By F. M. KI MM s
HOME PRINT.
IRRIGATION' lNEBRASKA. .
Tlio greatest single probioin lliafc
concerns tlio dev < loj > uiont of Ne
braska is the problem of irrigation.
It is absolutely essential lo tlioox-
istence of ngricnHuru in a purl of
the state ; it is nieesKary to any
thing approaching an oven pros
perity in any part ; and , in the
opinion of daring thinkers , the
time will co me when the changing
conditions of agriculture and the
enlarged home market for western
farm products will make it desira
ble , if not necessary , in every part
of our 7tO ( 00 square miles that is
under cultivation. „
The BEE purposes , in a sovies
of articles to consider the subject
in all its bearings the existing
need of itthe : benefits it promises ;
the progress already made ; the
sources of water supply ; the vari
ous methods of distribution ; the
aid needed from shite and nation
al governments ; the cost of con
structing systems ; how they are to
be paid for , and the expense to the
consumer. The intention is to
first furnish a complete exposition
of this subject , then to arouse and
center the attention of the stale
and , finally , by these means to in
terest capital and carry the grand
undertaking to success. Some
thing of good will result if it
awakens the interest that its com
manding importance deserves.
OUlt ARID AND SEMI-ARID REGIONS.
It is no easy matter lo exactly
define the arid and semi-arid re
gions of Nebraska , but it cannot
be successfully disputed that with
out irrigation no , crop is certain ,
year in and year out , west of 100th
parallel. Governor Furnas who
had a reputation as an irrigation
crank before the theory had a doz
en followers in the state says this
is the best arbitrary line that can
be drawn from north to south to
mark the invisible point where
the reliable rain belt blends into
the hopelessly arid country.
The 100th parallel divides the
state almost exactly in the middle ,
passing through Keya Palm ,
BrownBlaine , Ouster , Dawes , Gos-
per , and Furnas counties. Not all
the counties west of this division
.are equally destitute of natural
moisture. Those alonij the Kansas -
sas border have frequently raised
good crops of all kinds , and all the
others have had unusually favora
ble seasns wliau they have fairly
repaid the toil of the farmer. It
is here , however , that the arid and
semi-arid region exists , and that
the aid of irrigation must be invok
ed if it is ever to become anything
better than it is todav.
Twenty-five counties and a portion
tion of several others lie west of
the 100th parallel. Of these , ten
may be left out of the present con
sideration , to be taken up later ,
partly because they are very spar
sely settled , and partly because
they are largely sandy , and partly
because practical investigation has
yet determined little as to the na
ture and extent of their available
r supply. They are also so
adapted for grazing purposes
that it may be a question for many
years whether they will be found
profitable for cultivation beyond
the point where natural moisture
will suffice. In some of them the
sheep industry is just , now very
profitable. Apart from these , and
the other seven counties of which
but a small portion lies west of
ilie parallel , we have fifteen coun
ties which may first be taken for
the empire of irrigation in Nebras
ka. They are as followsLincoln ,
Keith , Perkins , Deuel , Cheyenne ,
Box-Butte , Scott's Bluff , Banner ,
Kiinball , Chase , DundyHitchcock ,
Hayes , Frontier and Red Willow.
These counties belong properly to
the arid region and irrigation must
be depended upon to make them
fit for reliable agriculture. Ten
of them are almost worthless , ex
cept for grazing , without it. In
nearly all of them experiments
have been carried far enough to
demonstrate that the water supply
is ample. In several , considerable
progress has already been * made
with large public systems or small
private ditches. Together they
have an area of 18,218 square
miles more than the states of
Bhode Island , Delaware , Massa
chusetts , New Jersey , Connecticut ,
New Hampshire or Vermont , and
half as much as the total of these
seven states.
It is in this large territory that
the people of Nebraska may make
a thorough test of irrigation as a
means of rendering agriculture as
prosperous and as staple as any
other human pursuit. To put il
stronger , it is here that the tesl
must bo made in order to prevenl
the retrogradation of the country
back to wild prairie , or mere graz
ing grounds in order to prevenl
the cowboy from driving out the
farmer find the homesteader.
