The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-05-28
WHAT MAJOR REED SAID.
Continued from page l..

themselves, and we have had some
wind this year, as you know, and we
had great difficulty in getting the
water started. 1t puts me in mind
of an old lady who had bought some
lots, she sold one corner to the Meth
odist church and the other corner
to the aBptist church, and lived in
the center, and one Sunday when
both churches were busy friend
came along and inquired How are
you getting along, Martha?" and she
said, "Oh, / am getting along fine
between the wind and the water. ;"
daughter.
want to say to you that ii it had
not been for the money and influence
and confidence Of these captains OF
finance, the confidence they had in
us that this valley of Idaho now
would be sheep pasture.
AS ! rode around this town with
Mr.. Rich l didn't see anything the
matter with Blackfoot. want to
state that we have land in the Hager-
man valley, twelve miles from the
railroad, that we are selling for $3.50
an acre today. What is the matter
with blackfoot? As / looked into
the facts here, over your broad acres,
the same conditions existing here as
exist in all the favored parts of Idaho
and thought of the possibilities
] wondered why Idaho Falls is
thought of, and why American Falls
and this project down here is attract
ing SO much attention.
And, while l have no fault to find,
] want to say to you that ! wish |
had one hundred and sixty acres OF
land bordering on the town OF Black
foot. (Applause). ! would cut 1t
up into town lots and sell 1t all with
in eighteen months. (Applause).
understand the town of Shoshone
and have been opportunted hun
bred times Reed, come and boom
Shoshone.' Not many towns are d.
vided by railroad. II you want to
do anything and you do it on one side
of the track, and then they get busy
on the other side. An old fellow told
me down there one day "Shoshone
puts me in mind Of my teeth, have
no teeth, just some old stubbs,
cant eat with them, | just chew with
them, and they just growl, these
fellows here who are putting brakes
on the wheels of progress are the
ones who resemble those teeth in
my mouth" | said these are the pio-
neers of Idaho, that over some thirty
years ago ! trailed wagon, and
know how great many came, and
how it is an old town. And up until
recently they had battle to fight
Of their own. They had to blaze the
pathway for the coming generations.
They had little to do with. And God
knows their rivers were hard and
rough, and were given that way. Any
old timer who has reached the day
when the evening shadows come to
rest on his life, it is my wish and
prayer that his life may be passed
in peace and plenty.
They are not the people who are
going to make Blackfoot great. They
are not going into the financial CEN
tiers so that your business or manu-
featuring enterprises may be develop
ed. They have served their time.
They are approaching that borne from
which the traveller never returns.
AS ] look into your faces, and as
] have met these gentlemen of your
Commercial club, see that Blackfoot
has the same features that any other
town has. God Almighty, In his love,
gave man the country, and 1t is up to
man to make or mar.
l have been called hot-air ped
dler for several years. have had
all kinds of slurs cast about me.
have had everything done to me ex-
cept hanging, by people that / never
did a thing to, that never harmed in
the world, except that ] was live
one, and you have them everywhere,
it makes no difference, Blackfoot,
Butte, Salt Lake or Twin Falls. They
are the kind OF people that it is only
a short distance to their skyline. Like
the lady saw on the Atlantic shores,
an old Sunday school teacher Of mine,
and very thin, she had on one OF
those Merry Widow" bathing suits,
and watched her 60 down to the
water to battle, she just put the end
of her toes in the~water, went over
to her and said, Are you having a
bath?' and and she said Yes, indeed.
a beautiful one. (Laughter). They
are afraid to 60 in. daughter and
applause.
1t does not make any difference to,
mo porcoua11v whathar vOur town