266 THE IRRIGATION AGE 



the mountains to give an outlet, in another ditection, to the waters of 

 the lake when they rose to a height to threaten inundation. 



'At the coming of the Spaniard, the land eyery where teemed with 

 evidence of agricultural wealth," said Senor Estacia, reflectively. To- 

 day the greater part of this paradise has reverted to its original arid 

 condition. Here and there where some old dirt filled and long-for- 

 gotten tunnel leaks a little moisture, the rank vegeatation of our 

 tropics, in contrast with the surroundings arid wastes, shows the 

 power of irrigation. 



This gives rise to the reflection that the Spaniards, wherever 

 their star of chivalry or repacity for wealth led them, have destroyed 

 and never created. Their coming has always been a curse to the peo- 

 ple they conquered. Chivalric and recklessly brave, they yet consid- 

 ered the civilization and population of the New World as but barbaric 

 and pagan and fit only for destruction. 



But these native people, benighted and heathen, had battled with 

 nature, learned the most adverse circumstances. They made use of 

 mountain lakes and natural reservoirs, wherein were stored the waters 

 of the rainy season and the melting snows, to be used during the dry 

 season. 



We have today in California, Colorado. Arizona, New Mexico, 

 Utah and the Northwestern States, millions of acres of land, the pro- 

 ductive capacity of which is beyond compute, which can and will be 

 reclaimed eventually. Great mountain gorges forming natural reser- 

 voirs, can be used for storage purposes, and the land, today will be- 

 come an empire of agricultural wealth, worth far more fabulous sums 

 than the rich mines adjacent to them. 



