Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1910-11-11
FIELDS Of
WAVING GRAIN

4 quarter Of century ago an,
mention Oh the Great American DIES
ert called up visions OF a region o.
llmitless extent, sunbaked, parcheC
and desolate. A country associa-
ted always with tales Of suffering
aud death, Of unfriendly savages
and deadly reptiles, for years il
was pissed over by Congress as
Worthless. The mar, el0us transfer
nation which has been wrought in
two decades in this land Of silence
and sunshine furnishes one Of the
most interesting and inspiring pa
ges IN the annals Of our republics
development The Great American
desert IS vanishing from the map.
It's boundaries have shrlmken ana
il no longer presents a formidable
barrier TO the progress Of the far
west. Twelve million acres Of this
rainless country have been sub
uued by means Of agriculture and
irrigation and are producing boun-
year. A quarter Of million fam
lilies are residing on farms and as
many more have found homes
and occupations in the cities, towns
and villages, which have sprung up
IN the MIDST Of the agricultural
f.ts. D..
slructed to impOund the floods and
through 10000 miles Of canals and
bitches the life giving water has
been turned upon the dusty des-
ert. The streams have been har-
messed for power and an area of
manufacturing is dawning in which |
all the raw products Of the farm, |
the forests and mines will be pre-
pared for the markets Of the world
The comforts and luxuries here
iofore unknown in agricultural re-
giOns already are obtainable in
many western valleys. The farmer
lights and heats his home with
electricity and his heavy work is
zone by same potent force. Irol-
cy lines bring the farm and town
lose together In majority Of
lie irrigated districts the farms are
mall-not more chan forty acres
ach.
With IS TO 60 farm families to !
he square mile, isolation is elimin-
ted and life becomes more nearly
rban than rural. While pioneer
ng in this new country calls for
good deal Of grit and not a little ,
ard work, the compensation is :
ure and abundant Carving out J.
home in the desert is no childs !
lay, il is a mans work, but there :.
re- few places where nature re- b.
ponds more quickly to intelligent .
ldustry than the irrigated country. Il
On the government projects the =
ast year has been a conspicuously =
rosperous one. The success of TIN l
,erage farmer in many instances -
as been remarkable. On several "
the projects the crops on indivi- g
lal farms has been enough to en- u
ile the owners to repay the gov :"
nmenl every dollar of their OBJ a.
cations if they we're so inclined. 81
As the payments to the govern .
cnt extend over period of 10 :"
'ars without interest there is no =
liecl in meeting the same in adj -
ince and most of the farmers )"
oreiore are deVoting their reVe- y
les to their homes aid in pur- -
lasing stock and implements. One -
the most interesting features of
ese new communities is the large
mber of settlers who have come
om the cities and towns. Their
IccesS is all the more notable be- st
Iuse they had little or no previous I'll
,perience in farming, especially ST
rmng 10y irrigation. Under these W
rcumstances the call of the open I'll
'untry is likely to appeal to others III
ho have grown tired of the stress &c
nj. fume of city life aud the never in
ding struggle to make income and p,
go balance. nc
The west is filling up so rapidly W
ld the really choice locations are W
few that it is only question of y;
ne now when the increase of land iii
lueS there will make ii as dif- be
'ult for the poor man to get foot m
lid as il is now in the east. pa
Are you looking for home of er
tT OWN Come to Idaho, Linz 10
In County.