The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1874-08-01
THE BOISE BASIN BEDROCK PLUME.

sin Bedrock FlumiDg Company, mainly for the
reason that tho original bill introduced into
Congress for the purpose Of inaugurating the
enterprise was not such bill az should become
law, and for the further reason that the in.
terests Of the Company and their enterprise
were but indifferently represented at Washing
ton. it has seemed necessary to have some one
to lay the blame to-; and accordingly we have
been made the scape goat. for tho ridiculous
failures Of the pigmies who misrepresent this
Territory at Washington; no single one Of
whom could probably draw up an amendment
Of the most unimportant nature, to the Bed
rock Fluming Bill, or any other. And to shift
the responsibility from the shoulders of those
who had opportunities and failed, it 10 being
circulated that we did all we could to discour.
age the passage Of the bill; which. unless we
have more influence in Washington than our Rep
there, aud those who make annual
visits with the pretence Of representing us. must
have been very little. We did discourage the
passage Of the original bill in the form in
which it was introduced. aud wrote out our Oh.
jections to it in full to Sam Merritt. at the re-
quest Of miners at Centerville; and even Mr.
Merritt. an interested party. wrote in reply
that two Of our objections were important and
well taken. and that he would amend the bill
in accordance with them-a promise he failed
to keep. however. Again. when General
Shanks was here. hs requested US to give him
our opinion of the bill. in rriting. as he might
b. called upon to vote in relation to it, and de-
sired to be able do 90 intelligently. Wecomplied
with his request. also. keeping in view all the time
the Importance to the county Of tho pas
sage Of bedrock iume bill, but not Of the
Bill then before Congress. 1t was SD seriously
objectionable to us that We named the writer
of it the frat time We read the bill. 1t gave 10
the company the waters Of the Pay.tte river
not of the South fork. Middle fork or North
FORK, but Of the river-also the waters Of
Crooked river and Of North Boise river. and
the right to use rs much timber. earth. rock.
sand and gravel upon the route or routes Of their
ditch or bitches rs they should deem necessary.
1t gave them. too. the right Of way for hume
through all Of the creeks Of note IN the Basin.
either continuously or at intervals. with other
valuable rights in mining ground. to be in force
from the passage Of the bill. but it did not re-.
qu;re the Company to erer expend ons dollar.
or Ia perform one days labor in return for the
privileges granted. It was the craditcs Of the
bill We opposed. and not the bill itself. Every.
body of any sense knows that q bedrock fame
in Grimes and More creeks 10 indispensable to
the prosperity Of Boise Basin: but when bill
is passed by Congress for the construction of
such DUN. it should be- such bill "a will
most likely secure the object for which it il
passed This We never thought the original
bedrock lume bill was calculated 10 do. and
have frequently expressed our objections to it to
members Of the company. toward moot Of
whom We entertain the fricndliest feelings. /
Since the b, was amended we have been, and
still are, anxious for its passage but Wa can.
not consent to be held responsible for failures
by the time which should be occu-
pied at Washington in the interests u the Terri.
being FILTERED away in the work Of bolstering up
rings. We are satisfied that il the Bedrock
Flume Bill had been kept before Congress and
ito passage urged with becoming earnestucss,
It would have been passed. and we regret a.
much rs any member Of the company that it
was not. But before we knew Of its amend.
Dent we did not desire it, passage, and We
IT'LL think the bill should specify a time when
work should be done or expenditures made.
The way to get tho bedrock dume bill passed
Is for the company to make up y purse and
,end some honest man-one Of ito mcmb ers-
70 Washington to present the matter to Con.
yress properly, and to persistently urge ito
passage. No other person 10 interested in 1t.
" will. or has taken sufficient interest in It to
10 able to form an intelligent judgment as to
whether it will ever pan or not When this 10
lone, we will not prevent the passage Of the
ill. however Asttering it may be to Us to know
hat we were able, while prospecting in the
with our blankets on our back, to
exercise more influence at Washington than
lalf dozen Governors, Congressman, and
'ther great men whom tho Idaho public have
ent to the Federal Capital with thousands Of
loIlars to expend and have good time. while
We, buried in obscurity, and scarcely in com.
nuniOn with the world WARE silentlv thwa rkinr