THE PROGRESS OF WESTERN AMERICA. 



37 



W. Waiters, Edwin Chamberlin, G. S. 

 Simons, T. W. Woodruff, San Antonio; 

 I. M. Cline, Galveston; James C. Atkins, 

 Portland; W. J. Hollingsworth, Brown- 

 wood; Marshall Burney, Kerrville; John 

 Hord, Kio Grande City; J. A. Bell, 

 Laredo, and others. 



There was the enthusiasm and good 

 feeling which is always evinced in a Texas 

 gathering of any kind, especially when the 

 people are united in a great cause. 



Judge J. H. McLeary presided. After 

 a brief address of welcome he said this 

 was not a convention but a meeting of the 

 Texas State Irrigation Association. " The 

 objects and aims are to dot this country 

 with irrigated farms, to make the desert 

 blossom and to make that part of the 

 country heretofore considered as only a 

 stock range an agricultural country. 

 When conducted by irrigation, crops are 

 the most reliable, because whether it rains 

 or not they can make the country rich and 

 prosperous. ' ' 



The secretary announced that the num- 

 ber of members in the association was 

 205. 



A communication from the Southern 

 Irrigation Congress was read, inviting 

 Texas to send delegates to the next meet- 

 ing of the Congress, at Nashville, in 

 October, 1896. 



A large number of interesting papers 

 were read and discussed. Professor Hill 

 of the United States Geological Survey 

 read a paper on Artesian Well Irrigation, 

 and explained at length the general sub- 

 ject of the economies of irrigation. 



Like El Paso and the surrounding 

 country, San Antonio being in the semi- 

 arid region needs irrigation fully as much, 

 from the fact that rains there are seldom, 

 if ever, opportune. They come in quanta 

 ties sufficient for all crops did they fall 

 when needed most. The burden of all 

 the papers read and the speeches made 

 spemed to have been upon the conserva- 

 tion of the storm waters and the manner 

 of conducting them out upon the land. 



Mr. Bell, of Laredo, offered a resolution 

 requesting all the Texas representatives 

 in Congress to endeavor to have some of 

 the government geological survey work 

 provided for done in Texas, the purpose 

 being to ascertain the amount of the 

 Stato's water supply, information of ex- 

 ceeding value when a system of water 

 storage is contemplated. Adopted. 



EDWIN M. CHAMBERLIX, 



of San Antonio, 

 Secretary of the Texas Irrigation Association. 



After deliberation a plan was adopted 

 for the thorough organization of the State 

 by counties, the county associations to be 

 part of the general State Association. 



The election of officers resulted as 

 follows: President, J. H. McLeary, San 

 Antonio; first vice-president, F. A. Swin- 

 den, Brownwood; second vice-president, 

 Edwin Chamberlin, San Antonio; secre- 

 tary, W. D. Hornaday, San Antonio; 

 treasurer, J. N. Brown, San Antonio; ser- 

 geant-at-arms, J. C. Carr. 



The chairman named the following to 

 comprise the committee on . legislation: 

 Henry Suyles, Abilene; C. E. Dutton, 

 San Antonio; P. J. MacMahon, Laredo; 

 F. A. Swinden, Brownwood; J. S. Taylor, 

 Laredo; W. W. Turney, El Paso; William 

 Casson, Zavalla county; J. L. Slayden, 

 San Antonio; John Willacy, Portland; 

 Robert W. Stayton, San Antonio; Albert 

 TJrbechn, Laredo; J. O. Nicholson, 

 Laredo. 



Authority to recommend to the governor 

 appointments as delegates to the meeting 

 of the Southern Irrigation Congress at 

 Nashville was given to the executive com- 

 mittee. 



Laredo was chosen as the place for the 

 next meeting. 



