22 



THF IRRIGATION AGE. 



other in the Arkansas Valley. Work 

 has been already begun on the reservoir 

 site for the northeastern enterprise, 

 which is practically a modification of 

 the old Pawnee Pass proposition. It is 

 definitely announced that the funds have 

 been secured and the work will be rap- 

 idly pushed to completion. This enter- 

 prise is the result of the tireless energy 

 of Geo. H. West with the able co-opera- 

 tion of D. A. Camfield, both of Greeley. 

 It has the honor of being the first seg- 

 regation in Colorado under the provis- 

 ions of the Carey law. B. L. Winchell, 

 the General Passenger Agent of the 

 Union Pacific, Denver & Gulf railroad is 

 highly pleased with the prospect. 



The Need of Tens of thousands of 

 Settlers. acres of land, under 



ditches in which water is flowing, are 

 awaiting the coming of the settler. Irri- 

 gation systems completed at tremendous 

 expense are languishing and unprofit- 

 able. Railroad revenues are diminish- 

 ing and industry is stagnant. These are 

 not the out-pourings of a pessimist nor 

 the vaporings of a diseased mind, but 

 the result of a calm survey of the irri- 

 gation field in the spring of the new 

 year. In order to arouse it may be nec- 

 essary to startle those who have looked, 

 if not complacently at least with but 

 little disquietude, upon conditions in- 

 imical to the best interests of irrigation 

 and the Great West. It is not hard to 

 forsee the ultimate result unless the 

 course is changed. But the time is here 

 for a change and the remedy is plain 

 prices of land and water reduced to a 

 reasonable basis and active immigration 

 work. The settler is the salvation of 

 the irrigation company; he is needed and 

 with proper inducements and work he 

 can be obtained. 



The South After It must certainly be 

 People. admitted that the 



southern states are more active in their 

 efforts to induce immigration than any 

 other portion of the country. All of 

 the southern railroads, including those 

 which run no nearer to Chicago than the 

 Ohio river, maintain representatives and 

 land agents there and in many cases ex- 

 hibits of agricultural products. Again 

 the southern states, through their ac- 

 credited agricultural and industrial com- 

 missioners, have prepared hand-books 



setting forth in detail the resources of 

 the counties as well as the states at large. 

 A great amount of this literature has 

 been distributed through the medium of 

 the Homeseekers Association. Kansas 

 is the one exception among the western 

 states to exhibit a spirit of patriotism in 

 this respect and the souvenir of the Sun- 

 flower State, prepared under the able 

 management of Hon. W. C. Edwards, 

 ex-Secretary of State, has been distri- 

 buted far and wide with beneficial re- 

 sults. Will the other states follow the 

 example of Kansas or allow immigration 

 to pass by through pure neglect. 



A Chance for the The outlook for west- 

 West, ern immigration is 

 more favorable at the present than it 

 has been at any time during the past 

 two years. The wide-spread business 

 stagnation has forced many country 

 people into the cities and it is now going 

 to send them back and many city people 

 w r ith them. The professional man, the 

 clerk and the mechanic feel that their 

 tenure of a sustenance is uncertain. 

 They have waited patiently hoping for 

 better conditions, which did not arrive, 

 and they are now ready to take advant 

 age of reduced land values and emigrate. 

 This has been clearly demonstrated at 

 the meetings of the Homeseekers Associ- 

 ation during the past three or four 

 months. Previous to that time the in- 

 terest manifested was of a lukewarm 

 character. This has changed. The peo- 

 ple are eager for information concerning 

 lands, but it must be reliable. No more 

 extravagant land schemes with a thou- 

 sand dollars an acre profit will be swal- 

 lowed, nor even half that much. No 

 imaginative and flowery prospectuses 

 need apply. A plain, candid statement 

 of facts is wanted and w r ill receive care- 

 ful consideration. Is the West ready to 

 seize the opportunity ? 

 Western Apathy. An extended trip 

 through the west has convinced the 

 writer that there is a lack of common 

 purpose and united effort in behalf of 

 irrigation. This is clearly detrimental 

 to the best interests of every western 

 state. While individuals may differ as 

 to methods there should be no difference 

 as to the necessity of united and active 

 work. For nearly two years irrigation 

 has slumbered. There has practically 



