OCR Text |
Show project have actuality. Wafer -- - Feast Or Famine In The Arid Lands Of The Western States Do Projects Pay Their Way? Water is such a common commodity that most of us dont think about it. Its like the air we breathe, always there when we need it But in the arid reaches of the western part of the United States, water is neither so common, nor is it always available. When it rains in many places the United States, the downpour is a mere inconvenience. But in desert country, rain is never an inconvenience: when it comes, it is one of Gods greatests blessings. Sometimes rain goes beyond a blessing; sometimes it comes all of a rush and then the rivulets swell into bank-higstreams, and droy rivers turn into raging torh rents. Once-dr- y rivers transform themselves into frightening, angry masses of relentless water, and many miles of fertile countryside are flooded, sometimes with much loss of life and always with the destruction of valuable property. In the arid West, water is always a problem, and too often when it comes, water is a problem because it comes too quickly, and with too much force. Help Needed So, many years ago the people who live in the West called on the national government to help them with the problem of water. And reclamation projects were begun. Some of them were dreams for many years before they became realities: many other still are in the dream stage. But little by little, the water sources of the West have begun to be tamed. The story of reclamation is not exceeded New Plow May Revolutionize Grain Cultivation The new Graham - Hoeme plow promises to revolutionize grain cultivation. Invented after observing that superior Wheat grew on land torn up by a road scarifier the previous fall, the new plow basically comprises three heavy steel held by four cross channel irons. It plow points, attached to curved shanks set 12 inches apart, break through surface hardpan and create low terraces under a protective of surface mulch. covering Through this porous cover moisture passes and is stored in the subsoil. The curved WATER ON THE RAMPAGE Unchecked, rainfall in shanks as well as the spikes, the arid West turns what could be fertile farm land into chisels and other types of plow ugly ravines. Properly controlled, much unproductive points are made from high carirrigated farms. nickel - chromium bon steel. Ducile Iron is used to obtain extra strength and a story of Republican or Demo- - menuous sums required to both pol- - trol the rampaging rivers, to build shockresistance in brackets and administrations; in specially designed spring litical parties have lent their sup- - the huge dams which are to the solving of the prob-- 1 essary. clamps used for plowing rocky soil. lems of the west. That support moly-bednu- con-crat- ic nec-po- rt j Heavy Expense Nevada and Arizona California, political. could not have supplied the monThe reasons for this support ey to build Hoover Dam, for in- are easily understood; there is stance, which was one of the early not enough money in any of the successful efforts to tame the Western states to provide the tre- - mighty Colorado River. And California, alone, could not have supplied the money for Shasta Dam, which controls the Sacramento River, nor for the vast A j Friant-Kerproject which regu- lates the flow of the rivers of A the fertile Central Valley. And Oregon and Washington could not have supplied the mon- j ey to build Bonneville and Grand Coulee, which are a step towards j the control of the Columbia River. The people in these areas per-jj$ j suaded the federal government to lend the money for the construction of the dams, the irrigation projects and the power projects which accompanied them. That money now is being paid back, A with interest. JVay your rosiest a g The people who prodreams of Christmas all a a posed these vast projects to conA come true and may you the rivers of the West said A trol the development of these A that and youra enjoy the A large dams would pay for the A happiest New Year ever. A costs of construction, eventually. A were positive the A Many opponents dams were a waste of money. 2 Costs Repaid A A in But case of almost evthe A A ery reclamation project completed j A in the West, the claims of the most visionary advocates of the Vi2:2i2)2l22i2i(2i22,2i29)2i2i2ii22i2i.2l2:22)2.222:222)22i2i2(2i2i2i2,2)2l5 UINTAH BASIN RECORD in AND THEY WENT UP The expansion of the West has been speeded immeasurably by reclamation. Thousands of acres of land, only partly useable as grazing land, have been turned into fertile agricultural land, raising valuable cash crops. Grazing land today is worth from $5 to $10 an acre; but that same land, turned into agricul tural acreage, is worth from $500 to $1,500 an acre. The government is repaid in increased income taxes, in interest payments made by the power portion of the projects; in direct payments by the irrigation districts concerned. And millions of dollars of valuable property have been placed on the tax rolls of the states, counties and cities concerned in the West. Reclamation in been i CONTRIBUTION I J03I! U.S. Statesman, m Thursday, jj ' (S) There Was No Paved Highway For That First Christmas Trip There was no macadam highway leading from Nazareth to Bethlehem when Mary and Joseph undertook their memorable journey nearly 2,000 years ago. As far as routes were concerned, there were three. The western route led along the and through the plain of Sharon. This route was unpopular with pious plodding. And when Mary was too tired to go another step, Joseph took the packs upon his own