Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-02-20
Water Makes Wealth.!
THE LEWISTON FLATS TO BE RE-
DEEMED BY IRKIGTION.
Capitalists Satisfied.
Thousands Of Acres OF Idle Land to be Made
the Garden Spot Of the Northwest
Without Delay.

The most important item OF news
within reach this week is the success
of the plans OF the Lewiston Water and
Power Company, in the arrangements
for putting water on the Lewiston Flat.
The agents of the capitalists of the east
have been looking over the ground
and not one Objectionable feature has
been presented to discourage the enter.
prise. The investment is one OF
The neglected opportunities of the great
northwest that was appropriated by
fortunate and sagacious citizens. The
Lewiston Flat has been coveted for
many years. The failure to utilize the
opportunities was "A great loss to the
earlier settlers in that district. The
blessings ofirrigation were not univer-
sally known to the first homesteaders,
and they made unfortunate ventures in
the wheat business with inevitable
failure of crops. Had the first settlers
on the fiat dreamed of the great good
to come from the artificial application
of water, AsOtin creek, before the ri-
parian owners appropriated its Iife-giv-
ing water, could have been diverted
there for half the fortunes that were
wasted in dry farming.
There is not today to Le found an.
other tract of land in the northwest
blessed with the natural conditions OF
productiveness that are present over
there. The soil is rich with fertility,
beautifully located and possesses the
quality of retaining moisture in "A de.
gree unequalled in any other irrigated
district. 1t approaches so near to pro-
du:tiveness in normal condition that
a minimum application of water viii
insure all kinds OF crops. 1t can be
irrigated so cheaply that the expendi-
ture for water and for The labor of dis
tribution will be an unimportant item.
The examples cited to establish the
benefits of irrigation are very mild
ideas of the possibilities of Lewiston
Flats. The benefits of summer sun
shine are manifold when the art of ir-
rigation is employed, and the districts
of the northwest which are cited as
illustrations are not blessed rs this fiat
is bv warm sunshine. The altitude of
Payette and Boise valleys is $500 feet
and that Of this fiat is but 700 feet
The Snake river bottoms, the Yakima
plains and the Waila Walla plateau
are al effected by the climatic exposures
less favorable than Lewiston Flats to
perfect development of IL variety of
crops. And the soil here Is infinitely
more fertile than the more extended
districts. This is not IA lava ash deposit
but an alluvial formation with an un-
limited depth of fertility, to be enliven-
ed by irrigation.
Lewiston Flats and the Clearwater
valley have advanta tagcs of location
which must he appreciated. The trans
portation lines of the future will follow
the course of the rivers, if not 10y water
craft, by railroads on the banks. The
vi tiIS tfic rivers
are to afford the best possible markets
for the products of gardens aud orch
ards. In the matter of transportation
this immediate vicinity will hold an
advantage that no condition can assail.
These facts make Lewiston n city of
commercial advantages and the cOun-
try tributary Il favored land Tor future
homes.
Ed c. Gottry, of Taylor Falls, MINI,
was IN the city this week. He is on IL
tour of observation and will write up
the reservation and the surrounding
country for the Northwest Magazine.
Mr.. Gottry is newspaper man as well
as practicing attorney, the latter be-
ing his chief occupation at present. He
possesses the qualifications and is in
position to present the advantages of