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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 1905)
36 THE SUKDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, FEBRUARY 5, 1905. THE DAMMING OF THE COLORADO RIVER One of the Great Irrigation Works Undertaken by the United States Government . A. R. Kanaka, in Farm and Irrigation Ate. EARLY in January. Secretary o the Interior Hitchcock issued an order that an advertisement be made for bids to build the settling dam at Yuma, Arizona careful surveys and preliminary work has been carried on by the engi neering department of the Government at this point for IS months past. The en gineers have two objects In view by the construction of a dam across the Colo rado; one is to raise the water from a point higher than the level of the river so that the necessary fall can bf secured to carry the. water on all the. Iar.?s in tho Yuma Valley, many thousand acres of which could not be irrigated by' drawing water from the ordinary level of the great Colorado River. A second purpose In view by the build ing of this dam Is to create a settling basin for much of tho silt which when permitted to run unobstructed Into the canals cause them to fill up at such a rate that in one year they become one third full of sand and silt; the dam is to be constructed In such manner that at intervals it will be opened so as to carry off at least a portion of the accumulated silt and sand. No effort Is or will be made to conserve the water by the maintenance of this dam. Inasmuch as the Colorado carries a never-ending supply of water at all times of the year, and the supply Is greatest in the Summer months when most needed for tho purpose of irrigation. During the last two years I have visited nearly every important irrigation pro ject in the West, both those installed by private enterprise and also the larger ones which arc now commanding tho at tention of the efficient Government engi neers, and I know of no place where tho water supply is so overwhelmingly vast as the mighty Colorado: look on the map and you will see that the watershed that feeds this river extends oer several states, and Its area covers many thou sands of square miles: tho headwaters are replenished from melting snows on the high, mountains. Will Irrigate 115,000 Acres. The Immediate use of this dam will be made to carry water on some 95,000 acres of rich lands around Yuma, and will also turn water on something like 20.000 acres of land on the California side of the Colorado River. Most if not all of these lands on tho California side lie within the Indian reservation, but they will be improved possibly by the energy of the white man. In close proximity to the dam Is a vast tract of high land known as mesa lands. I am told that it Is an ultimate project to pump water from the dam into canals to be carried over these lands, but at present there Is nothing settled as to the policy of the Government in this pumping plant, and It is one of the mat ters that will be taken up later on. Speaking again of the low or sedimentary lands In the valley they have been taken up by settlers many years ago, and at present but few claims are open for Government entry. On investigation I find that many farm ers in the valley own several hundred acres, but under the present rules of the department no landholder or settler will be allowed to hold more than 160 acres: thus it will be obligators' for tho large holder to sell all of the land he owns over and above his quarter-section of land. Speaking of this settling dam, it will be one of the greatest engineering feats In the country, for It is a tremendous piece of work to throw a dam across such a mighty waterway as the Colorado River. But it Is not a new thing nor are we ahead in this line of work, for Mr. Bak hata. the eminent Egyptian engineer, stated at the late El Paso Irrigation Con gress that their dam at Assouan, on the Nile In Egypt, had already cost his gov ernment over $40,000,000, and was not yet completed a sum greater, by the way, than the entire reclamation fund of the "United States. I learn on reliable authority that the canal leading the water from the dam Some Japanese Stories of Japanese Bravery Individual Acts of Heroism In Battle Inspired by Love of Country. THIRST, let me tell you of the last cry of Captain Tachlbana, whose heroic deed Is known to every true son of Nippon. Captain Tachlbana, until he ended with great honor and valor, was with. General Oku's army. When the Shusan fort was first attacked, on September 30 last, he led the storming party on the northeastern- side. The whole morning the captain and his men fought in vain. Reinforce ments were given him; the battle was waged even more fiercely than before, but