THE IRRIGATION AGE 225 



the new law into operation^ and that it will be the purpose of the ad- 

 ministration to show that the anti irrigationists of the eastern states 

 have talked unadvisedly. 



The most important project under the new law, so far discussed, 

 looks to the irrigation and rap/d settlement immediately thereafter of 

 half a million acres of land in north central Montana, and in north- 

 western North Dakota, along the line of the Great Northern railway. 

 This is known as the St. Mary's project, and if carried out, it will add 

 immensely to the popluation and material wealth of the country 

 through which the Great Northern runs. 



The second largest project east of the Rockies has to do with an 

 extensive tract of land in south central Montana, known as the Yel- 

 lowstone park project. It will fertilize a large tract of land tributary 

 to the Northern Pacific railway. 



Western senators and members of congress who were interested 

 in irrigation made their first definite organization for concerted action 

 at the beginning of the fifty sixth congress, in December, 1890. At 

 that time a meeting was held at the home of Representative New- 

 lands, of this city, attended by about 18 men. An elaborate dinner 

 was served, and over the cigars and wine the subject of irrigation was 

 discussed fully, and Senator Hansbrough was unanimously selected to 

 represent the new movement in the senate. This honor came to him 

 because in the fifty-fifth congress he had made a strenuous effort to 

 attach an irrigation rider to a general appropriation bill. He failed, 

 being ruled out on a point of order, but the matter went far enough to 

 attract the attention of both houses and to mark Hansbrough as an 

 earuest and aggressive irrigation advocate. 



Nothing was accomplished in the fifty-sixth congress. Before 

 the assembling of the fifty -seventh (the present) congress, President 

 McKinley was assassinated. Early in October Senator Hansbrough 

 came ail the way to Washington from North Dakota to confer with 

 the new president and uge upon him the advisability of recommending 

 irrigation in his message. It was the first time the attention of Pres- 

 ident Roosevelt had been drawn to the subject in a concrete manner. 

 He liked the suggestion and acted upon it. After congress had as- 

 sembled Senator Hansbrough drew up the bill, which with certain 

 minor amendments, is now the law, and introduced it. Then came a 

 series of animated conferences, extending over a period of more than 

 a month, between the western members of both houses who favored 

 some irrigation government policy. They ultimately adopted the 

 Hansbrough bill as the busis of their deliberations and, in the end, 

 although differing widely as to methods, adopted it and it passed the 

 senate. In the house the chief stumbling block in the way was the 

 speaker, who, with the committee on rules, did not look kindly upon 



