Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-05-19
WHAT IRRIGArION WILL M
FOR IDAHO


now as to what town is destined to
De the metropolis of Idaho, and opin
IONS widely differ. Many contend
that Boise will always keep ahead,
while others can "plainly see" that
Nampa, Caldwell, Paystte, Weiser or
Pocatello, by location and surround
lngs, are surely destined to go ahead
OF all Others in few years and keep
in the lead. All these towns will
continue to grow and will in time be
magnificent cities. They have the
rich country surrounding them to
build them up. The sagebrush land
of Idaho is the richest in the world
all it needs is water, and crops are
wonderfully abundant, and never fail,
no matter how dry the season. There
are thousands upon thousands of
acres of this class of land, and capi-
tai Is now constructing canals to irri-
gate a considerable portion of this
area. The Snake river plain is an
area that it is estimated will support
a population of millions, but ali of it
will have to be irrigated. A number
of canals have already been con-
structed, and will irrigate a large
area. The water is taken from Boise
river. But there is an immense scope
of country that these canals cannot
reach, and it they could there is not
sufficient water in Boise river to irri.
gate but a comparatively small pro-
portion of this great plain. A big
canal will eventually be taken cut of
Snake river. The town nearest in
the center of this wonderful stretch
of agricultural land is Nampa, at the
junction of the Oregon Snort Line
and the Idaho Central, and it is pro-
posed to run the North & South road
through this town, and, considering
all these advantages, it looks as il
Nampa will be the Denver of Idaho
The town is growing and already has
buildings, notably two fine two-story
hotels, that would be credit to &
good sized town.
Idaho has land that is unsurpassed
in productiveness and area, and tc
make it productive requires but one
element-water-hut to get the wa
ter on the land requires big canals
and in the construction of the canal
large amounts of capital are necessa
ry. How to protect the capital thu
invested, and at the same time pro
e tect the settler who must depen'
+ upon the water of these canals t
= make his land productive, is cues
= ton that Idaho will have to dea
with, and it is not an easy question
e and the question of how the settler
to be protected is of greatest import
ance. Capital is generally fully abl
; to protect itself, and, besides, gal
advantages over the poor and strue
- Cling farmer that will result in mai
:, ing the latter virtually a slave, {
force HIM to dispose of his land at
= great sacrifice to the ditch companie
o If some limit is not placed on tt
- price of water and law enacted
# compel the ditch companies to fu
4 nish the settler with water, these b
:; companies will eventually own
the land, and they will get 1t aw'
;: from the settlers for next to nothin
., by forcing them to sell. Such co
dition of affairs would be almost
% death blow to Idaho's hopes, and
blot on her fair name. This is
- question that Idahoans will have
study and solve with justice and ia
:. ness to both, and much will depel
on the result as embodied in Legis
. tive enactment. Our last Legislatu
=. passed a bill requiring County Co
missioners to fix the water rate witt
limits fixed by the act. The bill "
all vetoed. 1t may have been faul
se but was better than no law at all
M such an important matter, and
ch weak points could have been amer
al ed bv the next Legislature. Prot
so bly a better bill will come before
ad next Legislature. The people
"a beginning to study this question: a
he two years hence will be better P
OF pared to deal with it.
Ter Senator elect Dubois has a plan
er' prevent monopoliss from eventua
IN getting the settlers into hol
ed which, if carried out successfully,
les be great thing for Idaho. 1t is
lad induce the general government
au- m.ka Idaho a present of all this il
Pc not located, on condition that
on State construct necessary canals