THE IRE I OAT ION AGE. 



55 



NEBRASKA CITY, November 28, 1902. 

 THE IRRIGATION AGE, Chicago, 111.: 



Gentlemen Can you refer me to any work (book) that 

 has a good deal to say about the loss of soil by erosion and 

 washing? I get some from geology and some from govern- 

 ment reports, but, after all, they have but little to say; a 

 few pages would cover all I can find. I am asked for an 

 address before institute meetings this winter, so I want all 

 the available information I can get. The loss of our agri- 

 cultural soils is so enormous and its effects so far reaching 

 that something must be done to stop it. Yours truly, 



L. C. BURNETT. 



MANSFIELD, OHIO, November 28, 19x12. 

 THE IRRIGATION AGE, Chicago, 111.: 



Dear Sir We acknowledge receipt of yours of the 2ist 

 inst., and also copy of November issue of THE IRRIGATION 

 AGE, which you doubled in size. I think it was a happy 

 thought to make this change. THE IRRIGATION AGE, in its 

 new form, is certainly much improved and creates a better 

 impression. We certainly appreciate the extra advertising 

 space that we are receiving under our contract. 

 We wish you' success. Yours truly, 



THE AULTMAN & TAYLOR MACHINERY Co., 



By A. KALLMERTEN, Secretary. 



MCMILLAN, NEW MEX., December 20, 1902. 

 THE IRRIGATION AGE, Chicago, 111. : 



I am this day in receipt of copies for October and No- 

 vember, respectively, and glad to welcome THE AGE among 

 my periodicals once more. The address of Hon. Thomas F. 

 Walsh is very fine, appeals strongly to my judgment and 

 sympathy, and is of itself well worth the cost of the sub- 

 scription. 



He is a noble and excellent man to utter such splendid 

 sentiments. I would like to meet and know a man capable 

 of such magnificent thought. Yours truly, 



W. V. JOHNSON. 



LINCOLN, NEB., December 19, 1902. 

 THE IRRIGATION AGE, Chicago, 111.: 



Gentlemen Enclosed, I hand you express money order 

 for $1.00 to pay enclosed subscription bill. Kindly receipt 

 and return. I wish you unbounded success in your efforts 

 to give the irrigators of this country a first-class publication. 



Please announce that the Nebraska Irrigation Association 

 will hold its annual convention and conference in the city 

 of Lincoln Thursday, January 22, 1903, holding both day and 

 night sessions. Important matters of legislation and the gen- 

 eral interests of practical irrigation will be discussed by 

 eminent and reliable authorities. A full one-fare rate will 

 be obtainable from all points within this state, and a one and 

 one-third rate from points outside of the state. Purchasers 

 of tickets should take certificates of the American Short Horn 

 Breeders' convention, which meets here at that time. Very 

 respectfully yours, A. G. WOLFENBARGER, 



President Nebraska Irrigation Association. 



THE IRRIGATION AGE, Chicago, 111. : 



I have a well on southeast %, section 27, town 7, range 

 49 west, twenty-five miles southeast of Sterling, Colo. This 

 well is 156 feet deep ; a current of air came from it. Can 

 this be explained. The water is fine, soft and cold. Re- 

 spectfully yours, JOHN J. LONG, 



Denver, Colo. 



The above inquiry was referred to Prof. B. C. Buffum, 

 director of experiment station and professor of agriculture, 

 University of Wyoming, who sends the following reply: 



I have your letter in regard to the well at Sterling and 

 had a talk with Professor Knight about it. He tells me that 

 air storage in nature is almost unknown, and thinks that 

 if there is a flow of gas from the well it is something other 

 than air. Very likely CO 2 *. It would be easy to take a sam- 

 ple of the gas by filling a large bottle with water, inverse 

 it in the gas and let the water run out, allowing the gas to 

 take its place, when it could be corked up and saved for ex- 

 amination. Professor Knight thinks that in the region of 

 Sterling there would be little probability of common air 

 flowing from a well, as you indicate. Yours, truly, 



B. C. BUFFUM. 



ALL IN THE POINT OF VIEW. 



