The Devils Lake world., 1922-06-28


than one for I know of no part of this
great state, and I have been in every
town and hamlet in it, that does not
grow grass. Before anyone sells out
here thinking that they can find it so
much better somewhere else let them
investigate first and sell afterwords.
then the sale will probably never be
made nor will it be necessary to try
and purchase one farm after the en-
chantment of the distant view has
worn away. Did you ever stop to
think that the things for which we
criticize our state the most are the
reasons for which so many of us go to
California or Florida in winter are
at once its assets? If is was not for
the intense cold of winter and its deep
snowfall none of us probably could
afford to go. Other states capita
lize their climate. Why not North
Dakota? Southern California knows
how to do this to a queens taste and
climate is its greatest asset.
Even the great American desert will
some day blossom like a rose. The
greatest mind of the day studying how
to reclaim waste land by Conserving
and impounding of the surplus wastes
of great streams that otherwise flow
uunimpued to the sea. 1t is profectly
practical to do this. Five states and
the Federal government are now en-
tering into an agreement to build
a high dam at the Grand Canyon.
This will conserve some of the sur
plus waters of the Colorado river that
flows through this territory and IT,
rigate about million acres of land
and protect the areas likely to flood,
especially the Imperial Valley of CAL
ifolnia, lying considerably below the
level of the ocean. The Mississippi
river system, the largest in the world
could be made to water great deal
of this vast plane but would entail
much more labor and expense. Did
you know that China has more miles
of canals than the United States his
miles of railroads and every foot of
them was made. with human hands?
If the squint eyed Chinaman could do
so much with his bare hands shall we
not concede to the American Engineer
with his splendid knowledge of mech
anics some superiority? when neces-
sity oveltakes US, it knows no limita-.
tions and hunger knows no bounds.
1t is wonderful to note the interest
people take in road building. l be-
lieve more good roads have been built
in the United States in the last five
years since the Federal Government
legislated along this line than had
been accomplished in fifty years pre-
vious thereto. And it is high time
some degree of intelligence were ap-
piled along this line. Take Missouri,
to the Sante Fe Trail running from
Kansas City, Missouri, to the Pacific
Coast. Most of it is a fine highway
built along modern and scientific
lines, but other sections of it is pos
sitively the worst that can be imagin-
ed and these parts being the same
used by the Spaniards more than four
hundred years ago on their way to and
from Sante Fe, New Mexico, the old
est town in the United States. No
evidence of any work ever having been
done on those sections at any time.
There is one principal of roadbuild-
ing used in most states that seems
to be entirely overlooked in North
Dakota. In coulie of depression,
where water flows only occasionally
instead of building an expensive high
grade and bridge to the level of the
rest of the road the practice is to con-
crete or hand surface with much of
the expense and avoiding up the water
for a long period, causing valuable
land to be flooded and crops to be
drowned out. It also reduces the ex-
pense of maintainence to a minimum
as it avoids washouts allowing little
or no obstination to the natural flow
of the water.