9 8 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



HON. J. XV. GREGORY, OF KANSAS, 

 Vice-Chairman National Executive Committee and Chairman 

 Kansas Irrigation Commission. 



be a large total in acreage, though as nearly all of the 

 State would be capable of cultivation if sufficiently 

 watered, the area reclaimed may seem small in com- 

 parison to the whole. The amount of water flowing 

 in surface streams, such as the North Platte, Repub- 

 lican, Frenchman, Loup, Niobrara and Missouri, is 

 immense in the aggregate. The possibilities for 

 individual irrigation plants from underground sources 

 are also very large indeed. The storage of storm 

 waters is feasible to a considerable degree. A State 

 irrigation policy, superintended by expert ability and 

 faithfully persevered in over a series of years, would 

 put into the hands of Nebraska's people irrigation 

 facilities that would seem fairly astounding if pre- 

 dicted now. 



Nebraska 



It is understood that petitions are in 

 Campaign circulation requesting Governor Crounse 

 of i8go-gi. to summon t h e Legislature in extra ses- 

 sion to devise a State irrigation system. This an- 

 nouncement will bring a smile of quiet satisfaction to 

 those who were prominently engaged in the Nebraska 

 irrigation campaign of 1890-91. During that winter 

 a group of perhaps twenty men, mostly of the western 

 counties, but including a few from Omaha and the 

 southeast, organized a widespread agitation in favor 

 of the immediate development of a State irrigation 

 policy. Many county conventions were held and 

 finally a splendid gathering in the State House at 

 Lincoln. The leaders of the movement were deter- 



mined that Nebraska should have the benefit of the 

 most enlightened experience of the world, and to this 

 end they studied the laws and customs of Colorado, 

 California, Utah and Wyoming, of India, Egypt, Italy 

 and Spain. Under the midnight lamp they worked 

 out a system of laws and administration. Just as the 

 movement seemed to be at the doorway of success it 

 was observed that a thunder shower was gathering in 

 the West. It rained. It rained for several days. In 

 fact the summer of 1891 showed a good rainfall rath- 

 er evenly distributed throughout the State. Down 

 went the irrigation policy and the fond hopes of its 

 advocates, for Nebraska declared that the climate 

 was changing. If 1891 had been a drouth year Ne- 

 braska would be to-day in the heyday of prosperity. 

 She would have comprehensive canal systems, would 

 have thousands of small irrigated farms and would 

 today be attracting more homeseekers than any 

 other western State, for when it comes to the business 

 of blowing her own horn Nebraska is an artist. Her 

 light is never hid under a bushel, but is always 

 hoisted to the top of the highest liberty pole, while 

 the vociferous outcries of her citizens attract the at- 

 tention of the world. Is Nebraska now to go back 

 and take up the old work ? This question has already 

 been answered in part. The work accomplished 

 during the past few months, under the vigorous 

 leadership of Mr. I. A. Fort, of North Platte, is very 

 considerable and reflects the highest credit on that 

 gentleman. 



JUDGE J. L. VAN DERWERKER, OF ARIZONA, 



Member of National Executive Committee Irrigation Congress. 



