The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1907-01-11
BlackfOOt
end Vicinity......

eastern part OF the state, III the Snake
River Valley.
One of the greatest sources of wealth
in the state of Idaho is the Snake River
the seventh largest river in the world
which wends it's way through the state
for nearly a thousand miles and fur.
nishes water for some of the greatest ir-
rigation projects In the United States
besides its value for power purposes.
Blackfoot is situated on the main line
of the Oregon Short Line railway, where
the Salmon River branch extends west
ward into Central Idaho. 1t Is 26 miles
Ogden, and 1876 miles from Salt Lake
City. The population is nearly 5000, all
white people, and practically all Ameri-
cans.
The town has excellent graded schools,
employing fourteen teachers; five
churches, ten lodges, and about fifty
business houses. 1t has telephones, cleo
trio lights. electric power, a water sys-
tenn, with fire pressure, volunteer fire
department, an armory and company of
National Guards. a large Touring mill,
a State Mental hospital, the Southeastern
Idaho Fair. a United States land office,
a beet sugar facory and many other in
stitutions of minor Importance
Its means of transportation and COM
munication in addition to the railroads
already mentioned, are good roads, three
iron bridges across the Snake River
withon two miles of town, and the usual
telegraph and telephone lines. Black
foot is the central telephone station
through which calls are made from Utah
and Wyoming, for IDAHO Oregon and
Montana, and the telephone company has
erected a large brick building for this
exchange. Country telephone lines reach
far out into the farming districts, and
four rural mail routes have been estab
lished, while others have been applied
for.
Blackfoot is situated in a great eX-
panse of agricultural lands which are on
ly partly settled and cultivated; many
great canals are being constructed for
irrigation, tapping the Snake River and
carrying the water out upon the vast
valley of the Snake.
The great tract of land susceptible OF
a high state of cultivation, the abund-
ant water supply, the invigorating eli
mate, the excellent equality of the fruits
and other crops produced. all combine to
show that this valley is the land of rare
opportunity for investments of either
money or labor.
Each of the several branches of agri-
culture holds out inducements such as
have enriched the people of the middle
west, and the problem presents itself
here in a modified form under irriga-
ton, but with greater and grander pos
slbilites. The beet sugar industry has
been tried enough to demonstrate the fact
that this soil and climate place us in the
ranks of the best sugar beet belts in the
world, and men who have made money in
the business in Colorado are hoclting to
Idaho to get lands while the country Is
new and undeveloped.
Fruits Flourish
The cultivation of hardy fruits Is no
planted and well tested for the past ten
years have yielded such regular and val
liable returns on the investment, that Or
ganized effort is being made to produce
the best fruit crop possible, and to supply
the home market in competition with all
outside products. Experiments here have
shown that land planted to fruit will pay |
Of To
81 500 an acre, but good land under culti
walton may be had at prices ranging from
$50 to 500 an acre, while unimproved |
land may. be had for much less, and at
prices that insure the investment to be
profitable.
Grains and Grasses
All the grasses grown in the middle
states grow we'll here. Alfalfa, the most
nutritious of forage plants, resembling
clover. fourishes and forms one Of the
staple products. 1t makes two or three
crops each year. and what is not used by
the farmer commands ready sale to
who range their herds In the
mountains in summer, and winter them
among the farms near the sugar factory,
where they use the beet pulp in con-
nection with hay and grain.
Cereals. fruits and vegetables attain
the highest degree Of excellence, and
grain averaging sixty bushels per acre,
heavier than In almost any
other state is the rule. Whole fields Of
pats have been raised that weighed 4S
pounds per bushel.
The great mining and numbering sec
ions of the state constitute a rapidly in
,reasing market for the products Of the
arm in every form, and gives the farm {
,r the opportunity to compete with dis
ant localities in production, and have
he advantage Of the transportation
,harges in his favor. The market for |
poultry and dairy products has never I
,een met by home production, and good :
ield is open for the development Of these
Industries. Prices have always kept up {
veil and the elements Of production are :
heap and favorable to the producer.
The altitude Of the valley is about $500
Get, and the climate Is n1ilder than In
attitudes in the central
tates because it is modified by the pre-