The character of these counties
will bo discussed with more detail
when particular branches of the
subject are taken up , but it is im
portant to indicate at the outsel
the main features of the country
and its people.
There is probably no finer cli
mate in the United States than
*
that of the arid region. ! ! is adapt
ed to the growth of all the cereals
and of perhaps the largest variety
of profitable crops that can be
grown anywhere in the world. Its
attitude ranges from 2,000 to 5- ,
000 feet , which contributes much
to its healthfulness. Everywhere
the soil is deep , rich and strong.
The surface of the countrythough
very largely a rolling prairie , pos
sesses more variety than can be
found elsewhere in the state. This
is especially the case in the west
ern counties , where there are land
scapes beauties that would surprise
the Nebraskan who is acquainted
with this state only by a study of
the map on the wall. If a Kodak
fiend should lose himself back of
the range of Sidney hills , and not
find his way to the railroad again
until he had wandered over half a
dozen counties , he would bring
back on his camera material enough
to justify the publication of a work
on "Picturesque Nebraska. "
A large proportion of the 60,000
people who dwell in the arid and
semi-arid region have come in the
last ten years. Outside of the
towns , which with a few exceptions
are very small , the inhabitants are
principally homesteaders. They
are good representatives of the
sturdy class of settlers and have
made Nebraska and other western
states what they are. Most of
them started with only their brawn
and brain , and the laud which the
government had promised to give
them when they had fulfilled the
conditions of settlement. These
men and their wives and children
are made of good stuff. They dp
not ask the earth. A very small
section of it is sufficient for their
demands. And they come with
the expectation of enduring some
of the hardships of privations and
sacrifice while the country is set
tling up and the homestead get
ting under way. But when crops
fail in part the hand of adversity
rests heavily upon them.When they
fail entirely they suffer and pinch ,
and , finally , call for help. Some
times they move away. That is
what it means when we see the
prairie schooner driving the
gaunt stock before it and trailing
the family mare and her youngest
behind it drift slowly eastward
in the direction of the old roof-
tree.
tree.It
It is needless to write of the
heroism of the frontier , but there
are families all over the arid re
gions who are trying to brave it
out , and who would -blush to see
the inside of their sod house expos
ed to the view of the world. Why
do they stay and endure ? Because
they know the possibilities of that
soil beneath their feet if the provi
dence of God , or the ingenuity of
man , can but show them a way to
water it. They know the home
stead they have fought so hard to
stay with will yield them a hand
some living , educate their children ,
and lay up a competence for old
age. But without the assistance
of the intelligence and the capital
of the state the dream can never be
realized.
PRACTICAL FRUITS OF IRRIGATION.
The success of irrigation is a
matter of history , and a very anci
ent history at that. It is not nec
essary to refer to what has been
done in other countries and other
ages , however. We need not re
vive the recollection of irrigation
O
on the Nile , nor describe the meth
ods which have made the farmers
of Japan a marvel of thrift , to con
vince anybody that the application
or water by artificial means to a
soil containing every element of
strength will produce great and
regular crops , with which it is
hopeless for "natural farming" to
compete. But , by way of demon
strating the practical fruits of irri
gation , it is well to quote the ex
perience of the state which adjoins
our arid region on the west , Col
orado , and has precisely similar
connections to deal with.
It was the good fortune of Colorado
rado to be so hopelessly rainless
that its people perfectly under
stood that irrigation was a necessi
ty. Next to having plenty of rain
the great blessing is to have none ,
apparently , for then no valuable
time is wasted in waiting for im
possibilities to transpire and no
body goes to work under false pre
tenses.
All agriculture in Colorado is
by artificial irrigation and inde
pendent of rainfall. Six of the
largest irrigating canals in the
United , States have either been
completed , or are in progress of
construction , in the Arkansas val
ley , ranging from 2i to 100 miles
in length. During the past seas
on the prosperity of the large re
gion reached by these and smaller
canals has stood out in striking
contrast to the poverty and distress
of parts of Nebraska and Kansas.