still In vain, for the heights were. steep and the Russian bullets fell as thick as hail driven on the gale. Thus the struggle continued until 2 o'clock of the afternoon, when the cap tain, forming his men In line, gave the command to charge, and with a war song on his Hps led them far up the slope, re gardless of the rain of steel, with every one of them shouting the song the lieu tenant had begun. Filled with the Inspira tion that comes of respectfully meditat ing on the virtues of our august Emperor, there was no stopping the .storming party, and before the enemy could realize what nas happening Captain Tachlbana, who was far in advance of his men, had Jumped into the fort and struck down dead six of the enemy with his sword. His heroic example was followed by his men, there was hot hand-to-hand fighting everywhere, and finally toward evening those of the enemy who remained alive were driven from the fort, and our vic torious soldiers sang the Kimlgayo, the national anthem, and prepared to hold the fort. At 5 o'clock the next morning the enemy in strong force attacked the fort from throe sides, subjected Captain Tachlbana and his men to a severe crossfire, cut off their retreat and soon had killed one-third of their number. The heroic captain was shot In the left arm. He nonchalantly bound the wound and stood on top of the fort and gave his commands. One of his lieutenants objected to the seeming care lessness, and added: "We muyt retreat or we are lost." To this the captain replied: "Tills is the bjrthday'of the Imperial Prince, and on this precious day I have already lost one-third of my soldiers. What matters it if the enemy outnumbers us ten to one? If the fort is retaken by them it means lasting shame to our army. It is hard work, but we must hold the fort, or you must die with me hero for the Emperor's sake." Just then two bullets struck the Cap tain and he fell to the ground. For a moment he lay still; then, pulling him self to his feet, he shouted: "I am dying for the Emperor's and the army's sake. Don't give up the fort. Fight until every man is dead!" Again a bullet pierced him, this time in the abdomen, and tho Lieutenant with him was killed outright at the same time by another bullet. By this time the enemy were swarming Into the fort, the handful of our soldiers still able to fight were making a heroic defense, but were grad ually being beaten back. Captain Tachl bana, fro in where he lay, beheld all this. Ho tried to rise to his feet and once more use the sword he- still faithfully .grasped In his hand. But his wounds were too wll be S3 feet across the bottom, and over 100 feet across the top, and will be more than 20 miles in length when it will be divided Into two forks: each will be about 17 miles in length, and from theso two main canals will radiate in all directions laterals and ditches that will make over 100 miles In extent. In a very short time work will com mence on the river levee, which will be more than 55 miles In extent. These levees will keep water In times of freshet from overflowing the sedimentary lands knows as the Yuma Valley, but it should many, his Intestines were already seek ing the air, and he died, crying with a flood of tears because the fort was being retaken and he could do no more for the glory of our virtuous Emperor. So his last heroic act on earth Is now known all over Nippon as "The Last Cry of Captain Tachlbana," The Self-Sacrlfice of a Scout. Now let me tell you about the brave Sub-Lieutenant Tanaka, a scout, who went into the enemy's camp, was dis covered and wounded in the abdomen, but after many perilous minutes man aged to escape from the enemy, and by painfully crawling over a thousand me ters, on the way often fainting from lbss of blood, at last, by reason of his undy ing faith In the virtue of the Emperor, managed to reach a Chinese village, whore he was concealed in a friendly Chinese hut and given a Chinese disguise. Here he remained for tho day. That evening a party of scouting Russians en tered the village, committed many re grettable excesses, killing and robbing and outraging, and finally entered the house In which Sub-Lieutenant Tanaka lay hidden and demanded food and drink. The feast was spread for them, and soon tho enemy were deep in their cups, ever and ever calling for more liquor and leaving the food untouched. Soon they were all drunk. In the meantime. Sub-Lieutenant Tan aka had been thinking of his Emperor. Dressed in his Chinese clothes, he crawled unnoticed into the room, for the Russians had their faces always In the mugs. Waiting his opportunity, he seized a bundle that the commander of the party had tossed on a bench besido him and heroically crawled out of the room and back to his hiding place. One