In response to a request from the editor of a prominent 

 magazine for a short article on the irigation contro- 

 versy, the following was submitted by the editor of THE 

 IRRIGATION AGE: 



I have read the article published in your issue for Octo- 

 ber and am inclined to believe that the opponents of the 

 merger of the National Irrigation Congress with the Trans- 

 Mississippi Congress are unfairly dealt with. 



In discussing the late Irrigation Congress, it is difficult 

 to go into details without giving the impression that there is 

 a lack of harmony in the organization, which, in fact, is not 

 true. 



This seeming difference is shown only in so far as a few 

 of the delegates, who are interested in the National Irri- 

 gation Association, are anxious to have the Congress prac- 

 tically killed by merging with the Trans-Mississippi Congress. 

 It can readily be seen that this move would leave the Na- 

 tional Irrigation Association, which is a child of the Con- 

 gress, and which was organized to act as financial agent 

 of that body, with a clear field. In view of this situation, sev- 

 eral delegates, who were particularly anxious to bring about 

 the merger, are somewhat disgruntled, and I can, perhaps, bet- 

 ter illustrate the case by reproducing a letter received from a 

 prominent member of the National Association with my reply. 

 It will be seen that the main object in opposing the merger 

 is to keep the child from murdering its parent and at the 

 same time prevent too much power being placed in the hands 

 of one man, as would be the case if the National Irrigation 

 Association were to occupy the whole field with only one 

 individual in control. It is a fairly well established fact 

 that upwards of $40,000 have been contributed and has 

 passed through the hands of the acting official of this asso- 

 ciation, Mr. Maxwell. 



HINSDALE, MONT., November 21, 1902. 

 EDITOR IRRIGATION AGE, Chicago, 111. : 

 DEAR SIR-. 



In the last issue of THE AGE appeared an editorial re- 

 garding the National Irrigation Association and Mr. George 

 H. Maxwell. I have not the time at my disposal just at 

 present to reply to it specifically, but I want to say, as one 

 wno has been indentified with the settlement and irrigation 

 development of Montana for nearly twenty years, and one 

 who has been watching closely the interest created by the 

 association referred to, and also Mr. Maxwell himself, also 

 as one who is familiar with the history of the irrigation 

 movement from its very infancy, that you have done both Mr. 

 Maxwell and the association a great injury; you have also, 

 in as far as you have gone, done the cause of irrigation an 

 injury; it is clearly evident from the editorial in question 

 that you are not posted upon the question and have, been 

 misinformed. 



While on a recent trip over Montana, several prominent 

 persons spoke to me regarding this editorial. A general feel- 

 ing of indignation prevails. This is especially true in a sec- 

 tion that has always been much interested in the question of 

 irrigation. 



You asked, in this editorial, for any criticisms contrary 

 to your editorial. Had I the time I might go into a general 

 reply, personally, I am sorry that THE AGE has seen fit 

 on two occasions to take a view which is certainly detrimental 

 to the best interest of this important question. I had thought 

 that, with a change in the staff of THE AGE, that it would 

 again reach its old-time importance in the discussion and 

 promoting of interest in the irrigation question. I trust 

 that this may yet be the case, but you are certainly on the 

 wrong track. Yours truly, 



'COa. carbon dioxide (carbonic acid gas), often found in mineral waters 

 and forms an important pait ol limestone, etc. 



The following was sent in reply to above: 



November 28, 1902. 



MR. , Hinsdale, Mont. : 



. My Dear Sir I am in receipt of your favor, dated No- 

 vember 21. A man usually forms an opinion of another 

 through correspondence, whether he has ever met him per- 

 sonally or not, and from that source and from hearsay I 

 have formed the opinion that you are a man of broad views 

 and better able to judge than many others, inasmuch as 

 your efforts tend to the betterment of the masses. I am, con- 

 sequently, very sorry that any matter contained in our Octo- 

 ber or other issues should strike you as an injury to Mr. 

 Maxwell or the cause of irrigation. 



Your statement, however, that I am "certainly on the 

 wrong track," does not fully assure me that such is the 

 fact, and I fear that you possibly base your opinion on a 



