Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-08-17

press about q year ago, and at that
time the Nevada press, or part of it,
Indignantly repudiated the assertions
made about the decrease in popula
ton, etc, but since then it has been
Obliged not only to admit everything
that was said by the other papers, but
to furnish facts and figures which
make the outlook blacker than it was
at first suspected.
The Nevada papers are casting about
for some solution to the problem,
hunting for some stronger state or
territory that will offer to transfuse
its blood to save the dying state. Cal
ifornia is suggested, and Utah and
Idaho have been proposed. Naturally
California does not care to adopt
Nevada. The latter's senators are
Callfornians by residence and inter
ests, and CALIFORNIA; politicians would
be no better off, for both Legislators
and congressman would be chosen
from Nevada, and where would Cal
ifornia gain anything BY that? The
organ of the Mormons declares that
Utah prefers territorial government
to statehood chained to corpse.
| In the meanwhile Nevada is run
ming badly in arrears, for the reason
that the population is not sufficient
to support the state government. In
the opinion of its press there will be
a collapse in "a few years if the power
of the legislature to borrow money
for state purposes from the school
fund is not extended. Nevada was
admitted in the heyday of her mining
prosperity, when the country was full
of miners, spectators and adventur-
ers. Since then the value OF her
mines has sadly declined, and the
population has fallen away 80 per
cent in ten years. Nevada's only
hope. if she cannot annex herself to
some more prosperous territory, is
irrigation. By this means huge tracts
of lands now valueless will be trans
formed into good farming property.
Utah, before the Mormons came, was
as sterile as Nevada. By unremitting
toll and great ingenuity they have
raised the Salt Lake valley from a
desert to garden. Nevada's senator,
Stewart, is the chairman of the COM
J mittee which at this time is investi-
! eating the questions of irrigation and
4 water storage in that state and Mon
tana. This is the first time Nevada
or (what is the same thing Callfor-
MIA senator has ever done anything
more than to answer to the senatorial
c roll call, and it so chances that it is
the right man in the right place, for
r if there is anything MIR. Stewart un
derstands it is irrigation. Govern
+ ment engineers are already at work
$ in Nevada devising and carrying out
= plans to collect and hold in reserve
large bodies of water to take the
e place of the rain which should, bu
> does not fall. Small lakes are being
damned up and thus deepened, ant
8 rivers which have wasted themselves
J. in CANYONS and deserts are turned in
n to account by being spread owe
e ground which only needs water to be
come firstrate farming property. Srcl
s lakes as Bonner and Tahoe are to bt
y made something more than resort
for tourists; they are to be converted
q into reservoirs to irrigate whole coun
% ties now desert and barren. So ther
= is a prospect that Nevada may regal
y through agricultural prosperity tn
E. place she lost when her mines CAV
out. At any rate her only hope is i
lie irrigation.
=,