THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



329 



half of the state, welcomed the delegates in a manner 

 that elicited much favorable comment. His manner and 

 remarks were particularly happy and appropriate. The 

 governor spoke as follows : 



"It is my good fortune to have the honor of extend- 

 ing to you a hearty welcome on behalf of the people of 

 this young commonwealth. The people of Idaho rejoice 

 at your presence here today, for they feel that through 

 the efforts of this organization in the past, much has been 

 done to assist in the development of our state. We owe 

 you a debt of gratitude, and we are glad of this occasion 

 to welcome you to our state, where you will have an 

 opportunity to see what has been done in reclaiming our 

 arid lands. 



"It can truthfully be said that the great develop- 



Governor George E. Chamberlain of Oregon, President Fifteenth 

 National Irrigation Congress. 



ment of our arid lands commenced with the birth of 

 this organization. Fourteen years ago, when the first 

 session of the National Irrigation congress was held in 

 Salt Lake City, irrigation was in its infancy in Idaho. 

 No great projects had then been undertaken. Largely 

 through the efforts of this organization the eyes of the 

 nation were turned toward the arid West. The whole 

 world has been convinced that what was known as the 

 Great American Desert is a myth; that in the arid belt 

 there is a solid soil so rich in productiveness that it 

 can not be surpassed in any part of the United States. 

 Idaho has reaped a rich harvest from the work of this 



organization. Men of wealth have been attracted by our 

 great possibilities, and have come to our assistance in 

 the development of our arid lands. Year by year we 

 have grown, until today we can boast of the greatest 

 irrigation projects of any state in the Union. Largely 

 through the wisdom of this organization, good laws 

 have been passed that will some day make Idaho one of 

 the greatest states in the Union. 



"It will be a pleasure to show you the construction 

 work now going on under Government supervision in 

 this beautiful valley, and that will reclaim more than 

 350,000 acres of as rich land as can be found in any 

 place in the Union. You will be shown the Minidoka 

 project that can be called in its true sense a Government 

 project, for no homesteader had the temerity to take up 

 a single acre of the land before it was thrown open for 

 settlement under the national irrigation laws. 



"This may be called the land of the homesteader, for 

 as far as the eye can reach the homesteader's cabin can 

 be seen on every forty or eighty acres of this beautiful 

 land. There you will have an opportunity to see a 

 practical demonstration of what our national irrigation 

 laws mean, and the splendid work that is being done by 

 the Reclamation Service. 



"Under the Minidoka project there are 140,000 

 acres to be reclaimed. The great dam across Snake river 

 is practically completed ; the main canals and laterals are 

 now in course of construction. Sixty thousand acres 

 will have to be served by pumping plant, that it is hoped 

 will be installed in the near future. There is a sad 

 story connected with this part of the Minidoka project, 

 of which you will have an opportunity to learn before 

 you leave Idaho. When the story is told, I am confident 

 we shall have the hearty co-operation of this organiza- 

 tion in bringing about a satisfactory solution of this 

 important question to the homesteader, who is watching 

 and waiting for water with which to reclaim his land. 



"It will be our pleasure to show you the Twin Falls 

 project that is being reclaimed under the Carey act, which, 

 when completed, will irrigate more lands than any other 

 single project in the United States. The success of this 

 enterprise can- not be told in words. You must see for 

 yourselves to understand the great transformation that 

 has taken place there within two short years. Where 

 a short time ago was a barren dessert, there are now 

 beautiful homes and waving fields of grain. Cities have 

 sprung almost like magic. The course of the great 

 Snake river has been changed and its water poured out 

 upon the thirsty lands which have responded by a pro- 

 ductiveness that can not be excelled in any part of our 

 state. For the first time since the water ran down the 

 channel of the mighty Snake, when the massive gates 

 of the Twin Falls dam were closed, the bed of that great 

 river shown bare in the winter sun. 



"It will be a pleasure to show you the upper Snake 

 river valley, which is an empire within itself. It was 

 after traveling over this part of Idaho six years ago 

 that President Roosevelt, in the little city of St. An- 

 thonv, made his first promise to the West that if elected 

 Vice-President he would do all in his power to assist in 

 the passage of the national irrigation law. We all know 

 how well that promise has been kept. In his great 

 work for the West he has built a monument to his name 

 that will endure for all time. 



"AVhat could be more appropriate than that you 

 should come to Idaho for the fourteenth session of the 

 congress, and here see the results of your efforts in the 



