Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-28
TALKS OF IDAHO and UTAH
Former Omaha Man Enthusiastic Over the
States to the West.
SAYS IRRIGATION MAKES GREAT WEALTH
Land that Can he Had for the Taking
IL Made by Watering
Utah's Great Mining
Industry.

Wing 3. Allen. a former we'll known So
ciety man and until a year or so ago as
sistant surveyor Of customs at Omaha, is
in town on a visit to his old home for the
holidays. After a year in the Rocky noun
tain states he says Omaha looks good to
him"
Although youthful in appearance, Allen
claims hat his long residence in Omaha
entities him to recognition as one Of the
early settlers, his family having crossed
the Missouri river twenty-seven years ago
Christmas day. His father was Rev.
Joshua Wing Allen Of the Congregational
faith, who preached in Michigan during
the early days. until his health failed, when
he was induced by A. z. Touzalin, then
general manager OF the B. & NJ. in Ne
braska, to move to Crete and edit a paper
known as the Saline County Union. After
several years successful effort in newspa-
per work he was forced by continued i'll
health to give it up. For a while there
after he assisted Chancellor Fairfield who
had also been a Michigan preacher) in
some Of the business affairs Of Nebraska's
State university. He was a frequent con-
tributor to The Bee and often occupied the
pulpit OF the old First Congregational
NAN%NAs NhNh WI ANAhNNNNhAh hhN cAANd6o
streets (since torn DOWN, in the absence OF
Father A. +. Sheriff..
Being a minister's son. Wing Allen was
expected to turn out bad. in accordance
with the well known rule. but surprise was
great when he became a secretary of the
Young Mems Christian association during
the days when Pierce c. Himebaugh Of re-
vered memory was asking business men OF
Omaha to contribute 10 per cent of their
income toward the erection OF the building
now standing at Sixteenth and Douglas
streets. However, blood will tell, and
Wing has gone to the bad at last. He has
become a newspaper man. He says many
a famous writer has come out of the sage
brush plains and the Rocky mountains;
there is plenty of inspiration there, and
he has been trying his hand at the bust
ness. In a yeav he has travelled extern
sively over Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Wyom-
ing. Idaho. Montana and Oregon and has
written much about those regions which
has been widely quoted. He is %particu-
larly familiar with Idaho and Utah, and
this is what he said about them yester-
day:
empires" of the West.
Many western states are called by their
enthusiastic supporters Empires That
thought is usually inspired by extent OF
territory. l coined the expression much
used in the west recently, Idaho is an
empire but know that the term Ats. b.
cause Idaho covers as much territory a. ,
comprises New York. New Jersey, Massa-
chusetts and New Hampshire combined.
and has the most wonderful natural scenery
and resources, developed and undeveloped
almost sufficient to feed the entire popula- |
tion OF the United States. There are
greater opportunities for the requirement
OF wealth and the founding of homes in
Idaho today than anywhere else in this
great land OF freedom of which. also, Idaho,
is the freest. Great as have been the
strides OF the state since 1t was admitted
into the union July 8. 1890, with a popula-
tion OF S4,3S5, which has been increased
to 200, 900, its probable population today.
the next two years bid fair to double the
advance of the whole preceding period.
In all the west, as far as agriculture is
concerned, the one great question is water
and. indeed. the mining industry depends
upon water about as much as agriculture.
In the valleys OF the mountains, as out on
the sage brush plains, and even on the lava
and alkali deserts. almost anything from
bananas to jack rabbits can be grown IL you
can get water on the land. In the mighty
Snake river, the beautiful Salmon river
and their tributaries, Idaho possesses water
in abundance for the whole state. Hereto
fore the greater portion Of that water has
been emptying itself into the sea of the
Oregon coast, but steadily, step by step,
the settlers have been learning the engi-
neering art OF getting water up out OF the
canyons and low riverbeds onto the land
until at last the whole vexed question
seems to have been solved and hitherto
useless land is being opened up to settle
ment 100000 acres at a time. 1t warns
ones heart to witness the resultant pros
perity. There is land to be had for the
taking, which with the requirements OF
water becomes very valuable. A friend Of
mine bought a ranch on Wood river a year
ago at SIS per acre. With a little more
skill than the former owners, he managed
to Increase his water supply so that in
six months he was offered first $45 per acre,
then $50. both Of which he refused. The
best farm land in Nebraska is probably
worth $50 per acre. There is farm land In
Idaho worth 5000 per acre,
IdahO's Diversified Interests.
"A page of The Bee would not cover
completely one single item OF Idaho news.
The social conditions, the mining indus.
try, the lumber trade, just in its lncipiency
but promising vast proportions, and the
cattle and sheep industries are important
things dismissed with an allusion. Idaho
Is an Empire!
while talking of Idaho I have been won