The Teton peak. [volume] (St. Anthony, Idaho) 1899-1904, 1903-05-28
10 RECLAIM DAH0LAND
Contract Let for Con-
structiOn of Large
Canal.
WILL OPEN UP $4,000 ACRES

Seventy five Thousand acres of arid
land will be reclaimed and opened for
settlement in Idaho as the result of a
deal which was consummated in this
city yesterday. Homeseekers and in
vestors all over the country have been
awaiting the announcement of the clos
ing of the transaction in order to go
either in person or to send representa-
tives into the land which, it is believed,
will eventually be an Eldorado in farm
ing lands
The American Falls Power & Canal
company yesterday concluded arrange
ments for the completion of it's canal
in Idaho. The contract was awarded
to Lyman Skeen of Ogden for the con-
struction of the entire canal system.
The companys canal is taken out of
the Snake river, about twelve miles
above the town of Blackfoot, in Bing-
ham county and runs southwest fifty
eight miles, It terminates just below
the American Falls, Blaine county,
where it discharges its surplus water
back into the Snake river.
IMMENSE WATERWAY.
The country that will be traversed
by the canal is considered one of the
most fertile valleys along the river,
and for years has been an object of
envy to agriculturists. The canal
will be eighty-five feet wide at the
top, sixty feet wide at the bottom, and
capable of carrying six feet Of water,
a river in itself 1t will have the ca
pacity Of irrigating 10, 900 acres Of land,
81 900 acres of which have been set
apart by the government of the United
States and the state Of Idaho for the
benefit of those who will first purchase
water rights of the company.
A portion of the rights owned by the
company will be placed on the market
at $15 per acre, and can be paid for in
installments with 6 per cent interest.
Those who acquire water rights from
the developing company will be sold
land by the state of Idaho for 80 cents
per acre. % cents payable upon the
filing Of the application, and the balance
at the time of making the final proof.
NATURAL ADVANTAGES.
Ten thousand acres of school land
will be watered under contracts made
by the company with the state Of Idaho
: and 10000 acres of water rights will bs
. sold to settlers already owning lands
under the canal. Thirteen miles Of th'
canal have already been constructed
and within ninety days water can b.
diverted upon 5000 acres of the trac
!: set apart by the government. No diff
cult and intricate engineering problem
.. will be encountered in the construction
. work. At the point of diversion ther
is natural channel through which tn
: water has been diverted, without tn
: necessity of constructing a dam. 1t l
: believed that this will avoid one of tn
most expensive as well as one OF tn
most dangerous features connecte'
with irrigation projects.
The Snake river has watershed o
oyer TO- 900 square miles. At the tim
when the greatest amount of water
required for irrigation purposes, ther
is the greatest amount of water avail
able When the river is the loves
there is FIVE times more water availabl
at the point of diversion than can b
carried in the canal The amount c
water appropriated, if placed upon tn
land at one time, is sufficient in quar-
tity to cover the entire tract at a dept
of over six feet.
WORK TO BEGIN AT ONCE.
Lyman Skeen, the contractor, wit
one of the best grading outfits availabl
consisting of sixty teams and more tha
100 men, will begin construction VOL
this week The outfit has been load'
at Ogden. Included in his force a
the outfits of Lee Harmon and CALI
Parry. The construction of the brid
and fiume work will be under the dire
tion and supervision of D. S. Tracy.
The sale of water rights and the {
lection of land will be entirely in t
hands of r. J. Evans, L. H. Curtis Al
IF. A, Sweet of this city. 1t is said th
the builders and contractors Of the car
are heavily interested and that VIII
completed the system will be one of
most perfect that modern engineeri
and ingenuity can devise. The Gar
a lands" under the law are open to p1
chasers, whether resident or non re
D dent, bnt no person is permitted to ia
e. over 100 acres of land in his own rig