On the week begining October 5th
the first carload of grapes ever
shipped from any point in Colora
do was sent from Canyon City to
Denver. At the same time there
were on exhibition at the state fail-
in Pueblo magnificent displays of
fruit of all kinds from the valleys
of the Gunnison and Arkansas.
Thousands of bushels of apples
some of them fifteen inches in cir
cumference , raised from trees six
years old were waiting for harv
est at Fremont and throughout the
Guunison valley.
The prosperity of the San Luis
valley was immense. The great
est wheat crop ever known was
harvested , and it was of a quality
equalled only by the best No. 1
Manitoba. Enough was1 stored at
Monte Yista to keep a large mill
running day and night for one
year , besides the great quantities
shipped out. Elsewhere in the
Dnited States in the lake region
as well as in Nebraska the potato
crop was almost a total failure ,
save for a few exceptional instances.
This fact only added a brighter
tinge to the gilt-edged prosperity
of irrigated Colorado. From the
San Luis valley and the Divide
carload after carload was shipped
to. the east and big prices realized
therefor. An entire trainload left
Greeley for Chicago on October
6th. The returns seem almost
fabulous. There is scarcely any
limit to the variety of crops that
can be grown under favorable con
ditions that exist in the irrigated
O
portions of Colorado. Of the mat
ter of profit I need say no more
than that 1 have talked with farm
ers of Las Animas county who
gladly pay $30 per acre annual
rental for the use of irrigated farms
near a good local market. And
this is in sight of the New Mexico
mountains , far remoute from the
great Denver market.
It is to be assumed that neither
space nor time need be wasted in
further fortifying the theory that
irrigation pays. If more evidence
is needed it can be furnished with
out limit from the experience of
New Mexico , Arizona , Utah , Cali
fornia and various foreign coun
tries.
It is a fact not open to dispute
that where capital has been found
to make the water flow over our
arid acres prosperity has come to
abide. The question for Nebraska
is , when will her people begin in
earnest to reclaim that large portion
tion of her domain which nature
has reserved for the greatest ulti
mate productiveness ?
THE WA.TER SUPPLY.
The question of the water sup
ply for the arid regions is not now
a matter of anxiety to the friends
of the irrigation movement , though
there are still found occasional
skeptics who"take no stock" in the
sources which must be depended
upon. When Bill Nye said "the
Platte river is about a mile wide
and an inch thick , " and that it
"has a large circulation but very
little influence , " he voiced the con
tempt for western streams that is
somewhat generally held. Bu-
scieutific demonstration put uttert
ly to rout all questions of the re
liability of the underground flow
in the bed of the Platte , the Ee-
publican , the Arkansas and other
rivers that cut their path through
the plains.
There are three great systems
of water supply for irrigation
the surface and underground riv
ers , the artesian well , and the
storage , or reservoir system. Ne
braska will make use of the two
former methods , and it is already
practically demonstrated that near
ly every one of our arid and semiarid -
arid regions is open to the cultiva
tion of one or the other of these
methods , and much of it to both.
In describing local enterprises , in
contemplation or actually under
way , this branch of the subject
will be more fully discussed1 with
direct application to localities.
It is unnecessary to elaborate
upon the artesian method , which is
perfectly understood and remains
only to be determined , with regard
to particular districts , by skillful
engineers. It is worth while , how
ever , to say n , word about the
method of tapping the under
ground flow in the valleys of the
Platte and Republican , which con
cerns a very large territory and is
less uuderstood.
The best illustrations of this
method to be found at present in
Nebauska is in Buffalo county ,
where the people of Kearney have
constructed a ditch sixteen miles
in length for the purpose of secur
ing water power. They at first de
pended upon the surface sup
ply. In dry seasons this failed
them , and engineers of national
reputations were sent for to invest
igate the underflow. They became
perfectly satisfied that an inex
haustible supply of water ran
through the loose gravel bed that
lies beneath a strata of clay at the
river bottom. Dredges were set
at work and the canal continued
up tile stream below the level of
the river , deepening as it wen I.
