, 1921-12-22

was held in Saratoga on Tuesday aft
ernCOn December goth, to discuss
ways and means of initiating an irri-
CATION projec, in the Platte Valley.
the idea being to induce our con
gresSmen to introduce a measure be
fore the expiration of Hon. Frank w.
Mondcll'S term. a delegation from
the Rawlins Board of Trade consist
ing of l.. e. Armstrong. n. II. Green
field. Gus Fleischli. W. y. Hays and
r.. f. Dunlap were in attendance:
Mr.. Armstrong being the principal
speaker of the meeting.
Mr.. Armstrong in a very forcefuI
manner brought out nan points of
interest. Messrs. Greenfield, Fleisch-
Ii, Hays and Dunlap of Rawlins and
Messrs. Hcaley, Condit. Davis, McKil-
lip n others from the valley also
addressed the meeting and discussed
the project and it's many advantages
from a number of different angles.
An organization vas perfected and
Fred Healey chosen al Chairman; NJ.
B. Mckillip, as Vice Chairman:
Henry Martin, as Secretary. and
Joseph Num- as Assistant Secretary
to aid in pushing plans to bring this
important matter to the attention of
our representatives in Washington.
Among the many important phases
brought out by Mr.. Armstrong were
the following:
That In a recent report OF the
Board of Review on North Platte
Cooperative Investigations made to
the Secretary Of the Interior and the
Governor Of Wyoming, which board
consisted of State Engineer Frank C.
Emerson. appointed by Wyoming; E.
A. Moritz an engineer from the Re-
clanlation Service, and L., G.. Car
penter. a consulting Engineer of
Denver. Colorado, chosen by the two
members appointed by the govern
ment and by the state, two very i'm
portant questions were settled in the
affirmative: First. that there is suf-
ficient available water to .irrigate
something like 100000 acres. and
second, that the projects in view are
, economically feasible.
The projects in which Carbon
County is vitality interested are the
Big Greek project which Will water
the Beaver flats and other available
land a~ggregating some $4,000 acres;
and the East Side Project from the
Platte river which will irrigate APP
proximately $4,000 acres between
Encampment and Saratoga and be-
tween Saratoga and W~alcott, making
4 total OF something like $1,000
acres OF as fine land as lays within
the borders OF Wyoming. The strong
feature of this project is that in no
instance will the cost of the water
be than $500 per acre which
would place such a project as the
very cheapest ever constructed by the
federal government in the United
| States.
At the present time there are three
other large projects under course of
construction in Wyoming which will
cost from $500 to $4,000 per
acre. In each case where these
lands were opened for entry, they
were largely over subscribed, so
there is no question but that the
Platte Valley Project would draw a
grand rush to this section not only
because OF the cheaper water rights
but on account of other conditions
which are much more favorable than
the other lands which cost 50 much
more
AS to h numerous advantages
of such IA project as is contemplated.
it would be hard indeed for the cit
liens of this county to conceive of the
vast benefits to be derived from the
irrigation of this wonderful area of
$4,000 to 10000 acres OF first class
land. Such a project successfully
carried through would mean that
within the text few years the entire
valley would be converted from sage
brush into vast fields of waving
grain and large areas Of sugar beets
and other products. 1t would require
two or three large sugar factories to
take care of the beet crop alone. 1t
would mea that Encampment would
rapidly reach a growth to $500 or
5000 population: that Saratoga
would approximate the size of pres
ent Rawlins; that eevn Walcott would
become a thriving OF at least 1000
souls. AS to Rawlins. who could est
innate the possible growth Of the
County Seat OF a county to which
such vast had been added.
1t is entirely within the province of
reason to expect that Rawlins might
easily reach the $4,000 mark by
1880.
Another problem of great import
ance would be automatically solved.
This development would place the
earning power OF the Saratoga and
~Encampment railroad on such a
basis that there would be no question
about the junking Of that important
artery OF communication three years
from now when its present new lease
on life will expire.
With the stabilizing of the rail-
road, other industries would come
into the valley without question: one
of the most important Of which would
be q pulp factory. Cannaries. cream
cries and other evidences Of ind ustry
J would fall into line as inevitably as