The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-01

sugar beets to be raised in the country |
to be tapped Dy this road. Five-year
contracts for over 1000 acres of beetS |
have been secured. which, with the con-
tracts already in existence, will run |
the beet acreage to be planted in this !
vicinity for the next five years, up to |
nearly 5000 acres, which, with an aver |
age yield of . tons per acre, (Some |
having yields as high as % tons this |
year,, will produce $4,000 tons of beetS, |
and is considerably more than the
Idaho Falls factory had altogether last
and this year. At the price paid the
farmers-$4. 80 per tOn-the above ton |
mage will distribute I'm the settlements
heavy grain, potato, hay and other
crops, the livestock, the revenue from
which runs up into the hundreds OF
thousands of dollars, proves that the
people are prosperous. The possibilities
Of the country outlined above in the
growing Of sugar beets is so great,
that the Idaho Sugar company has
decided it is worth while to build
special railroad to haul the beets to
the factory, about nine miles south of
Rigby. This branch line will make
Rigby a Junction city, and with the
business which naturally gravitates to
this center, is bound to result in max
ing her one of the leading cities in
eastern Idaho This is also a good fruit
country, all kinds of fruits, including
peaches. being successfully grown.
Rigby affords a good illustration Of
the general growth and development.
Great Coal Beds.
Just east of Rigby, in the canyon OF
the south fork of the Snake river, are
located some Of the most extensive coal
beds known to exist in the Rocky
mountains. On Rainy creek. a tribu-
tary of the Snake river. about forty
miles east Of RIgby, a party doing pros
pectiYe and development work sank
eleven foT md
half mile apart, IN which coal of ex-
ceIlent quality was found from just
under the surface TO the bottom. The
line surveyed by the Chicago & North
western, from their western terminus
which IS now at Casper, Wyo., comes
down the south fork of Snake river, the
only pass or outlet into Idaho through
the Rocky mountain range. and crosses
this valley just south of the town of
Rigby, on TO the great mining field
in central Idaho, and thence To Roise
and Portland
The recent agitation as to tie build
ing of road along the route described
and the filing Of articles of incorpora-
ton in Denver, Colo. and CHEYENNE
WyO.. with $4,000, 900 capital paid mn
which proposes to build a railroad from
Denver TO Boise and Portland has
every evidence of being the real thing,
and more than newspaper talk. Who
ever IS behind the scheme will -undoubt-
edly build west from Casper. Wyo.. the
present terminus of the Northwestern
line.
The great Snake river valley is suffi-
GENTLY developed now to afford. with
the great increase of population which
would be bound to follow the advent
Of q, new continental railroad. an i'm
mense amout Of traffic. Then there
are the great mining fields of central
| Idaho, as yet practically untouched for
the want of transportation facilities. as
| well as the Itch country adjacent TO
Boise, and he tImbered country from
there on to the Pacific coast It is
easily. to be seen that a proposed road
such this. IL built. would ui4doubted-
ly be a fine paying proposition from the
first The exceptionally rich irrigated
farming country IN the Snake river val
ley. where crop failures are unknown,
and the water supply inexhaustibIe,
cannot but attract railroad magnates
and the sanguine feeling OF the people
Of this part Of Idaho is that a railroad
viii surely be along the lines indicated
within the next two or three years
Eastern capital is seeking investment.
and this is essentially a railroad build
ing era for the vest Here resources offer
advantages not to be found in the east,
and none better than Idaho affords
can be found. Unlike what is indicated
by the conversation with which this
article opens, Idaho now is known
everywhere. There is only one Idaho,
the gem of the mountains" There is
only one great and mighty Snake river.
capable of irrlgating millions of acres
Of farming land, and turning countless
water wheels. which in turn. will fur
nish power sufficient to operate all the
machinery in this and the surrounding
state. There is only one great Snake
river valley ranging from 90 to 100 miles
in width. and 100 miles long, in which
exist happy people. Hence the attrac-
ton to build new railroads into this
valley willsyet prove irresistible.
Rexburg's Year Of Growth.
In the central part Of Fremont