The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1914-04-16
Malta's $ Future.

trial edition of the Scots Bluff
County Republican last week which
shows what country may become
when properly irrigated. Mr.. Cosner
tells us that a few years ago the
country which is now the garden spot
of Nebraska was a barren desert and
sand hills and today the land is worth
from 500 ali acre up. Scots Bluff
county is about thirty miles square
and is one of the richest sections Of
that state. BY reading the following
clipping from that paper one can
readily see the possibilities of Valley
county and Malta when the irrigation
project is completed and the water
turned on the land. There is no rea-
son why this country camnotb be better
in every respect than that Of our
neighbor state and all we need to
make it better is II little Of their push
and energy:
''The beauties Of nature and the
handiWork Of mankind are rarely
more harmonious combined than
in that picturesque and productive
section Of the valley Of the Platte in
Nebraska that has made the building
of Scottsbluff possibility. This
modern valley Of the Nile was but a
few years ago regarded as wild and
semi-arid prairie. Today it is a gold
mine OF agriculture whose broad
acres are not only capable of netting
their original value in produce each
year, but which are actually doing SO
and annually delivering the goods.
This sudden Transition from salt
grass to sugar beets-antelope to al
falfa, and from coyotes to cattle has
not been brought about byany sudden
discovery or land agents boom. 1t
is simply the remuneration from
millions of dollars expended i'm irri-
cation engineering and the reward of
persistent and unremitting effort of
/ skilled farmers-a triumph of toll.
Scottsb)utf has more than a local rep
utat on as a place that "does things, :"
and as it has paid for the privilege
of pointing to tn ! results, this will
not be construed as mere boasting.
I, W. reinirs,se,ad are rapidly gaining,
Il greater population Of laborers who
are anxious to work and capitalists
who are not afraid of safe and profit
able Investments.
Prosperity is written here with il
large Spencerian j, for those pitiful
contrasts of wealth and poverty so
apparent in population centers and
congested unproductive farm lands
of the east are conspicuous in SCOTS
Bluff county only for their absence.
Everybody is busy running races
with the crops here. for they come in
rapid succession and the work of
marketing, feeding and hauling to
the factory and feed yards furnishes
employment and teams throughout
the fall and winter months after crops
are harvested and stored on the
farms. The only commodity lacking
is help. Notwithstanding the popu-
lation of Scott's Bluff county has
doubled in the last three years it is a
difficult matter to procure help OH
the farms and in the factory. The
distinction between urban and sub
urban in the county is unknown, for
residents OF the city-both banker,
merchant and professional man, are
interested in far ming and many of
them own and operate farms. Farm
ers, too, are equally interested in the
city and the development of it's fac
tories, markets, schools and other
Institutions, for distance over the
superb country highways of the
county means nothing to the man
with a buggy or automobile; and
many of them have the autos. If the
modern Kansas farm can raise it's
own automobile, as they boast, in
Ave years the Scott's Bluff county
farmer ought to be able to ride to
and from town in his own air ship by
the time the Panama canal is opened
in 1915, and let the children have the
automobile to drive to school.
Scott's Bluff county and contiguous
territory is now in position to pro-
duce greater results in agriculture
and stock raising than any similar
section of country in the United
States, and here are some of the
reasons: 1t has
The largest irrigation water supply
in the world, estimated five times as
much water as has Colorado.
Last years crops were valued at
eight million dollars. and included
46 900 stacks Of alfalfa-three and
four cuttings.
345, Zoo tons of sugar beets.
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