THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



extent, is sufficient to emphasize the truth of these sug- 

 gestions. 



The various kinds of drains, such as open ditches 

 and covered drains constructed either of drain tile, or 

 of lumber in the form of wooden boxes, have their ap- 

 propriate places in construction work, according to the 

 locality which may demand attention and the con- 

 ditions peculiar to it. The laying out of proper grades, 

 details of construction with thejr practical difficulties, 

 will furnish to the engineer a fruitful field for the 

 exercise of both common sense investigation and tech- 

 nical experience. 



This practically new drainage problem is of great 

 interest to the older irrigated districts and should also 

 command the earnest attention of all canal companies 

 and irrigators, in view of the serious results which are 

 certain to follow in the wake of excessive leakage from 

 canals and the wasteful use of water. Lands newly re- 

 claimed from the desert may in time require supple- 

 mentary drainage work. The conclusions which may be 

 drawn from recent investigations thus far made in 

 Colorado and California upon this subject are : 



First. Much valuable land now under irrigation 

 has been destroyed by seepage and the resultant deposit 

 of alkali, and the process is still going on in certain 

 quarters at a rapid rate. 



Second. Such land can be reclaimed and other 

 land now threatened with the effects of seepage can be 

 protected from injury by simple methods of drainage. 



Third. The simplest and most effective method 

 of drainage is a ditch, either open or closed, constructed 

 across the slope where seep water first manifests itself 

 parallel with the supply ditch and between it and the in- 

 jured land. Whatever subsequent work may be found 

 necessary, this is the first step. 



Fourth. The depth of drainage in most, if not in 

 all cases, must be not less than 5 or G feet, in order to JDC 

 effective. 



Fifth. For the protection of extensive tracts, large 

 ditches of considerable length may be required in which 

 cooperation of land owners in their construction will 

 be necessary, and which can only be done effectively 

 under the provisions of suitable drainage laws. 



It may be said that the growing importance of this 

 subject, in view of the added interest now taken in 

 the improvement and extension of irrigated areas, de- 

 mands more minute and careful examinations than 

 have thus far been made. The preservation of the lands 

 already subdued, irrigated and improved, is as of great 

 importance as the addition of new land to our cultivated 

 domain. 



At Latham, Logan county, 111., recently, R. M. 

 McWilliams, the dredge boat man of Mattoon, was 

 awarded a contract to dredge a ditch eight miles long 

 known as the Illini-special drainage district. Mr. Mc- 

 Williams will have to remove 10,000 yards of dirt, and 

 the contract must be completed in the early spring. 



There were numerous bidders there, and Mr. Mc- 

 Williams was the successful one of fourteen who were 

 anxious for the work. 



The large contracts taken by the McWilliams com- 

 pany in the past year makes it one of the widest known 

 dredging concerns in the West. 



The contract includes eight miles of open ditch, and 

 five miles of drain tile 10 to 18 inches. The ditches 

 are to be six feet deep, five feet at the bottom and 17 

 feet wide at the top. 



CORRESPONDENCE 



HINSDALE, MONTANA, Dec. 28th, 1902. 

 EDITOR IRRIGATION AGE : 



My Dear Sir: Your favor of Nov. a8th came duly 

 10 hand, but owing to a rush of work has not received 

 attention until the present time. 



Answering your questions, I have seen several lists 

 of members in various sections, among others being lists 

 of the Chicago, St. Paul, Montana, and California member- 

 ship, together with amount of their membership fees. These 

 lists contained the names of the largest business houses 

 and commercial organizations in each locality, and have 

 known how some of the money was disbursed, for instance, 

 I was informed by one in authority to know that in support 

 of the Chicago Congress Maxwell pledged and paid $I,OOO 

 for the use of the Central M\isic Hall in which the meetings 

 were held; again that he paid $1,000 for the use of the 

 Auditorium ; that the association paid all the expenses in- 

 cident to the Chicago Congress, which was no small amount, 

 and which congress was one of the most successful ever 

 held. 



Regarding his refusal to furnish you a list of members 

 to whom you desired to send copies of THE AGE, I think 

 that was nothing unusual. I do not doubt but that he would 

 have been pleased to have sent the copies through his office 

 for you, but to furnish a list for that purpose would be 

 another matter. In my own particular line of work, for ob- 

 vious reasons I would not furnish any one with a copy of 

 my mailing list, nor do I think you would dp so with the 

 mailing list of THE AGE. Now let us be fair in this matter, 

 would you ? 



If you have fully followed the history of this irrigation 

 movement during the past six or eight years, you will admit 

 that the entire movement was on the decline, that the Mis- 

 soula congress was the last one at which any strength was 

 developed. Even there money was not available for the 

 purpose of publishing the proceedings of the congress, 

 that some time elapsed before courage was mustered to try 

 it again. In the meantime Maxwell at the suggestion of 

 a few of his friends concluded to establish the headquarters 

 of the movement at. Chicago, and to carry the work right 

 into the 'east ; among Maxwell's friends and others it was not 

 seen how he could maintain the work, the expense being so 

 great ; then it was 1 proposed to organize the National Irri- 

 gation Association and by providing a membership fee 

 provide the funds with which to carry on the work ; it was 

 in thin manner that interest was worked up in the Chicago 

 Congress, and the expenses of that Congress met. It was 

 (he real starting point pf the entire national irrigation move- 

 ment, Maxwell, by arousing the commercial interests of the 

 east and south and inducing them to co-operate with the 

 west, at the same time awakening an unusual interest among 

 I he press of the east, brought an influence to bear upon 

 Congress, which could not have been secured in any other 

 way, and men like O'Donnell, Boothe, Gibson. Wantland, 

 Maxson, Gavin, Beardsley, Thurber, Fowler and Hewitt, 

 all men of national reputation marvel at what has been ac- 

 complished by Maxwell. 



In THE AGE you state that the three transcontinental 

 lines were interested to the extent of $30,000 per year. To 

 me and those who desire to see the arid lands of the west 

 settled and developed, this is interesting news. It affords me 

 much satisfaction to learn that they have at last recognized 

 the importance of the movement to the exent of assisting it 

 financially, and they can well afford to, it means greatly 

 increased traffic to them to have the west settled. 



Reference has also been made to the "Open Letter." 

 I beg to advise you that to my own personal knowledge 

 that certain statements therein contained are at variance 

 with the facts; that I have here in my possession letters 

 which prove them. I do not think it hardly necessary to 

 go into personal reference unless absolutely necessary, but if 

 the proof is required it can be produced. 



My friend, for several years past an effort has been 

 made to secure control of first one thing, then another. 

 At one time it was the leasing of the public lands. I sup- 

 ported that idea until I discovered that the effort being 

 made was not in the interest of the small settler, and that 

 if any attempt were made at the time to secure a leasing 

 bill that advantage would be taken of the man who was 



