A PLAN FOR RECLAIMING THE 



ARID LANDS OF OUR 



GREAT WEST. 



BY C. B. PARKER. 



After an experience of forty years west of the Missouri river, 

 and several years of the time in the saddle from Omaha to Portland, 

 Oregon, from North Dakota to Texas and from British Columbia on 

 the coast to Mexico and after advocating for thirty years the political 

 econony and practicability of irrigating by United States Government 

 this vast enterprise of now worthless land equal in area to ten states 

 the size of Ohio and thereby reclaiming it to the highest possible 

 state of productiveness capable of providing homes for and sustaining 

 a population of 100,000,OOC 'of the over-crowded of our eastern cities 

 and those coming to our shores from Europe. 



The writer was highly gratified as a delegate to the late National 

 Irrigation Congress that convened at Chicago, Nov. 21 to 24, partici- 

 pated in by such notables as G3a Nalsaa A. Milas, GDV. Roosevelt, 

 Secretary of Agriculture, Wilson; Senator Foster, of Washington, 

 Senator Carter, of Montana, Senator Perkins, of California, and 

 Senator Beverige, of Indiana, as well as Hons. A. C. Bartlett, James 

 Deering, Geo. F. Stone, John E. Springer, of Chicago, and Pres. 

 James J. Hill, of the Great Northern R. R., and Gov. Pettis, of 

 Arizona, all advocating irrigation by Government Aid. 



Congress was memorialized to construct reservoirs by a system 

 of dams in the mountains and foot-hills for storing the early flood- 

 waters of summer and President McKinley was telegraphed, asking 

 his attention to the matter is his next message to congress. Much 

 discussion was given to the complex question of the impracticability 

 of elevating water onto much of this more elevated land and the loss 

 of water by seepage in the ditches of the more sandy regions. 



Now these objections, are as the writer believes, fully met and 

 overcome by the patented invention of Col. Alexander Hoagland, of 

 Louisville, Kentucky, in his steel channel or canal, concrete lined, 

 that is thoroughly indorsed as practical from economic and sanitary 

 standpoints. 



Imagine a steel canal, concrete lined, from North Dakota to 

 Galveston .resting on a concrete foundation, constructed in one-half 

 the time, at one-third less expense than a dry cacal and supplied with 

 water in the regions of greatest altitude by Col. Hoagland's pump or 



