The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-26
WATER in A BOWL
Novel and Effective Method of Irri-
CATION Used at st. Anthony,
Idaho.
Lava Basin Beneath the Valley
Holds the Water Securely
for the Crops.
From a Staff Correspondent.

From a 6tan correspondent, 4
st. Anthony. Idaho, Sept. 24.-This is an
odd proposition, rainless community,
living and raising crops on the surface Of
an invisible artificial lake which is never
allowed to rise above the surface of the
fields. The valley is about twenty-five
miles long, and five to seven miles in
width. The lava rock which underlies the
soil forms a perfectly water-tight bowl
with an average depth of about sixty feet.
Until ten years ago the valley was des-
ert, and the bowl was empty of water.
Now canal has been cut from the Snake
river, a little distance above this town.
and there is water within the reach of
the roots of crops which spread out for
miles above and below the town.
This Invisible lake proposition is a new
one, even to experienced irrigationists 1t
Is pleasant discovery for those who
stumbled upon it, for 1t means irrigation
without any Of the trouble or hard work.
Ordinarily it is necessary to lead the
water in large feed canal, and then to
take it in a smaller canal to the field to
be watered, and here to run it into lateral
bitches and to stand and open trenches
and burrows, and thus distribute the water
on the surface of the land. And this
process must be repeated whenever the
land becomes dry. But up here in this
kink of the Snake River valley all that the
farmers have to do is to open the big
ditch and let the water flow promiscuous-
ly out upon the valley. The surface of
the water rises in the bowl, and when the
fields are sufficiently impregnated with
moisture, the gates are shut in the ditch
and the flow is stopped The soil is Won
derfully fertile, and the potatoes grown
here rival those of Greeley, Col.
Dad Moon Came from Iowa.
st. Anthony has 1000 inhabitants Ten
years ago it had one. He discovered and
fathered the town. and now bears the
honorable title Of "Old Dad Moon Mr..
Moon came here from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
In 1885, For several years his house was
the only habitation within a range of
ten miles. People said Dad was crazy to
come out into the desert, and to think
people were going to follow him; but Dad
said 1t was the other people who were
stupid not to see the great possibilities
for irrigated farms. Dad took advantage
of all his rights under the land laws and
became the owner of LOO acres Of the
best land. Now that land is worth from
$500 an acre up. The father Of the town
now wears black broadcloth, chews the
best fne-cut tobacco, and takes a drink
whenever he feels like it. Dad is young
and hearty at II, and good for at least
twenty years more Of honorable enjoy
ment. ..
1t Is rather unusual for a man to be-
come a western pioneer at the age of 55,
and the example Of st. Anthony's founder
may be inspiring to some old men of
80, who. working on salaries in eastern
cities, think they are. too old and too ham
pered to get out of the rut. With old
Dad it was apparently an inspiration. He
had been farming and raising cattle in a
small way for years in the east, but one
morning he came in from feeding the crit
tiers, and his feet were covered with mud,
and his clothes were saturated with cold
fall rain; he shook himself disgustedly
and, turning to his faithful spouse, an
nounced: I'm goin' to get out of this,
and, by gum, I'm goin to a country where
1t never rains" And, In course Of time
1t dawned on his friends and relatives
that Moon meant what he said.
The "AoIes" Of Idaho.
Aside from being a big shipper of po-
tatoes and grain, st. Anthony is import