Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1893-03-17
WESTERN ENTERPRISE.
NEBRASKA, THE TRAN -MlSSIS-
SlPPi CRANARY. FAVOR
ABLY COMPARED.
The Equal of Birmingham, Niagara
and velasco-Uer Factories Run with
water Power Transmitted by Flee
tricity.

Ono land company at New Birming-
ham. Ala, invested 100000. Out of
the sales il has paid moro than SIS, 0o0,-
900 in dividends. IT has also spent two
million and half in improvements
and its remaining assets from the ORR
ginal investment amount to s., COO, 900
more.
There were at the time the invest
ment was made hundreds of towns in
Ala bama more attractive than New
Birmingham. 1t is pertinent to ask
what this place had, more than
other places, which permitted such
colossal profits? The answer is, rich
iron ore, coal and gypsum lying liter
ally side by side. Iron could be made
there cheaper than anywhere else in
the United States,
At the mouth of the BraZos River in
Texas, a town was laid out less than
two years ago, the land on which it
was located cost So 90 an acre. In less
than one year the towns founders sold
81 $50 900 worth of town lots and the
population of Velasco grew to more
than two thousand busy people. There
are hundreds of towns in Texas many
years older which have not one thous-
and people. What made the place
grow so rapidly? Why, at that point
they deepened the harbor and made
pass through the sand bar at the mouth
of the river, which allowed deep draft
ships to enter. In short, they made a
better port than there was at any other
place on the Gulf Coast west
! of New Orleans. Recognizing the
advantages for commerce which
Velasco had thus acquired, in
yestors from everywhere rushed there
to secure part Of its certain future
prosperity.
The fruit farms Immediately ada
cent to Niagara Falls could have been
bought two years ago for 500 an acre,
now they are selling at from 81, 900 to
geo 900 per acre.
What has brought about the change?
At last the great falls of Niagara are
being harnessed. The impossible has
been found possible. Enterprise has
turned the dream of the poet into fact
Niagara Falls, heretofore only pleas
ure ground, will now become no doub,
the manufacturing center of the East
ern States.
They have developed 100, 900 hors,
power, and offer it at cost one-halt
less than it can be made for with wooc
or coal at any point in the United
States.
When the never great and now
rapidly disappearing forests of this
country are entirely used up, and the
no where ample coal fields arc wholly
exhausted, the mighty falling weigh
of Niagara River water will be making
power inst as cheaply as it does to-day
Each of these three places made
great fortunes for the first investors
because each pos sessed a great com
mercial advantage.
There is another place now just as
Stunning the same conditions The ricl
agricultural State of Nebraska has n
coal mines and is entirely withou
forests. On account of this manufac
turing has been simply out of the ques
ton. IT has been accepted as abso
lutely unavoidable that its product
would always have to go out of tn
State to be manufactured But sud
denly great watcr-power. has been dc
vcloped. The wonderful Platte River
which Mark Twain described, wit
almost as much truth as humor. to b
4 stream one thousand miles Ions
one mile wide and one inch deep. ha.
at one point, been given a great and
new use.
At Gothenburg. $50 miles west {
Omaha, in the heart of the granary {
the Trans Mississippi, a water-powe
has been developed which engineer
say can be increased to 100 600 hors,
power. The experiment has bee
made. The fact has been accom-
plished.
In that new town factories are bein
run with water power transmitted b
electricity. Houses arc heated an
lighted by electricity made by waite
power.
The Gothenburg Commercial Gu
offers to give free information upon ~
plication, and the enterprising capita
, lists who own the canal and pow'
plant offer free power and location
and liberal business treatment to oth'
, mills and factories.
1t seems certain that what iron OF
was to birmingham. deep wat'
: was to Velasco and water-power
Niagara Falls. the newly acquire
water power will he to Gothep burg.
CHAs. l.. WORKMAN.