358 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



keenly awake than the West to the importance of re- 

 taining good men in office. The lesson is more particu- 

 larly for the new States, some of which have at times 

 lost prestige and influence at Washington by retiring 

 men of high character from Congress. 



It is the new and undeveloped section of the coun- 

 try that has special need of trained and influential 

 men at Washington. The new member, as a rule, ac- 

 complishes much less for his State than the old one. 

 Government officials will do more for a state which 

 keeps its good men at the front than for one which 

 makes frequent changes at the dictates of bosses and 

 rings. 



A Land One of the newest sections of the north- 

 Of ern frontier is being opened to settle- 



Opportuntty. ment largely through the influence of 

 Chicago men and Chicago railways. 

 This is a large belt of land lying south of the Northern 

 Pacific line and west of the Missouri River in North 

 Dakota. In fact it extends from the river west to the 

 Missouri line and beyond. Much of the territory 

 known as the bad lands is embraced. It is a region 

 adapted to general farming, but particulary live stock 

 raising. President Roosevelt and the Marquis de 

 Mores had their ranches on the Little Missouri River, 

 in the locality under consideration, twenty years ago. 

 Along the streams the country is fertile and the graz- 

 ing excellent, but on the uplands there is always more 

 or less danger of drought. With irrigation the entire 

 region, which is larger than some of the European 

 kingdoms, could be made highly prosperous. It is 

 already a picturesque and healthful place. The career 

 of Roosevelt and De Mores cast a romantic glamor 

 over that locality which clings to it to this day. 



Just before their advent in the northwest that re- 

 gion was made famous by Gen. Ouster's last campaign 

 and the massacre of his command. Ouster's tragic 

 death occurred on the Little Big Horn River. The 

 Black Hills are to the southeast and the Yellowstone 

 Nathional park to the west. The Northern Pacific 

 railway strikes the Yellowstone River at Glendive, Mont. 

 The town of Medora, which the Marquis de Mores 

 named in honor of his young wife, a New York belle, 

 is situated in North Dakota just across the line from 

 Glendive. Miles City is the first prominent station 

 west of Glendive. 



There has been much talk about the opening of 

 of the two Indian reservations in that section of coun- 

 try during the past few months, and it is worthy of note 

 that the unoccupied lands between the Missouri River 

 and the head waters of the Yellowstone are ten times 

 more extensive than these reservations and equally 

 attractive and valuable in every way. Several railway 

 lines are needed to bring the locality to its best. 



East of the Missouri the country is well supplied 

 with railroads, but to the west there is urgent need 



of north and south lines to intersect the Northern 

 Pacific and the Great Northern. A much more rapid 

 settlement of the territory would take place were there 

 ample shipping facilities. Several of the big companies 

 appear to be getting ready to meet this want and a good 

 many Chicago capitalists have interests there. 



One of the great advantages is the abundance of 

 coal. Settlers are perfectly independent on the fuel 

 question. The entire west Missouri country in North 

 Dakota is underlaid with a good quality of lignite. 

 Farmers as a general thing find what they require on 

 their own homesteads and it is often the case that they 

 are able to market enough of the product in the towns 

 to pay for their general household supplies. In this 

 respect they are better off than most of the inhabitants 

 east of the Missouri River, where the population is be- 

 coming quite dense. Where people have capital enough 

 to mine coal extensively it is a profitable business. This 

 kind of enterprise will develop as new railroads are 

 constructed. 



The fuel question being settled, the inhabitants 

 are in duty bound to take up the subject of irrigation. 

 Mixed farming reaches its highest state of prosperity 

 in the Dakotas when there is an abundance of water, 

 and on the new frontier this will have to be attained 

 by artificial means. By clubbing together, the settlers 

 in any locality can irrigate their land with artesian 

 wells. The laws are liberal and considerable aid is 

 given where citizens are disposed to co-operate with 

 tlie state.. 



While North Dakota leads the world for the ex- 

 cellence of its wheat, it is also unsurpassed for raising 

 live stock. The State has superior educational facilities 

 and is occupied by a progressive class of people. In- 

 vestors in land in that State have made a great deal 

 of money during the past two years. This is particu- 

 larly true of the James River Valley and the Missouri 

 Valley, where land is cheap. 



Not only are deeded farms cheap there, but Gov- 

 ernment land may still be obtained under the homestead 

 and pre-emption laws. - 



WALTER S. CHURCH, C. E. 



Distinguished Member of Civil Engineering Profession Passed 

 Away. 



Walter Stewart Church, the well known civil and 

 mining engineer, died at the home of his brother, John 

 B. Church, 844 South Main street, Geneva, N. Y., 

 August 30th. 



" The direct ancestors of Mr. Church embraces some 

 of the most distinguished names in the history of the 

 country, such as Gen. Philip Schuyler, Jonathan Trum- 

 bull, the Van Renselaers, Van Cortlandts and Liv- 

 ingstons. 



He was born in Angelica, Alleghany County, 

 N. Y., August 29, 1832. He was educator! at General 

 Russells and Hopkins Grammar School, New Haven, 



