THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



377 



Hon. 

 George E. 



Barstow. 



Georges Eames Barstow, manufacturer, 

 merchant, financier and statesman, was 

 born in Providence, R. I., November 19, 

 1849. He was the son of Amos Chaffee 

 and Emeline Mumford (Eames) Barstow. The Barstow 

 family traces its lineage back to the thirteenth century 

 in French Normandy. The name at that time was de 

 Barstowe. The prefix and affix of the name were 

 dropped after the Barstows migrated to the West Riding, 

 of Yorkshire, England. They were charter members of 

 the town of Hanover, Mass., in 1636 ; and of Dedham, 

 Mass., in 1637. 



Until within ten years past, Mr. Barstow was 

 prominently identified in public and private affairs in 

 his native city and state of Providence, R. I., since 

 which time his home has been in New York City and 



Barstow, Texas. 



Mr. Barstow received his education in the public 

 schools and Mowry & Goff's Classical School, of Provi- 

 dence, R. I. He began his business career at seventeen 

 years of age, acquiring a thorough knowledge of textile 

 manufacturing, financiering and a complete training 

 in general affairs. Among the many concerns which 

 he has either founded, or financed, is the Barstow 

 Thread Company, Providence Warehouse Company, Na- 

 tional and Providence Worsted Mills, American Writ- 

 ing Paper Company, United States Envelope Company, 

 Barstow Irrigation Company and the Barstow Town 

 Company, Barstow, Texas. 



Besides his successful business career, he has al- 

 wiiys taken an active part in municipal, state and 

 church affairs, and in public education. He was for 

 fourteen years a member of the school board of the 

 city of Providence; and the last year, the president 

 thereof. He was for four years a member of the Provi- 

 dence common council and was elected a representative 

 in the Rhode Island General Assembly for three suc- 

 cessive terms. During his legislative conduct, he served 

 on several important commissions, and was the father 

 of the act putting into operation the "Bertillon sys- 

 tem'^for measuring criminals. Also an amendment to 

 the criminal law concerning the punishment of habitual 

 criminals. Also the so-called "anti-lottery act." 



Mr. Barstow was the pioneer in irrigation of arid 

 lands in the Southwest and founder of the town of 

 Barstow, county seat of Ward county, Texas, in the 

 year 1894. Simultaneous with the founding of the 

 town, Mr. Barstow constructed most substantial irri- 

 gation works, capable of irrigating 40,000 acres of land, 

 all of the said works being located in the valley sur- 

 rounding the town of Barstow. The products obtained 

 from the lands under this system have become famous 

 throughout the United States. By Mr. Barstow's en- 

 erg}' and foresight and persistent application, he has 

 made more than two blades of grass grow in this desert 

 land where nothing but mesquite grew before. 



Notwithstanding Mr. Barstow has been untiring 



in his application to public and private affairs, he has 

 always found some time to spend with the best writers 

 of history and fiction. His various contributions to the 

 press, both in prose and song, have discovered not only 

 his ability, but also his love of association with those 

 elements that lead to refinement in life and character. 

 His love of travel has led him to many times skirt his 

 native land, besides paying several visits to the coun- 

 tries of other peoples to study their habits, and enter 

 into the full enjoyment of their productions in art and 

 music, and revel in all the beauties that nature has 

 there produced. 



He is a member of the Rhode Island Historical 

 Society, Empire Society Sons American Revolution, 

 American Academy of Social and Political Science and 

 Pennsylvania Society of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pa.; 

 National Geographic Society and Southern Historical 

 Association, Washington, D. C.; National Irrigation, 

 Forestry and Home Settlement Associations, Lawyers' 

 New York and Republican Clubs, Metropolitan Museum 

 of Art and Museum of Natural History, New York 

 City, and Trustee of the Hartford Theological Semi- 

 nary, Hartford, Conn., a life director of the Euphrates 

 College, Harpoot, Turkey, third vice-president National 

 Irrigation Congress, honorary member of the Dallas 

 Commercial Club, and other clubs and associations. 



Mr. Barstow married Miss Clara Drew Symonds, of 

 Providence, R. I., on October 19, 1871. They have 

 been blessed with nine children, all of whom are now 

 living, except the youngest. 



Israel Hoagland, an Indiana inventor, es- 

 Cost of timates the cost of breaking ground by 



Plowing by means of electric power, drawn from trol- 

 Electricity. ley wires, at 50 cents or less per acre, as 



compared with $1.50 per acre by horse 

 power. The cost of a motor outfit and five plows he 

 estimates at $500. Capacity of this, twenty acres per 

 day at 50 cents; cost of same, using sixteen head of 

 horses and harness and eight men per acre, $1.50, or a 

 total of $3.00 per day; cost of twenty acres per motor 

 power and two men, '$10 ; cost, difference 66 per cent 

 Jess, or $20. 



Such a saving in time and money will make the 

 electric motor plows immensely popular, and it will be 

 impossible for some years to come to supply the demand. 

 But the invention is not yet fully perfected, we believe, 

 and the manufacturing company has not been organ- 

 ized, nor is it certain that satisfactory arrangements can 

 be made for securing the necessary power from the inter- 

 urban electric companies. Our readers, therefore, need" 

 not make calculations to give up their horse or mule 

 teams for electricity this season, at any rate. 



Send $2.50 for The Irrigation Age 

 1 year, and the Primer of Irrigation 