The work practically demonstrated
the wisdom of the engineers. Wat
er was found in abuiMance , and
when the operations are completed
there will be a large square basin
below the surface of the river to
serve as a perpetual fountain for
water supply and irrigation.
The same results have been ob
tained in Kansas. A recent official
report in that state says of an ex
periment of that kind :
"First , the valley has a fall of
seven feet to the mile. The under
flow , or sheet water , is reached at
a depth of seven feet below the sur
face. By commencing a ditch at
any given point in the valley three
feet deep the usually depth for
irrigating purposes and extend
ing it up the valley at a grade of
three feet to the mile a distance
of one mile , the ditch at that point
would be just seven feet deep ; or ,
in other words , the underflow
would be reached. By extending
the ditch another mile up the val
ley with the same grade , it would
then just be eleven feet deep , or
four feet into the underflow bear
ing in mind that the underflow is
struck at seven feet below the sur
face , which is on a level with the
bed of the river. By extending
the ditch a half mile further up ( he
valley with the same grade as be
fore , the ditch is then just thirteen
feet deep , or six feet into the un
derflow , or of course six feet be
low the bed of the river. From
that point the uniformed depth oi
thirteen feet is retained , giving
the ditch the same grade as the
river , namely , seven feet to the
mile. Into this ditch , thus dug ,
drained the underflow. The pro
blem is solved. It is a success.
From the dam the ditch is conduct
ed along the higher lands at a
grade of only one and seven-tenths
feet per mile the usual grade for
irrigation purposes. The ditch ,
when completed , will be twenty-
five miles in length and will cost
about $60,000. With the experi
ence these men have had , they say
they could construct another ditch
of equal size for $10,000 less. "
Neither government experts nor
private investigators any longer
entertain the slightest doubt the
abundant supply of water available
for the irrigation of the arid and
semi-arid regions in Nebraska.
Facts , suggestions or criticisms
in connection with this and suc
ceeding articles will be cheerfully
received as valuable contributions
to their completeness. Next Sun
day's article will deal with the irri
gation enterprises already under
way in Nebraska. W.E.SCYTHE.
T. B. McPnERSOX of Arapahoe ,
who managed the anti-amendment
campaign in the valley with such
conspicuous success , is rewarded
with the vice-presidency of the
Union Stock Yards bank at South
Omaha.
WHEN the alliance lamb is safe
ly deposited in the democratic tig
er's stomach the last condition of
that lamb will be infinitely worse
than the first estate.
ONLY 531,399 claims for pen
sions have been filed since the first
of June.
Closing Out Sale I
DRY QOODB , f- ,
( I
LESS THAN COST.
14 libs. Gran. Sug'ai % Grand Island , $1.00
18 Ibs. New Orleans Sugar for 1.00
1 can of 2-1 to. Corn , .10
1 can of 3-lto. Tomatoes , .10
1 11) . Plug * Tobacco for .25
We Sell GROCERIES Cheaper Than Anybody , and
Save You 25 Per Cent
0 , ALLEN & GO , ,
Cash Buyers and Sellers.
IM
<
In addition tomy line of DiRYGOO DS , CLOTH-
IMG , ( BOOTS , SHOES , MOTIONS , Etc. , I
have just laid ina stock of
IES
/ have determined to sell all my goods ai "hard
times" prices. Call and see me at the old Op
penheimer stand in the ( Babcock = Morlau build =
'ing , and I will do the square thing by you.
RRANK EVE.RIST.
11
FRESH AND SALT
MEATS ,
BACON , BOLOGNA ,
CHICKENS ,
TURKEYS , &c. , &c.
R. A. COUPE & CO. , Props.
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Conway , Ark.
Castoria.
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3