Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1909-10-22
- Trip of Journal Correspondent
Across Parts Of Irrigated
Lincoln County
SAGE BRUSH TO BIG CROPS
Sandy Soil Around dell---Hagerman
Ranchers Growing Rich---Two Ire
mcndous Irrigating Systems

The staff correspondent of the Jour
nal made trip the first of last week
extending through three systems of ir-
rigation in Lincoln county.
The route was from Shoshone to
Wendell, west to the head of the
Hagerman Valley near the Thousand
Springs, down the Valley through
Hagerman and the Lower Salmon Falls,
then north to the crossing of the Malad
on to Gooding, and east to Shoshone.
Seven miles south of Shoshone is the
high line canal of the Twin Falls North
Side project. The road follows the
line to jerome southwest until the sec
ton line is reached, directly north OF
Jerome. There the old Wendell road
branches off, bearing to the southwest.
The supposition was that the road was
still open, but like many other supposi-
tions the facts did not justify it. All
went well for some distance, until the
road ran into an irrigating cOulee of
considerable grade and the water had
washed out deep holes, trenches and
gullies, which were not at all too favor
able for rapid driving.
The nexEthing thatshowed up. was the
cenIer of a great potato field, the tubers
still in the ground and the dead vines
dropping melancholy over the long rows.
Then it was hunting for trail, roads
being out of the question, but being
used to new country, the driver found
roads where none existed, and no dis
tance was lost while passing from one
claim to another. Finally a road was
found, leading direct to Wendell. 1t
seems strange to person unused to an
irrigated region to find the pathway
across the country parelleled and crossed
by conals, laterals and bitches, and
with the road OCCASIONALLY dumped into
a pond.
The water was turned off, the Com
pany having closed down the head
gates of the Miner canal, in order to
enlarge and perfect the North Side ir
rigation system. Many settlers have
located in this region and their small
houses, cultivated areas and outside
buildings are for the most part occupied
but now and then one was closed up
and the owner gone off to work.
AS one approaches Wendell he obser-
yes the evidence of wealth. One gen.
tleman from Chicago, a business man
is said to have expended $40, 10000 the
past year on his ranch, and the place
looks it. All about Wendell are ran
-ches belonging to business and profes-
sional men of Chicago and other cities
of Illinois, who are putting in their
spare money on the North Side tract,
and it will make one of the richest
portions of Lincoln county. Wendell is
located in one of the richest irrigated
sections in the state, and the buildings
going.up show thefaith of the business
men there in the future of the city,
and city it will be and not a small
one.
Of course, the people there are
elated over the location OF the new o.
S. L. cut off. from Bliss to Rupert,
which places them on main line.
Inquiry developed ths fact that the
Idaho Southern extension to Hagerman
Is called off for the present ct least. /
Not man is left on the grade west Of (
Wendell. Between Wendell and Hager- /
man construction force is at work
putting in a power line to connect the ,
power plant at the Lower Salmon I
falls with the power line at Wendell +
1t is wei known that the Great Sho-
shone plant is not capable in it's present +
state to furnish sufficient power for
the Lincoln county towns nov on its
line. and for this reason the power
plant at the Lower Salmon falls is be-
ing developed as rapidly as possible.
At the present time large force of
men are engaged on the Salmon plant,
The work at present consists in throw
ing wing or Golfer dam across the
Snake river, just above the falls, and
at righl angles to il, as the river there
makes a half circle. This dam is of