drunken Russian chanced to notice him and even helped him along with a brutal kick, thinking evidently that the Sub Lieutenant was some cripple whom he could treat as he pleased. All that nlcht the Russians spent in drinking. The next morning, they left, all still drunk and without a single thought of the bundle which Sub-Lieutenant Tanaka had stolen from them, and which had turned out to be valuable maps and some important plans of forti fications. You may be sure that Sub-Lieutenant Tanaka lost no time In sending word to his General by a friendly Chinaman, and a detail of our soldiers arrived soon after the Russians had loft, and to them the Sub-Lieutenant turned over his preci ous capture and Implored his comrades to make all possible speed back to their General. "But we are to take you back with us." they said. "No," declared Tanaka, "I would be a burden to you. Leave me here. The plans are of more value to the Emperor than my poor life." So they left him. Towards evening of the same day the Russians excitedly returned to the vil lage. They went straight to the house where they had caroused the night be fore. They searched the house, but found no plans. They discovered Tanaka instead. Titer hauled him out of his hiding place, and were on tho point of binding him to take him away with them as a spy to their superior officer when suddenly Tanaka, . seizing a sword, stabbed one of the enemy to death, com be remembered that even in times of high water they do not overrun to exceed one-third of the valley, and tho ley.ees are built to protect this porttlon of this exposed part. At the present time there are four places in the world where great rivers fed by melted snows fiow through a desert country. Theso four places are the Val ley of the Indus, in India; the Euphrates and Tigris, in Turkey: that of the Nile In Egypt, and that of the Colorado in the United States. By the time our Government Is mitted hari-kari, and as he fell dying, cried: "The plans are safe in my General's hands. I have done my duty, and by killing one Russian and myself there is square dealing all around. Banzai for the Emperor!" This heroic deed occurred In the vil lage of Yosurio, which Is south of Liao Yang, and on October 2. There was another scont, of the name of Mlyake, who got valuable information for the Emperor, but he did so in a far different way and escaped with his life. Miyake learned that a party of Rus sians were near the village in which he was staying. Instantly he set about to get the better of the enemy. In his na tive town In Yeddo he had been famed as a hypnotist, and thoughts of this reputation came back to him in this critical moment So he got a Chinaman to fall in with the enemy and Ingenuously spread the report of a truly wonderful man In his village who, by merely look ing at people and making a few queer movements with his hands, could compel them to do anything he desired. Tho emissary accomplished his task so well that in a short time he returned to tho village for the wonderful man and con ducted him to the camp of the Russians. There were ten of the enemy, and Ml yake, relying on the merit and greatness of the Emperor to bring him safely through the ordeal, commenced to hyp notise them. He put ono to sleep, caused another to hop about like a monkey and scratch his head, a third he made to sit down and rock himself liko a crazy man, and then the leader smilingly presented himself. Mlyake Insidiously but politely induced him to close tight his eyes, to clasp his hands helplessly, and to stand like a rock, and as he remained thus Mlyake, who had been keeping a sharp lookout for papers, beheld the corner of one sticking out of the officer's coat, and in a lightning flash he had the paper and the Russian was none the wiser. Nor were the enemy who were not hyp notised, for Miyake had also been famous for his sleight of hand. Mlyake toyed with the enemy a little while longer, after which he restored fully all those he had hypnotized except the leader, and to him he gave back only half of his senses, regretting that he could not be fully restored, since ho might miss the paper and prevent Miyake's es cape. MIyake's course was wise. The next morning he rode safely Into camp and delivered over the paper, and It Is the understanding among his comrades that a short time after several important movements were the results of MIyake's audacious amusement at the expense of the enemy. Beforo I go further I must tell you of the bugler who, single-handed, killed a score of Russians. 