shoulders so that she might ride the little donkey which trudged faithfully at his side. Verily indeed, did Mary appreciate the shelter of the stables that night no one could have been more grateful or more happy folk like Mary and Joseph who than Mary. And she brought forth shunned the heathen cities, rowdy her first-bor- n son, and laid him travelers, etc., as much as possi- in a manger. ble. The shortest route, via the fruitful plains of Esdraelon into the mountains of Samaria and through Shechem and Bethel, was not very popular either. The road was Popular notion seems to imply but steep; however, the Jews had little use for the Sa- - j that Kris Kringle is a German term of endearment for Santa i maritans, and vice versa. j The Jordan route, which de-- 1 Claus. Just what motivates this all clear, since scended into the Jordan valley idea is not really and followed the rivers east bank Kris Kringle is really a modificaaround Jericho, was favored by tion of Christkind who, although the majority of Galilean travelers endowed by German legend as a resembles Santa Claus who for one reason or another in not least. the went down to (the Passover, etc.) Santa Claus, as we know him ir, Jerusalem at regular intervals and knew their way around as well as America, never really caught on suburbanites know their way in Germany. St. Nicholas comes around modern metropolitan areas. around on his liturgical feast day December 6 with his pockets If the Jordan route was a little with candy and nuts and bulging round-abouit was fairly level and steeped in Jewish history, trinkets. Well and good, but Gerform the shadow of Mount Tabor man parents maintain, as did their where Saul in desperation sought predecessors of the Reformation his witch of Endor, to the tomb era, that the central idea of the birth of Jesus, a little before Bethelem where the Christmas, first Joseph buried his beloved should dominate the observances. Nor is Christkind depicted as Rachel. It is fairly certain that Mary the Infant Jesus himself, but rather as his messenger and and Joseph did not choose the who comes to earth at Christ- - i western route when they planned mastime to bring happiness to their very special journey. Wheth- good children. The Christkind is er they chose to go by way of usually represented as a child Shechem and Bethel, or around dressed in white robes, wearing the walled city of Jericho, may a golden crown and having big, golden wings. never be determined definately. But, the distance nearly 100 miles was, in any case, unre- - i The other day we saw a movlenting and conquered only by ie that made sense. persistent ArLLY Sa ys-..- . When a Miss becomes a Mrs., she should bring her old social security card to us. sea-coa- st Kriss Kringle Isn't Really Santa Claus . To set a card with the same number but your married name, so to your nearest SOCIAL SECURITY office gift-give- r, t, gift-bear- Slessings of the season upon you and yours. May the Christmas Spirit bring you great joy. S? n I Dec. 23, 1934 Noted for Flover Although he was a brilliant statesman, and the friend of four American presidents, Joel Roberts Poinsett is famous chiefly because he 5? introduced the Mexican plant known as the Painted Leaf, of into the "Mexican Fire Plant United States. Poinsett, then U.S. ambassador to Mexico, called the plant to the attention of American botanists and grew the plant himself as a hobby at his South Carolina home, after he left Mexico. The plant grew heavily in AmerTo all our friends old and ican favor especially popular at new our warmest wishes Christmas time and was renamed poinsettia, in honor of the man who for a Merry Holiday Season! brought it to this country. Contrary to popular impression, the flaming red bracts of the poinsettia are not flowers, but leaves, DUCHESNE, UTAH and it is for these bracts that the plants are grown. ?,2i 2:2, 2,212.2, 22,22, 2, 2, 222, 2,22, 2, 21 212,2,252, 2, aaa&aaas, 2,2,2,2,2.2,2,3.22.2. It is possible to have variations of either pink or white varieties, as well as of the more usual red, popular because it carries out the holiday color scheme of rich bright red with a contrast of the dark green of the leaves. The beautiful poinsettia, almost a must as far as Christmas decorating is concerned, is one of the most temperamental of plants. The poinsettia thrives in its native Mexico, but elsewhere must be handled carefully perhaps pampered slightly. However, the brilliantly colored flowers it has at Christmas time is reward enough for any efforts needed to make the plant thrive. Constant warmth is needed by should poinsettias. Temperatures be kept between 70 and 80 degrees during the day and no less than 65 Any sudden degrees at night. change in temperature and drafts will cause the plant to drop its leaves. Abundant water is also a necessity, but it should be applied but once a day so that the plant may become moderately dry between waterings. This permits needed oxygen to reach the roots. Try to give the poinsettia the sunniest spot available. It is wise to fertilize it occasionally with a good commercial food tablet. CONOCO SERVICE LUNDGREN MOTEL Duchesne, Utah A Christmas Greeting to Oar Wonderful Community ...Wed like to shake tlie hand of every one of you. Wed like to wish you all a persona 1 Merry Cl iristmas. But, please take tli e thought for the act and accept our sincere good wishes for Health, Heappiness and Prosperity now and alwaysJ STABLE AT BETHLEHEM: The shepherds came with haste and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lyln In a Duchesne City Corporation 55 - |