Show Questions And nd Answers The Vital Vital- Phases Residents of The Basin Should Not Read This It Is Written For NonResidents Non- Non x R Residents si To Answer The Usual f Asked By The Stranger i L Questions f Where l Where is it It is la in northeastern northeastern northeastern north- north eastern Utah a. a as generally understood understood understood un un- although it is a part of that larger unit which extends into Colorado as much as in Utah and possibly 10 per cent in Wyoming 2 2 Why 2 Why is the farming land and water so cheap For several reasons viz much of the Utah sector was until 1905 an Indian reservation In 6 1905 many thousands of people flocked flock flock- ed into this region to ta take e the homesteads the government al al- al- al lowed These people came from all over the country a mixed up assembly Many knew about irrigation ir irrigation irrigation ir- ir and many knew nothing ab about ut it Water Vater was taken out fo for lands nearest the streams and depth of soil and elevation giving givIng giving ing utility and growing season were not studied well in every lo locality allty As land was so so widely distributed ed per water at hand on the Beveral several several sev sev- eral streams communities were established about thirty and disregard disregard disregard dis dis- dis- dis regard for a mutuality an evident evident evident evi evi- evi- evi dent interdependence resulted Fifteen thousand people now livon live liv on these lands and are trying to tolian lian handle le too much land 3 3 Is Is that that- all that has held it back 7 No lo that th-t is not all As it is a areal areal areal real basin and as it is hemmed in by high mountains it was until until until un un- un- un til recent years quite isolated making livestock honey alfalfa seed and products that could abi ab- ab i cost or be driven out to market the principal principal principal pal cash products Now it has a fairly good graveled road part of ofa ofa ofa a national highway running east and west and a good road to the nearest railroad points H Helper and nd Price 4 You 4 You claim to have good land plenty of timber water coal and anda a growing season of 90 to days frost-free frost and acres of land reclaimed and only people You say good farming land with paid up water rights in producing condition with homes almost no wind in winter deep soil well drained may be purchased purchased purchased pur pur- chased at such low prices according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to location elevation growing season and that only about half of the land for which you have water is yet provided with water It does not seem 4 S reasonable Explain it There must be something more about it Yes sir It is a long story and to tell it all fairly well would requIre require require re re- re- re quire about fourteen editions of this country weekly But here are perhaps the leading phases of the situation A Isolation A-Isolation Isolation caused by these mountains shutting off fair competition competition competition com com- petition is the leading cause of ofa ofa ofa a delay In development Twenty- Twenty five years ago people here expected expect expect- ed a railroad would soon come through from the east While canals were being made and farm fann homes built ten days was waa required ed to make a trip to the railroad and back home And that condition condition condition con con- continued until about ten years yearn ago when the truck helped Now our freight cost is reduced so that even baled hay this winter has been shipped to outside markets markets markets mar mar- and a round trip m made de in fourteen hours or less by truck B Expectation B and depending on some development that would unlock these vast resources have held down progress Thousands of people have come got the spirit spir spir- it of wait held on a few years more or less and then sold out I A general feeling of discouragement discourage discourage- ment and doubt has resulted C C-As C As evidence that successful farming pays it may be proved that there is no failure to be found on the farm of fair tair soil BOU and water for nine out of ten I It years when the simple rules of t good husbandry have been follow follow- ed There are many cases to be cited that show a family may in ten years become independent al although although although al- al though commencing with little littlemore littlemore littlemore more than the ability and the desire desire desire de de- de- de sire to work D But D-But But large withdrawals of land for proposed reclamation projects have been made and this federalism has acted as a hold hold- back E Finances E-Finances Finances for reclaiming fine tracts of land costing almost nothing and for which perfect water rights may be provided at 25 to 50 per acre with more than days without frost have not been secured This is partly because Utah leaders have re regarded regarded re- re the Uintah Basin as a section section section sec sec- tion that could wait while Utah capital was busy in Idaho or else else- where A surplus of Indian lands was thrown on the market lands with prime water rights at 25 to 50 per acre The Dry Gulch Irrigation company company company com com- pany o owned by the farmers who built It up covers about acres and good water rights in that company are still selling at 5 to 10 per share or acre This is only a sample F F-A F A very important feature of the situation is the ness big-ness of it all Naturally a district so large that the Utah part has 35 per percent percent cen cent of all Utah's land for which there is water two thirds of the states state's timber Umber large large- coal fields and seven billion not million dollars worth of hydro-carbons hydro involves big factors A railroad insures people people people peo peo- where we now have haye Between Craig Colorado and Duchesne Duchesne Duchesne Du Du- Du- Du chesne this population now about will be The D. D R. R G. G railroad wants to get all the business without doing much to justify such patronage Likely it would build us a line if capital did not regard it as D. D R. R G. G territory and no need of any haste 5 Why 5 Why dont don't you proceed now you have cheap truck service and increase the population and Fot not worry about a railroad Well we are forced to do that Although we know that another people will give us new vi vigor vigor vigor vi- vi gor new Ideas and ambition we shall try to secure them and yet fight all the harder for a square deal on this railroad business This paper is operated for one main reason that Is to help inthis in inthis inthis this immediate development In a year or two more home mal makers ers would join us If the J i facts were all spread out over this irrigated west We Ve lack mutual mutual mu mu- tuaI cooperation that to get gether spirit Times like these will force us to work together But while we are inviting others to come and join us being sure of the success before us we realize realize realize real real- ize ize that we the average citizens here must become better farmers While we are arc demanding that these desert acres be supplied with the water which is here economIcal economical economical ec ec- ec- ec and ample we are beginning beginning beginning be be- ginning to understand that successful successful successful suc suc- operation of the agricultural agricultural agricultural tural wealth is imperative We have been almost camping wait waiting ng for that big day which must come Necessity forces us to get into the harness and prove that we have the best farming fanning section in the west Weakness doubt in getting together for general welfare work Is slowly giving way to courage Our dairy cows two years ago brought us over a half million dollars and because butter fat tat is now very low must not discourage us A million dollar crop of alfalfa seed may not come this year but it will come again Our cattle and sheep wealth will be more With new settlers to tal take e these cheap lands a railroad railroad railroad rail rail- road may be built bunt from Heber City or from Coalville into the center of this Inland Empire without any D. D R. R G G. G help W. W R R. Wallace chairman of the commission appointed State Engineer Bacon and Richard R. R Lyman also an engineer as the Blue Bench committee with Wm Peterson the well-known well geologist geologist geologist gist as advisor These three men will cooperate with us But we shall have to do something too Reliable data is required and other meetings are essential before before be be- fore tore we get the surveyors ors under government direction out on that bench However sixty days should be ample time to get the men in inthe inthe inthe the field |