4 His name is H. Xclga, and while the Russians were crossing the Sha River to give attack he somehow became separ ated from his comrades and suddenly found himself alone on the brow of the steep bank, with many of the enemy charging up to him from among the rocks that lay between him and the water's edge. Nelga's first thought was to stand his ground and give up his Ufa for the Em peror In a hand-to-hand fight. But he bethought himself of. the rifle he had in his hands, and firing it twice, he sent tiro through with this herculean task I be lieve the Colorado, will be . about as well known in Europe as the NIlo Is in this country. Back of this great, project are four men who. figure conspicuously In this colossal work. The first Is Mr. Hitchcock, Secretary- of tho Interior; Mr. Newell, chief of the engineering department In the reclamation service, with headquarters Washington, D. C; J. B. Llpplncott, chief engineer in this division, who is stationed in Los Angeles, CaL, and Mr. Hamlin, who is located at Yuma and has direct charge enemy scattering behind the rocks for shelter all except one, who lay where he fell, still in death. Encouraged by his success, Neiga boldly kept his ground, and whenever he be held a Russian peep .from behind shelter he shot and an enemy fell dead. In such fashion Nelga killed 13 Russians beforo reinforcements came up; in the mean time he having received wounds In a leg, two In the head and one in the left arm. but without destroying his bravery and determination to die fighting for the Em peror. At last the enemy, relying on numbers there were 20 of them now again charged upon him. Before thoy reached him he shot three more, then throwing away his gun he put his whole reliance in his sword and managed to kill four before he sank to the ground bleeding from countless wounds. Apparently he had at last been done to death, and the enemy left him. But hours later he was found by his com rades and revived, and at last report was rapidly recovering his health. Neiga. is now famous as the bugler of many deaths, almost as many as have been credited to the American samurai. David Crockett. Shall I tell you of Lieutenant Yoka yama, who died with banzals for tho army on his Hps, urging- on his sol diers to victory? It cams about in this fashion: On the dark and stormy night of October 2, the Lieutenant and his small company were in the enemy's country about Mukden making a reconnais sance. They know the enemy to be all about them, but they knew not where definitely, and so. In order to encour age his soldiers to meet valiantly any unhidden danger that might suddenly make itself known, the Lieutenant led in singing the war songs and marched like the incoming tldn. But the war song did more than to encourage the soldiers. It brought the fire of the enemy holding a hill under which our soldiers were then passing. For a second the withering fire stunned them. Then the Lieuten ant, waving his sword, ordered an ad vance, and his men heroically began the ascent of the hill, charging- in the darkness an -enemy whoso strength was unknown and who was unseen. Half-way up the hill the charge was halted by the merciless fire, and the Lieutenant was hit In the loin. Realiz ing that he still had work to do for the Emperor, he coolly bandaged himself, and, suppressing all signs of pain, he regained his feet, walked to the head of his men, in ringing- words again ordered the advance, and. using- his sword as a cane, he leaped up the hill with the others. On they went In tho night, lighted up only by the flashes from the enemy's guns. At last they reached the top of the hill, to find it crowned with a fort. But their heroic souls were not dismayed. They intrepidly scaled the walls. The Lieutenant scrambled over with them, with the help of his sword. Inside there was a terrific hand-to-hand fight, the Rus sians three times our force in strength. But our men were Inspired with tho merit and greatness of our Emperor. There was no withstanding them. Ev erywhere the Russians were beaten back. Then, just as the last were sur rendering, a fearful cheer rent th nighL It was Lieutenant Yokeyama's banzai for the army. It was his last banzai. When his men ran to him they found him dead, lying across th bodies of three Russians' he had killed with his sword. - A. NANEKO. of the working- operations on the ground. The climate here Is such that eight crops of alfalfa can be taken from the land in one year, and if raisin grapes can bo grown, as predicted, thoy can produce them in such quantity that they can supply tho market for one third of the civilized world. Vege tables of all kinds grow well here, and wheat, oats and barley will be one of the staple crops, while oranges and lemons grow to perfection. "When wo take into consideration the Vanderbilts, the Best-Known Railroad Family declined, and probably with wisdom. It was said that he was slated for the Sec retaryship of the United States Legation