Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-08-04
SAGEBRUSH PLAINS ALONG
SNAKE RIVER TO BLOOM.
IRRIGATION RESULTS
Vast Project in ldaho-Governmen
to Reclaim 10000 Acres at
a Cost of Millions--Huse
Dams to be Built for
Power.


of the Snake river is to be trans,
formed into fertile fields. This is the
direct result of the new national
irrigation law which was so earnestly
supported by the Chicago merchants
and business men whose names grace
the rolls of the National Business
League. This work in reclamation of
the arid lands of Idaho is one of the
most promising projects decided upon
by the government.
This expenditure of $2,600,00 which
will be made in the construction of
large impounding dams and diversion
canals above the Minidoka rapids, will
increase the value of the taxable
property in the Snake river basin fully
$l2,000,000, according to estimates
made by conservative business men.
Taking as basin the last census
agricultural figures for Idaho, the 120,-
600 acres to be reclaimed under this
project will, when settled under ir,
rigation, represent the latter value,
while the annual earnings of the land
will amount to about 100000. With
this area cut up into. 400 new farms.
as is proposed by the government, a
rural population will be created OF
1900 which will bring nth it ar
urban population of probably another
1000 or $4,000 people.
This Snake desert basin, when ir-
rigated, will afford an ideal example
of western stock raising under the
humane and profitable method OF
winter feeding. On many of the great
western ranges the cattle are left 60
shift for themselves the year round,
entailing, during severe cold seasons,
great loss of stock and always untold
brute suffering.
Around the Minidoka basin extend
vast stretches of unreclaimed land,
which must always remain useful
solely for grazing purposes The ir-
rigation of this tract of over 1900
acres will provide, through luxuriant
crops of alfalfa, winter feeding for
tens of thousands of head of stock
Where now one steer requires thirty
or even forty acres for his support
under irrigation the forage from one
acre will more than support and finish
him off for market. Idaho has already
attained distinction as a fruit pro
Queer, although the altitude at
Minidoka is a little TOO great for the
best growth of trees.
In other irrigated sections of the
state, notably the Payette valley,
apples, plums, apricots, grapes and
melons reach high state of perfec-
ton and command the fanciest of
prices. Men have become wealthy
from the careful cultivation of twenty
and forty acre tracts, and enough can
be raised from five acres of this ir.
rigated land, exhaustless in its deep
fertility, to support family in COM
fort. The irrigated communities of
Idaho have become among the mos,
prosperous in the world. The desert
lands of Minidoka, producing only sage
brush, are now only awaiting water
TO supply the farmer with a great
variety of produce.
The creation of this class of com
munities is what will prove the irrga-
ton act TO be the beneficent law
claimed by is farmers. The regret il
that the demonstration to the country
cannot be immediate, but that it will
take several years to carefully work
out the plans for the artificial water
ing of such great tracts OF land. That
the irrigated lands will be quickly
taken up by settlers in eighty or even
forty acre tracts, is not doubted. Ten
years will be allowed for the settler to
pay back to the government the cost
of the works, pre- rated among the
lands reclaimed
Fortunately, the irrigation law con
tains a wise provision allowing the
government, as soon as IL has decided
upon any project, such as this one, to
withdraw from speculative entry all
the public lands covered by it.
A promising feature of this irriga
ton work in Idaho is that PRACTICAL,
day public land so that the future
homemaker will deal directly with
Uncle Sam and will pay no profit to
the middleman, or in other words, the
Speculation. Too many of the lands
contemplated for reclamation by the
government in other sections have al
ready been taken up into private
! ownership and are being held by peo-
pie who expect, when the government
improves them, to take their profit
out of the men who will occupy and
farm them.
The engineering features of the
Minidoka project are somewhat IN
usual and will undoubtedly attract
great interest as the work progresses.
At the point where the water is TO be
taken from the Snake river, Just al
the head Of the Minidoka rapids, the
Snake has cut its way, during count
less centuries, through bed Of solid