COLONY BUILDING IN ARID AMERICA. 



THE MARCH OF THE COLONIST. 



THE past winter has witnessed a notable growth 

 in the movement of people to the irrigated 

 lands. California is, of course, the principal field for 

 winter operations, and we believe there were more 

 homeseekers in California this past winter than ever 

 before, except in boom times. Furthermore, it may 

 be confidently predicted that next year's emigration 

 to California will exceed this year's very largely. 

 The number of practicable enterprises in the field has 

 largely increased. The machinery they have erected 

 in the East will begin to grind out its grist in earnest 

 at the beginning of the next season. 



But other States than California are getting well 

 under way with colonization plans. Extraordinary 

 efforts are being put forth in behalf of the San Luis 

 valley of Colorado. Plans for large operations are 

 on foot in Utah. Several unique and interesting 

 colonies are being worked up in connection with irri- 

 gated lands in Idaho. Washington is also pushing 

 rapidly to the front in this direction. 



A newspaper item reports the departure of a party 

 consisting of more than 100 families from Kansas, 

 bound for the Canadian Northwest. It is added that 

 several other large parties will soon follow. Many of 

 these people are well-to-do. They are leaving Kan- 

 sas because they have become disgusted with the 

 condition prevailing there. "The reader of such 

 news must be impressed with the thought that it is a 

 shame for those people to be permitted to go off into 

 the far Northwest when there is a better field here for 

 them to occupy," says the Boise (Idaho) Statesman. 

 "They go there because that country has been adver- 

 tised because agents have been sent among them to 

 portray its advantages to them. They do not come 

 here because they have not been made acquainted 

 with Idaho's superior attractions." 



Large clubs are being organized in Minnesota for 

 the purpose of taking of lands in Florida. The South 

 is showing much activity in this matter. A strong 

 company has been incorporated at Baltimore to pro- 

 mote colonization in the South. 



A despatch from Douglas, Wyoming, says : " J. M. 

 Brockway, Alexander Brockway, James A. Brockway, 

 David S. Brockway, Willard Virden, G. W. Dickson. 

 Mrs. Matilda Foggett and Miss Maggie E. Brock, 

 way of Douglas have just located 2,000 acres of the 

 choicest land on the Fort Fetterman reservation near 



Douglas. It is the intention to at once begin the 

 construction of an irrigating canal from the Platte 

 river to irrigate the lands. The survey for the ditch 

 has already been completed. It will require a large 

 sum of money to complete the ditch, and it. is only 

 through the combined efforts of the colony that it will 

 be possible to carry the enterprise to a successful 

 completion. The selection comprises some of the 

 finest agricultural land in the State and the develop- 

 ment of the tract will mean a great deal to the city of 

 Douglas." 



A wave of emigration from eastern and central 

 states seems to be flowing in the direction of South 

 Dakota. They are settling up the artesian well belt 

 and the tract opened by the Government in 1889. 

 The artesian well belt comprises the James river val- 

 ley and extends from Aberdeen south to Springfield. 

 It has a large number of wells which supply on the 

 average about seven thousand gallons of water per 

 minute. These wells not only furnish water for irri- 

 gation but motive power for the cities and towns. 

 The settlers are not all farmers, some of them estab- 

 lishing tanneries, fiber mills, dairies and fruiteries 

 and other industries. 



Nevada is not behind her sister states in seeking 

 settlers. The State Board of Immigration has issued 

 a pamphlet for gratuitous distribution giving the re- 

 sources of the State and illustrated with photogra- 

 vures. 



The announcement is made by the Land of Sun- 

 shine Company that Cosmopolis is only one of many 

 colonies now being organized to settle on their lands 

 in the vicinity of Merced, California. 



Wyoming reports that an Omaha colonization com- 

 pany expects to locate on the Big Horn river during 

 the summer, and will dig a canal to irrigate the land. 



Spokane, Washington, is making an attempt to se- 

 cure settlers, and has organized a Bureau of Immi- 

 gration to take charge of the work. 



Colorado expects to have a number of families of 

 farmers and home-seekers settle on the irrigated 

 lands within her borders this year. 