at Berlin. Should he enter the diplomatic life, the distinction will undoubtedly be due to his wife. The feud between Cornelius III and his mother and brothers was made up a year or two ago. Alfred Gwynne and Reginald Claypool Alfred Gwynne plays polo, owns auto mobiles, has made the driving of the four-in-hand coach "Pioneer," which takes passengers up the river out of New York for money, a serious business, and does most of the things that very rich young men do these days. He devotes little or no time to the family railroads. His marriage at 21 to Elsie French was spectacular. They have one son, named William H. Reginald Claypool, youngest son. but head of the family should Alfred die, has signalized himself by a showy marriage to Catherine Nellson, granddaughter of the original Frederick Gebhardt, and cer tain gambling Indiscretions which no doubt will be forgotten by and by be cause of his youth. He lives on an estate near Newport, which he calls Sandy Point Farm, where he keeps, horses, dogs and automobiles galore. Gertrude Vanderbllt, sister of these young men, has ben the wife of Harry Payne Whitney, son of the late William C. Whitney, since 1SD6. The Duchess and Willie K., Jr. Consuelo, daughter of William K. and Alva Smith, won the biggest matrimonial prize that has fallen to any Vanderbllt, when she married the Duke of Marlbor ough in November, 1895. Her wedding was a marvel of display and brilliance, and cost a fortune. Her mother, now Mrs. O. H. P. Belmont, is said to have been materially assisted by Lady Will lam Beresford In engineering the court ship. William K. Vanderbllt, Jr., has so far been distinguished chiefly by his devotion to automobile and motorboat racing, and his much-talked-of marriage to Virginia Fair, a daughter of the famous Bonanza family of California. He is dashing and capable, like his father; has a desk in the Vanderbllt offices, and will some day probably be what his father Is now the real Vanderbllt head. William IC. Vanderbllt's youngest son. Harold Sterling, aged 21, is still in college, and has yet to make his per sonal Impression on the world. Homes t Millions, Yachts Wealth of the Vanderbilts Com . pared With ItothachUds. THERE were no splendid Vanderbllt homes till after the Commodore's' death. Then William H. Jbuilt a great brown residence block across from St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral on Fifth avenue extending from Fifty-first to Fifty-second streets at a cost of i $1,000,000. It was really three houses rich lands and the vast water supply, the farmers here can hold their own against the world. Nor Is it difficult to see what tho future of this country "will be. for tho water and soil conditions are prac tically the same around Yuma, as they are In the Imperial country, in thtf Hemet Valley, in San Diego, and River side County, California, respectively. These Irrigation districts are but a short distance from Yuma, but they are living examples of - what the soil will produce. Last week I rode through Continued From Page 33. In one, the southernmost being for himself, and the othersfor his daugh ters, Mrs. Sloane and Mrs. Shepard. Though New York has. several much more costly residences now, when built this threefold palace made the wholo country gasp. After the death of Wil liam H. his son, Georgo W., occupied It for years, and It is now his town house. Some years later Cornelius II built a far more costly home at Fifth ave nue and Fifty-seventh street. It was In this house that he died. At 640 Fifth avenue stands Willie RVa house, not so costly as these, two, but by many con sidered more artistic than either. Wil lie K., Jr., and Cornelius HI also have houses near by on Fifth avenue, and so have several members of the family by marriage. So numerous are thesa resi dences In that neighborhood that it has come to be termed the "Vanderbllt village." Besides their own residences the VanJerbilts are reported to have bought much other property near 'by to protect their homes from the en croachments of trade, which Is grad-, ually creeping up the avenue. Including the magnificent "Marble House." built by Willie K., and the "Breakers," built by Cornelius II, at Newport. George W.'s North Carolina palace and Bar Harbor "cottage," Frederick W.'s three or four residences in and out of town, and the more mod est homes of the younger Vanderbilts in town, on Long Island and at New port, the total value of the family res idences cannot be less than from $15. OUO.OOO to $20,000,000. Vanderbllt Wealth Compared With the Rothschilds. Not even the Vanderbilts them selves could compute their wealth with accuracy, so changeable are the alues of the securities which represent It. I they tried it would take so much time to make .the computation that it would hot be correct when finished. But these figures, made by one who knows some thing of the situation, may be accepted as? lacing as near the facts as any likely to be presented: William K. -Vanderbllt, Sr.. . .