Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1906-02-08
BOISE RIVER VALLEY.
Irriga sion VIII Bring Bigger Re-
turns Than Palmy Gold Days.

Gold was discovered in the BOISE
River Valley, Idaho, in 1862, and dur
ing the succeeding TWENTY-FIVE years
SOC, ,OOO, 900 were taken out. A large
but evauescent population focked to
the Valley although the nearest railroad
was 200 miles away and everything had
to be freighted in and out. But only
one crop Of gold could be 9srnered and
the expectation was that when the pay.
dirt had all been panned, the valley of
the Boise, like many other mining dis.
tricss. would vanish from the map as q
producing locality. Not 90, however
The output of the valley today from it's
hundred or go Thousand acres of splend-
idly irrigated land is fast approaching
the profits realized from the mines dur
ing their best days. Certainly when
the enormous irrigation works which
are there being constructed by the
government are com leted the output
of agriculture will contribute to the
worlds wealth every year and for sIl
time thereafter, an amount much greater
than the usual products Of the "basin"
diRginRs during their palmiest
days, while the valley will support q
population of at least 1000 people.
The state of Idsho is larger than all
New England, but it has less than two
persons to the square mile. What it
needs is water; or the storage of the
melting SHOWS from it's vast mountain
ranges every year. Its climate is de-
lightful and invigorating. with latitude
OF the south Of France and northern
Italy. The Boise Valley in the south
ern part of tho state lies at an elevation
OF about $500 feet and the lowest tenn
perature during the year is but slightly
under freezing.
In Boise Valley as in California in the
early davs, the demand for food, and
the exorbitant prices for vegetables aud
meat, induced some of the hardy Areo-
nauts to break the rules of state and en-
gage in what was then considered the
humblest of occupations. the growing
of potatoes, cabbage and small fruits
With SPLENDID markets this industry
prospered and grew, and when the
placers were exhausted thriving farm
ing community remained to develop
these permanent resources of the valley.
But little of the "Klondyke" of 1884
remains. Its disappointments and lavish
rewards, it's destitution and reckless
prodigaIity are things of the past. Today
it is difficult to realize that this valley
was one of the famous theaters where
reck ess and daring spirits were the
principal actors end where only the fit
test survived. Unlike many of the
Klondikes which have had their day
dnrinR the past so yeara, this valley
provided for the overflow, and the
spirit of enterprise which prompted
thousands to brave all dangers in the
search for gold found field here for
the exercise of surplus energy in the
construction of canals and the recla-
nation of the lands in adjacent valleys.
Like the Mormon farmers, the early
rilers of the Boise Valley found irriga-
ton necessary and since the first crude
effort nearly 100000 have been ex-
pended in the construction of irrigation
tion works, and more than 100 600 acres
of land have been reclaimed. Sub
stantial cities and towns have grown
up. railroads cross the valley in every
direction, and from $50, 900 900 to $4O,-
900. 900 have been added to the produc- |
tive capital of the west. Bnt the limit |
for private enterprise has cen reached.
Tne natural flow of the river has been |
fully utilized, and it is only by the con-
struction of engineering works enor-
mouslv expensive. that the complete |
agricultural development of the country |
can take place. The only agency which |
can safely undertake this great work is |
the United States. With commendable
enterprise the owners of land in the
valley have harmonized all questions of
conflicting water rights and are now
to cooperate heartily with the.
government IN carrying forward what is
termed the Payett-Boise projsct, the
largest of the national reclamation works
which has yet been approved by the
Secretary of the Interior.
The construction Of this crest system
will require several year and entails the
of nearly $1,000, 600. The
area to be reclaimed lie 10000 acres, or
more than twice the cultivated acreage
of Rhode Island. TIE works consist of
storage reservoirs on the headwaters of
the Pavette and B Use rivers, and in the
Boise valley the building of gigantic
dams on these two rivers and about 200
miles of main canals. The secretary