86 



THE IEEIOATION AGE. 



state of Colorado to compel the latter to forego the gen- 

 erous and lavish use of the waters of the Arkansas River 

 in order that Kansas might get its supply. Kansas claimed 

 that Colorado had injured the farms of the lower valley 

 by using so much water that the river bed was left dry 

 in summer after crossing the state line. Colorado replied 

 that, as the river rose in that state, its people might 

 do as they pleased with the water. Its reply was boastful 

 and defiant. The government intervened in the case, 

 claiming that the Reclamation Service alone should have 

 the right to distribute the water of interstate rivers. 



The case dragged along in federal courts for seven 

 years. Then it went to the United States Supreme Court. 

 The record in the case comprised 10,000 pages the most 

 voluminous ever filed and at an expense to the states of 

 Kansas and Colorado of more than $100,000. Nearly 

 everyone is familiar with the result. Colorado won; but 

 something fixed and certain in the way of a principle, a 

 discussion of interstate waterrights, came out of the de- 

 cision, and here is the paragraph. It is well worth reading 

 and rereading: 



"To the great body of the valley it has worked little, 

 if any, detriment, and regarding the interests of both states 

 and the right of each to receive benefits through irriga- 

 tion and in any other manner from the waters of this 

 stream, we are not satisfied that Kansas has made out a 

 case entitling it to a decree. At the same time it is 

 obvious that if the depletion of the waters of the river by 

 Colorado continues to increase there will come a time 

 when Kansas may justly say that there is no longer an 

 equitable division of benefits and may rightly call for relief 

 against the action of Colorado, its corporations and citi- 

 zens, in appropriating the waters of the Arkansas for irrga- 

 tion purposes." 



Not through the aid, then, of a decision of the Supreme 

 Court of the United States has the subsequent develop- 

 ment gone on, but rather in spite of such decision; and 

 the work is being done today in the Kansas-Arkansas 

 Valley in western Kansas, in the territory tributary to 

 Garden City, is marked to the utmost. In previous pieces 

 in these columns, and in the figures and facts presented 

 earlier in this writing, something has been shown of the 

 work done all of it, mind you, dating from the time of 

 the decision, a quotation from which appears just above. 

 And this work of development has been so marked, so 

 wonderful, that a recent writer in Leslie's Weekly has this 

 to say, every word of which is true, important and worthy 

 of careful thought: 



"During the past summer excursions of landseekers 

 continued; an Associated Press daily has been started at 

 Garden City, the metropolis of the sugar beet country, 

 and the farmers are looking forward to the time when land 

 shall sell, as does that of the upper valley in Colorado, at 

 $300 to $500 per acre. 



"The transformation conies out of the present condi- 

 tions, artd no court decision is needed to make the progress 

 permanent. The pumping stations are lifting the under- 

 flow as windmills were never able to do; denatured alcohol 

 is counted on and it can be made from the refuse of 

 melons and beets to add to the possibilities of cheap 

 power for the pumping plants. Steam plows, turning over 

 thirty acres by day, and then, with headlights pointing the 

 way, turning over thirty acres more by night, will be busy 

 during the autumn and early -winter breaking the short- 

 grass sod. The rainfall seems to be increasing. Reser- 

 voirs are conserving it, and also the surplus water of the 

 streams, when there is abundance. The towns are grow- 

 ing, the farms are occupied, new roofs are common, the 

 prosperity of the people is very real. The valley has more 

 than recovered the business activity of two decades ago, 

 and with this difference now the farmers are practically 

 out of debt, they understand climatic conditions, they are 

 operating with intelligent comprehension of what can be 

 done and how to do it. 



"To its first beet sugar factory, said to be the finest 

 in this country. Kansas expects to add at least four more, 

 making ten along the 'American Nile* in the two states, 

 extending sugar beet land from La Junta in the Colorado 

 foothills to Dodge City, well down toward central Kansas. 

 It is, the most tremendous regeneration now going on in 

 -the Middle West." 



CORRESPONDENCE 



BUCKEYE, ARIZONA, December 3, 1908. 

 IRRIGATION AGE, Chicago. 



DEAR SIRS I live in the most productive valley in the 

 southwest. We have 16,000 acres under the Buckeye Canal, 

 carry 18,000 head of cattle; run a $6,000 creamery, shipped 

 put $100,000 worth of alfalfa seed last year and are now send- 

 ing out $200,000 worth this year. I had from my own bees 

 66,000 pounds of honey, other bee men similar yields ; we de- 

 pend entirely upon irrigation. 



Our farmers are very prosperous and should all take your 

 valuable paper. I enclose you a list of a few of our enter- 

 prising irrigation farmers. 



I am a subscriber and could not do without your paper. 

 Yours truly, 



B. A. HADSELL. 



BISHOP, INYO Co., CALIF., November 18, 1908. 

 The Irrigation Age Company. 



DEAR SIRS According to promise to Mr. Anderson dur- 

 ing his visit to Owens Valley, I send you the following re- 

 garding some of the actions toward farmers here by so : called 

 government employees. The stumpage -charged for tamarisk, 

 or black jack pine, is $4.00 per M. very small logs, too ; in 

 fact, 120 logs make 20,000 feet of lumber. The stumpage 

 charged the sawmills for fir and bull pine is $6.00 per M., 

 and the lumber has to be hauled about forty-five miles by 

 wagon, over a bad mountain road. 



In the sugar pine belt, in the reserve, mills are charged 

 $2.00 per M. for the best timber on earth. Why this great 

 difference? 



Then we are prohibited from selling derrick poles. All 

 farmers use derricks in stacking their hay. They must be 

 hauled 45 to 60 miles. We are given a permit for one 

 pole, then told the pole must be stamped before being cut. 

 Then when request is made that one be marked, you are told 

 that they cannot afford to go so far to stamp one pole; that 

 if they do it for one, people would keep them busy running 

 to stamp poles. In other words, vou are refused your der- 

 rick pole. 



One applicant for a derrick pole is willing to make af- 

 fidavit that the above was what was told to him only a few 

 days ago, when he made application for a pole and booms. 

 The man who grants permits and stamps poles has comfort- 

 able "headquarters" in the city of Bishop about 25 miles from 

 the nearest timber and 45 miles from that suitable for der- 

 rick poles. 



Farmers think thev should have the right to get derricks 

 and booms where they may be gotten at least expense, and 

 should have the right to have some on hand to take the place 

 of any that may b.e broken while in use. 



Hoping this will be of service, and thanking you for any 

 favors shown our valley, I remain, Yours 



K. L. A. 



WEST SOMERVTLLE, MASS., December 3, 1908. 

 The Editor of IRRIGATION AGE, Chicago, Ills. 



DEAR SIR I have read with a great deal of interest for 

 the past six months or year the different articles in your 

 paper relative to the government irrigation works in the 

 west. I notice from the general tone of your paper that 

 you do not think very highly of the conditions that con- 

 front a settler on a government irrigation project as com- 

 pared with those on lands owned by private companies or 

 developed under the Carey Act. Now, I would like to ask 

 you just what advantages the privately owned projects have 

 to offer a settler over a government project. It would seem 

 to me as a casual observer that an intending settler would 

 find more favorable terms under the government from the 

 fact that he would not have to nav interest on his land until 

 it is paid for as he does on land bought under the Carey 

 Act, etc. I understand from other sources, however, that the 

 government is finding it hard to get settlers for its different 

 projects while privately owned lands such as Twin Falls, 

 Idaho, have nearly all their land taken at once. Can you en- 

 lighten me why this is and why such projects as that of the 



