western slope. Now what makes
reclamation possible?-Faith> AT
e ter faith what spells success s,-per.
!. sistant stick-to-it-iv-ness.
, Men of constructive vision are
l needed today III the west. Millions
' of opportunities are waiting men oil
e faith. Surely the examples [ have
: put before you are stimulating ones
. Go west young man, go west!
Today there is no frontier, for the
states are chained together by iri-
cation channels and they mean "Ou1
e New Civilization
The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-01-09

Continued ON 9rd page
The Washington times., 1913-01-19
WOMAN, IN TH|EF'S
GRASP, IS SAVED0N
SPEEDING ENGINE
Jerked Aboard lust as Armed
Highwayman Was About to
oyerpower Her.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Jan. 1s.-
Picked up bodily and swung aboard a
speeding locomotive just as an armed
highwayman was about to overpower
her. Mrs. Louise Chisum. sof First ave-
nue. n, returning from a dance this
morning, figured in thrilling rescue
that surpassed even those OF the old
time melodrama. After she was
snatched from the man who held a
revolver to her head, she was taken on
the engine within. two blocks of the
north side police station, where she told
her story.
Her companions, who had left her
block away. knew nothing of the incl
dent. Mrs. Chisum was waiting for a
car when a highwayman rushed out
from an alley, placed a revolver at her
head and, by oaths and threats Of
death. compelled her to walk down a
dark drive onto the platform of the
Great Northern freight depot There
he compelled her to throw up her hands.
At that moment the switch engine ap-
preached and. acting on impulse. she
screamed, slapped the revolver from the
hand Of the highwayman and jumped
from the platform Frank Hewitt, fire.
man on the engine, heard the scream,
leaned out from the step and grasping
the woman around the waist, swung her
into the cab.
The Washington times., 1913-01-19
BRILLIANT PROGRAM
READY FOR MEETING
OF COMMERCE BODY
Thirty.one Organizations Ad-
mitted as Members of Ma
tionaI Chamber.

When the first annual meeting OF the
Chamber of Commerce OF the United
States opens in the Willard Tuesday it
will find a brilliant program outlined
by the board of directors and the ma
tional councillors. The latter body will
meet tomorrow afternoon to ratify the
plans of the former, which were decided
upon yesterday at meeting In the
Riggs building.
With the approval OF thirty-one aP-
plications for membership. bringing the
number OF organizations affiliated up TO
.7S, and the actual membership OF the
organization to 164, ,30S, the board of d.
rectors reported the national Chamber
of Commerce TO be In a fiourishing con-
dition yesterday.
Thirteen directors were present, in
cluding Harry A. Wheeler. of Chicago.
president of the organization; c. G..
Craddock, Lynchburg. Va; John Joy
Edison, Washington: John II. Fshey.
Boston: p. j. Kruesi, hattanooga; w.
NJ. Mccormick. Baltimore; William D.
Mullen, Wilmington, Del; Lewis w.
Parker, Greenville, s. c.: Francis f.
Prentiss. Cleveland: T. l.. l.; Temple.
Texarkana. Ark: August II. Yogel,
and II. f. Miles Racine, Wis.
Among the organizations elected yes
terday was the National Association or
Piano Merchants OF America. After the
national council adjourns at the Willard
tomorrow night, the councillors will
serve on the nominating committee. The
representa- tons OF national trade organ
iSations Will meet separately and name
their members OF the committee.
The Washington times., 1913-01-19
UNION MEN CHEER
LABORLEADERWHOM
THEIR BOND FREED
Convicted Dynamiter Greets His
Family and Friends-WiH
Rest Awhile. ..

MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, JAM ia
cheer went up in the Union station last
night as Charles Beum, secretary OF
the Building Trades Council. passed
through the gates which brought him
from Fort Leavenworth prison, where
he has been since his conviction for
completely in the, dynamite. Transports
tion cases trial last month at indiana
polls. '
John T. Turner, of the Structural
Iron Workers Union. caught sight Of
Beum first and. grasped him by the
hand, saying: Hello. Charlie" then
gave q yell like an Indian. which was
taken I'D by the fifty other union men
who blocked further progress until they
had all shaken hands with the returned
labor leader.
When Beum dropped of the train he
was dressed just as when he left Min
neapolis last summer, looking heavier.
however, and in better physical trim.
Hello, Tom" he said, calling his
boy Harry by a pet name. Lillis. the
daughter. came In for the next greeting
Next Beum kissed his wife. who first
said, handing him his overcoat: Put
the the' trades 1n Hsa eouncI pushed e Forward Oh
Am j glad to get home?' said Beun.
II certainly am. I am feeling fine.
was the first to get out OF Leavenworth.
Ny cell mate, Billy Reddin. from Mil
waukee, took it harder than any one.
/ told him to get out just as soon as he
could / was treated fine. We all
liked that deputy warden, Mackey.
Il am going home now. / have been
bounded so long that I want to get
away. / expect to get downtown some
day next week. Just now I want to
rest up
The Washington times., 1913-01-19
HURRY CALL ISSUED
TO STATES TO FILE
ELECTORAL VOTES
Only Fifteen Have Reported to
Senate, and January 27 Is
the DeadIine.

A hurry call to thirty-three States
which have failed to send their electoral
votes to the Senate. in advance of the
joint assembly of the Senate and House
to declare Wilson and Marshall elected,
was sounded today by II. E. Devendorff,
secretary in the Office OF the Vice Presi-
dent.
But fifteen States have sent in their
electoral votes. and JANUARY q is the
dead line. The votes will be tabu-
lated on the second Wednesday in Feb
ruary. Under the law the messenger
who brings a states returns after tha,
date WIN, not be. paid for. his trouble.
nor is the Senate. allowed to receive
the documents.
1t would be embarrassing to the Will
son-Marshall ticket, perhaps, IL a good
batch of electoral votes are thrown into
the discard because of their late ar
rival, and Mr. Devendorff decided today
that he had better issue a warning.
The fifteen States which have come
across" to date are West Virginia
Rhode Island. South Dakota, Vermont.
Maryland, Nebraska. New Jersey, North
Carolina, >, Pennsylvania, Connecticut.
Delaware. Illinois, Indiana. Iowa. and
Kansas rs'+F
States are required to send in their
returns both by mail and messenger.
Thirty-seyen States have sent in their
electoral votes by mail, but only fifteen
have abserved the messenger feature oi
the stipulation.
The Washington times., 1913-01-19
Wilson Is Awaiting
Letter From Eustis
On Inaugural Plans

PRINCETON. n. j.. Jan. 1s-Presi-
dent-elect Wilson is looking forward
with interest to reading the letter which
Chairman Eustis, of the inaugural COM
mittee. at Washington is reported to
have sent him in reply to his letter
asking that the inaugural ball be elim-
mated from the Inauguration ceremonies
THE letter was evidently addressed to
my office in Trenton" said Governor
Wilson today. ''and 1 will, therefore,
receive 1t tomorrow morning. l antici-
pate that MIR. Eustis Will suggest some
sort OF public function to take the place
Of the ball. OF course, have no idea
whether he will make such a sugges-
ton or what II will be, II any. but /
hope he will present some such plan
Have you anything to suggest as a
substitute?" Governor Wilson was
asked.
mo. l have no suggestion to make
he replied. and as ! have not heard
from him yet. / could not well make
any voluntary suggestion anyway
Governor Wilson said he would rather
not discuss the question of whether a
public reception be held at the Capitol
or White House until he had received
Mr.. Eustis' letter.
The Washington times., 1913-01-19
SPECIAL SESSION
OF HOUSE lSHE[D
TO HONOR DEAD
High Tribute Is Paid to- Late
David J. Foster by Col
leagues Of Congress.

The House met in special session to-
day TO pay tribute to the memory Of the
late Congressman David u Foster Of
Vermont. who served six terms m Con-,
gress prior to his death. last March. :
Those who paid tribute to the de-
ceased member were Gongressman
Greene Of Massachusetts, ,Senator-eieet
Weeks Of Massachusetts,. Martin OF
South Dakota, Hawfey Of Oregon. Nye
of Minnesota Kahn 'of California. and
Plumley Of Vermont -
Congressman. Kahn Of California re-
gretfully called the attention. Of the
House to the fact that sixteen mefubefx
Of the Sfxty-second Congress- have died
In the past two yearz
Congressman from Vermont at the time
Of Mr. Fosters death, traced the ea<1y
struggles and uphill fight Of his former
colleague and referred, IN tender terms
to the material succss he had won m
later years.