The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1921-08-31
IRRIGATION FOR MONTANA

many truths to some OF the business men OF
Bozeman last Monday evening. He told of the
many things that have been DONE that ought
not to have been done by the state in the bring
ing of settlers to the state and pictured the I'M
fortunate results thereof.
In alluding to the water supply of the state
for irrigation purposes he designated it as the
natural monopoly" and explained the result of
unequal distribution of the water in the districts
where irrigation can be carrier on.
Montana has been for many years classified
as an arid state where nothing can be raised eX-
sept under irrigation methods. This is not
true conception but it is so well developed in the
minds of many people, that to tell them other
wise, means disbelief and also creates a suspicion
detrimental to the state. The attempts made for
he past few years to convince the world at large
5hat Montana was not, necessarily, in position
where it is necessary to irrigate all the land to
produce crops has not proved q bowling success
For three or four years the state did produce
enormous crops in the arid lands of the north
9rn sections, yields equal and sometimes better
)er acre, than was at the same time being raised
n many of the eastern states where the rainfall
double that of this state. These great crops
reated an optimistic frame of mind in the people
II the state The information was sent out broad
east throughout the United States and in many
-oreign countries, that here was the greatest op-
]oItmlty for the poor man to get started. Every
BODY was doing it. Not only the railroads, but
Every city and even the towns of SO small popu-
alton of 250 persons, scattered the great tidings
The amount Of reading matter sent out from
he various Chamber of Commerce, Commercial
hubs, real estate agents, and many others would
almost FIJI The shelves Of the greatest library
building in the world. Every one was filled with
he belief that crop failures were impossible. The
TACT that virgin soil could be plowed up, seeded
% flax, barley, rye, oats and wheat and yield so
great returns seemed to assure everyone that the
Door man was to be made rich in a few short years
n Montana.
The poor man read these gems of literature,
believed them, and packing up his few belongings,
bought hOmeseekers ticket and arrived in the
great elderadO of Montana He found plenty of
chose willing to tell him where and how to secure
a homestead, show him cheap land to buy and do
everything possible to settle him on the land. He
OOked the state over, selected his land and then
started to become successful farmer Every
thing had been pictured to him in the most
flowery manner. He absorbed it all, and in a
year or two began to see the difference between
the real and the artificial.
Then came the dry years" when the rain
fall dwindled to a meer sprinkling and the % tc
40 bushel per aorc Yields of wheat he had beer
told about, became to four and at the most
eight or tel bGSnc. That made difference
He had landed it, T. district with only just
enough mo~ey to st @ The land To start the
work of f. ming. His G It had been used to tn,
limit to secure eOU:ruler with which to farm
and then the returns did not bring him enough
to meet the inter est on his Indebtedness.
No wonder he began to curse the land, tn
people who had induced him to settle on it, an,
even to declare that Montana was not what
had been claimed to be. No wolder that many o
those who had spent three or four years tryin
to make living, gave it up, packed up what ittl
they had left, and returned to some eastern cit
and began over again to earn a living.
There is where the mistake has been mad
by Montana It should have given more after
ton to the irrigation problems, done more to d.
velop the land which can be irrigated in the stat
secured settlers upon that portion of the stat
where irrigation can be done and avoided tn
eXtreem criticism now being hurled at the stat
by disappointed men. Slower development wit
an eye always to the future would have brougl
great numbers of good hard working men to tn
state who would have made the irrigated di
tricts where land is available, produce much al
dcd wealth to the state. There should have bee
r,orc care exercised IN selecting the settlers
was stated by Mr.. Newell, the settlers shou
i