$125,000,000 . . 00.000.000 12.000,000 , . 12,000,000 . . 20.000.000' 20.000.000' . . 20.000.000 Alfred Gwynne vanderbllt Reginald Vanderbllt Cornelius Vanderbllt III Frederick W. Vanderbllt George W. Vanderbllt Mn. Elliot F. Shepard Mr. and Mrs. H. McKay Twombly Dr. and Mrs. W. Seward Webb.. 20.000.000 20.000,000 20.000,000 12.000,000 L Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Bioanft Mrs. "Harry Payne Whitney Total $341,000,000 No figures are given for the Duchess of Marlborough, Willie IC, Jr., or Har old Sterling, for it is understood that they are. as yet, without money of their own. though receiving very lib eral allowances. Neither is any note taken of the wealth, of the Commo dore's daughters' families. It Is so widely distributed now that It would be Impossible to estimate It accurately, but good authorities say its aggregate would surely bring the total of the fortunes founded by tho- Commodore up to $430,000,000. This is only $150,000,000 less than the $600,000.00 credited to the Rothschilds, Europe's most famous multi-millionaires, who are now split up into 20 families, and the- foundation of whose wealth was laid in the middle of the ISth the Hemet Valley, and I passed through a country that was a net work of orange orchards, walnut and almond trees. The farmers were won derfully prosperous In both of thesn Irrigation districts of Imperial and Hemet. and the farmers In this valley wilt enjoy the same prosperity for In my travels over the Western states in the last two years I was not slow to observe that the irrigation husband men were the most prosperous farmers west of the Mississippi River. A. R. KANAGA. century, at least 50 years before the Com modore began operations. Though no longer a maritime lot. the Vanderbilts are still fond of salt water, and their yachts are known on every sea. "The Valiant." owned by William K., Sr.. is the largest pleasure craft afloat. He has been a member of every syndicate formed to defend the America Cup for many years. Intimations are being made constnntly that the Vanderbilts are relaxing their grip on their properties, and it was an nounced recently that John D. Rockefel ler had secured greater Influence In the family roads than the Vanderbilts them selves. This Is not credited by finan ciers and railroad men. though it may be that Joint trusteeship of the Vander bllt and Rockefeller Interests has been effected. In any event. It is William G.. and not John D. Rockefeller, who Is In terested. As Thomas W. Lawson has said., the younger brother, and not the older one Is now the active Rockefeller force. , That William K. Vanderbllt will con tinue to be the actual and genuine head of the Vanderbllt properties is not doubt ed In any well-informed circle. Argot of the Underworld. "When I gave up strictly charity work and began to visit the homes and haunts of men who are commonly called 'crooks,' " said Miss Ada Eliot, the Tombs Angel, who has Just given up her mission to return and finish a col lege course at Radcllffe, "I discovered that I had to learn a new language if P wished to understand half that was said to me. It is spoken not only by the crooks themselves, but by tho women in their families and the trades people with whom they do business. "For instance, a 'stretch' means a term In jail, and' 13 never referred to in any other way. 'Swlpln a super' means stealing a watch, while to kop a mug's brass means to steal a man's money. . A person's eyes are invariably referred to as 'peepers or 'lanterns.' In sending a child out for 10 cents worth of gin. It is Instructed to ask for 'white water. Gamblers arc re ferred to as 'gams or 'punters,' and they win or lose 'rhino, not money. A man who was 'dirty, I learned to understand, was a man with plenty of money, while a man without money was 'clean' or 'on the hog." A 'fly bull Is a ward detective, and anything that shoots Is a "peeper. An amm" is a Jonah, or a crook down on his luclv. "I once asked the wife of a man who was in the Tomb3 whether she would cook her hungry children some break fast If I sent the food around. She looked at me without comprehension. I made a motipn of eating. "'Oh!.' she exclaimed, "you mean will we chew the chuck? Sure we will." The Live Ringer. New York Sun. "Curfew shall not ring tonight!" ex claimed the brave girl. "How are you going to prevent It?" we inquired. "I shall swing on the bell exactly as I hang on the car strap." she replied. Herein we see .wher.e she got her practice for the heroic deed.