The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-05-24
The SHoshoNE CANAL.
A Movement to Conquer y Big Desert
Idaho TerrjtOrs.

n movement To Conquer q Big Desert In
Idaho Territory.
''ln the great valley of the Snake
river. from few miles beyond Boise
to Shoshone and beyond" said Charles
c. Mcpherson. ''are from 5000, 900 to
1900. 600 acres of arabic land that will,
if things end as they now indicate, be
shortly transformed into garden"
Mr.. Mcpherson is an old and wealthy
resident of Boise, the capital city of
Idaho.
This stupendous acreage. he con-
tinued, lis at present a desert. But
there are hundred times as much
water in the Snake river as would irri-
gate it. So the Legislature. in connec-
ton with the Oregon Short Line, is
making great move to get some of
this water out on it. What is proposed
is great canal, known as the Shoshone
canal, which will convey water on this
at present arid empire and convert it
into from Is, $50 to 5000 farms of 100
acres each.
Now each of these farms would
have at least five persons on it, which
would make population of about l0O.-
600 persons. and probably as many as
l25, 900, with about $4,000 dwellings,
In place of Boise having 5000 people
or less at the present time she would
Jump to $4,000 or 10000.
$50 stockmen, Idaho legislators, and
han I
to get$2 600. 600 from the National Gov
ernment to run this canal. The Govern
ment owns the land. out it is worth moth
ing without the water. Private parties
have not got the money to do The work
with, and if they had the Government
owns the land anyhow, so it could not
be undertaken, at least not just now.
''ln order to formulate a plan on
which to work the legislative commit
tee appointed to look it up and the
Shoshone repre- sentative of the Oregon
short line, have invited the whole Let.-
stature to 60 over to Salt Lake ard
see what has been done there and gain
statistics about it. The whole Wasatch
valley is to be viewed and the most
trustworthy data gained The whole
country thereabout has been made to
blossom as rose solely by the aid
of comparatively small amount OF
water from the Jordan river. Origi-
nally the land was covered with grease
wood and sagebrush. 1t was uneven
and as ugly and fOrbidding as the
Sahara ever was.
Almost every BODY knows at least
little about how it has been trans
forming and that the valley is dotted
with towns. with 40. 900 persons at Salt
Lake, 1000 at Ogden, and LOCO to
5000 in each of twenty others.
''Well, the ShoshOne or Snake country
is a bigger one by far. with just as
good and much smoother land. So
this is why all Idaho is now on the
watch about the canal project.
There is plenty of grass for stock in
the mountains around during the sum-
mer, but in the winter there is none,
and as there is no hay the only thing
is to water the valley and raise alfalfa,
clover, timothy, and redtop. But this,
dlGcr dill, Is JHo SMALLEST Oh reasons,
important as it is.
The great reason is, of course, to
subdue a desert and let it be peopled
by the tens of thousands who are ready
now to move upon it. Such a move
ment to help dig the big Shoshone
canal would double the population OF
Idaho in two years and make fine
State of it in short order. San Fran.
cisco Examiner.