The Owyhee nugget. ([Silver City], Idaho) 1905-1984, 1905-02-17
Letter From
MIR. Lamb
Descriptive OF the Albion Normal
School nd MinidoIe Hrri-
CATION Projects.
BOISE, Idaho, Feb. 13, 1905.

BOISE, Idaho, Feb. 13, 1905.
The writer had a most interesting
trip last week. Being appointed with
Representatives Webster of Fremont
and Nelson of Latah, committee to
visit and report to the legislature the
conditions at the State Normal school,
at Albion. We three left here on the
afternoon of the End, arriving at Mini
doka that night, and the next morning,
In conveyance provided by the resi-
dents of Albion, we started for that
place, 80 miles distant, reaching Snake
river at the site of the great dam to be
constructed by the national govern
ment for the reclamation of the
vast sagebrush desert lying on either
side of the river in this portion of the
state. We found that Minidoka had,
within few months, since the great
irrigation plan had been approved by
the government, grown from section
house to busy town. with hotels,
stores and business houses in consi-
derable numbers, being the station
from which all the machinery and sup
plies were freighted to the proposed
great dam. 1t is also the point from
which the railroad is now being built
by the o. S. Il. to Twin City. 1t is
now graded to the river.
At the site of the dam, preparatory
work for the construction has pro-
gressed to the point of erecting towers
on each bank of the river, stretching a
heavy cable between them and plac-
ing an electric carrier thereon.
Quite a village of rough structures,
tents, stores, eating and lodging houses
has already grown up at this point.
While there noticed tablet sunk in
rock by the geologic survey, stating
the point was 4247 feet above sea level.
From the dam we drove to Albion,
the first Is miles of the distance being
across an almost level, sandy loom,
sagebrush "desertp-a desert only for
the want of water, the soil being vol
canic ash Of great depth.
We found Albion to be nice little
town located in a pretty basin among
the mountains almost as lofty as those
close to Silver City. We spent all of
the next day hearing recitations by the
classes attending the normal school
and in making close inspection of
the school buildings.
We found the normal school build
ing to be a large and handsome brick
structure, two stories high, over high,
well-lighted basement, the latter con-
tanning bathrooms and closets, the
boilers and furnaces to supply steam
and heat for the building aud dormi-
tory, near at hand. There are several
rooms in this basement, yet unfurnish-
ed, which will make good school rooms
when required. The two floors above
contain fine assembly room aud a
sufficient number of study and recita-
tion rooms to accommodate double the
number of students (123) now attend
ing The school is under the charge
of Prof. g. A. Axline and five assist
ants, and we visitors were most favor
ably impressed with the discipline
and excellent order maintained iu
every room, ana the manifest zeal Of
the students in their pursuit for
knowledge.
There is only one dormitory and that
overcrowded by the female students
while the boys attending find board
and lodging among the families in the
town. 1t is pleasant place of 700 ol
800 people, who show evidence of taste
and refinement. Thirteen of the South
ern Idaho counties are represented by
students in the school, Owyhee being
the only southern county not repre-
sented.
But while the Albion Normal School
was the object of our visit, and merits (
fuller description than l have given
our most pleasant surprise was in not
ing the vast irrigation enterprises, one
now fully inaugurated and another
partially completed in this portion O
the state.
The Miuidoka reclamation schem,
projected and being carried on by thl
U. S. government, will, when completed
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