THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



abnormal degree by artificial means, as is likely to be 

 objected to by the Ctah county people, will necessitate 

 the adoption of conciliatory tactics by bringing a larger 

 flow of water into the lake from new sources, and possi- 

 bly the continuation of pumping time, so as to supply 

 the cold weather needs of the people along the river, 

 who would be unable to get any water without the con- 

 stant running of the pumps. 



The success of the pumps will be watched with 

 interest by irrigators and those who have favored the 

 plan of straightening the river channel down to the 

 tight dam at the intake of the canals and the dredging 

 of the outlet and river bars as a means of drawing off 

 river water from the lake without pumping. This plan 

 contemplated the storage of more water in the lake at 

 liood time and the contraction of the lake evaporation 

 surface by means of dykes. 



While the scheme would cost several hundred thou- 

 sand dollars, it is claimed by experts that it would afford 

 permanent relief from failure of water supply at less 

 expense at the end than by pumping. If this were 

 done and the city canal made to do its fullest duty on a 



PARTLY COMPLETED BUILDING. PUMPS IN FOREGROUND. 



higher line, it would be possible to carry into effect 

 the plan of exchanging canal water with owners of 

 Big Cottonwood creek, thereby enlarging an adequate 

 supply of water to be piped into Salt Lake City from 

 this most desirable source. 



The city of Salt Lake will pay one-fourth of ten 

 per cent of the cost of the pumping plant to provide 

 for the wear and tear of machinery, the amount thus 

 paid to apply on the purchase price, and will also pay 

 one-fourth of the operating expenses and the interest 

 on the investment, and will receive one-fourth of the 

 water pumped into the Joidan river. The entire cost 

 of plant, when completed, will be about $50,000, cost- 

 ing about $2,000 per month to operate. 



I'nfortunately, the relief from the pumps will come 

 rather late for this season (1902), but the farmers whose 

 crops have failed to come to maturity on account of the 

 drought, and the municipality of Salt Lake, which de- 

 pends upon its canal for irrigation supply and water for 

 exchange with owners of Parley's canyon creek, will not, 

 fail to appreciate the new pumping plant. 



To live nobly in this world one must forgive much, 

 forget much and forbear much. 



LAND PIRATES AND CORRUPT POLITICIANS. 

 Professed Friends, Disguised Enemies of Irrigation 



BY ALFRED F. SEARS, C. E. 



M. Am. Soc. C. E. M. Nat. Soc. C. E. of Peru, S. A. Cor. M. Geographi- 

 cal Soc. Lima, Feru. 



Oregon has safely passed the incubating session 

 of its Irrigating convention; it has brought forth a 

 State Irrigating Association. 



In the December Age (p. 57) appears an extract 

 from the Spokesman-Review, to the effect that "the 

 election of Devers as President is considered a victory 

 for the adherents of Government Irrigation as against 

 private enterprises under the Carey act," which is a 

 mistake, shown by the resolutions adopted as the result 

 of the convention's deliberations. 



The truth is, the instigators of this convention, 

 who organized a "State Association", to be the creature 

 of Maxwell have met a most significant defeat. When 

 the National Irrigation Congress adjourned certain del- 

 egates from Oregon met and formed themselves into 

 an "Oregon Irrigation Association", which then and 

 there elected officers and called a State convention. 

 This act, forestalling popular action was un-American, 

 like some others proceeding from that "National'' As- 

 sociation. The active spirit in this affair, was one 

 Williamson, Member of Congress elect from the eastern 

 district of Oregon, who has been floated to the top 

 with other froth in the boiling of the political cauldron. 

 His home is in the heart of the arid district of the 

 state, Crook county, containing 4,964,000 acres, sparsely 

 populated, the settlements of 4,000 souls being scattered 

 along the banks of the streams. Of this vast territory, 

 more splendidly fertile and more accessible to irriga- 

 tion than any other section of our state, less than 

 56,000 acres are improved in farms, or a trifle over one- 

 per cent, while less than 14,000 acres are under irriga- 

 tion. 



All this magnificent empire is roamed over by the 

 sheep and cattle of a corporation of wealthy stockmen, 

 the backers of Williamson, who employ him to prevent 

 the opening up of the region to settlement. 



Vnder the Carey act parties have surveyed and 

 prepared to irrigate, if pending contracts are closed, 

 some 240,000 acres of the land lying in the valley, 

 accessible to the waters of the River Des Chutes. This 

 active spirit of enterprise has roused the resentment 

 of the land pirates, whose guardian angel is Williamson. 

 They behold in the construction of such works the 

 loss of that free pasturage,, they have been usurping 

 for the last thirty years till they claim it their's by 

 right of possession. 



Through subtle machination, well understood by 

 the cunning politician, this element of hindering wealth 

 succeeded in securing, under Republican protection, the 

 election of its candidate to Congress in our last elec- 

 tion. This man, an obscure aspirant, save as he has 

 bobbed to the surface occasionally in our biennial 

 legislatures, had been shrewdly preparing himself for 

 his part, by avoiding all public expression of opinion 

 on the subject of irrigation, and managed things so 

 adroitly, that when Mr. Newell of the Hydrographic 

 Bureau visited his region, he absented himself, although 

 he had received a week's notice of the mission, the 

 importance of which was recognized by every friend 

 of the public welfare, and Mr. Malcolm A. Moody, 

 the M. C., whom Williamson succeeds was with the 

 party. After his nomination by the party, Williamson. 



