Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-03-21
IDAHO PAPER TELLS OF A BIG MAN
WHO DID BIG THINGS ina BIG WAY

within that state which carried so
many miles of the Short Line sys-
tenn. That ambition helped him
magnify his dreams, perhaps, but
the first work he did was to set
about inducing people to come to
Idaho.
"He had a desperate time of It,
and frankly acknowledged that 1t
cost him more to get one man To-
Gated in Idaho then than it does to
get a thousand of them today. He
first adopted the theory that the
man who knew by personal expert
ence what irrigation would do, was
the proper man to send among the
farmers of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas
and surrounding states. According
ly he furnished free transportation
to all who would take the trip from
Idaho to go back and preach the
dictrine OF irrigated lands. Those
approached however, looked with
suspicion upon the accounts of the
productiveness of irrigation, and re-
fused to believe what they were told.
"Then what amounted to a detec.
tive agency was adopted. When
ever it could be learned that any
where in the central western states
it was learned that a man had sold
his farm and was thinking of going
elsewhere, agents were sent to him
to present the claims of this wonder
full Idaho land. Still the results
were unsatisfactory, even though
personal solicitation. was resorted to.
'But Burley dreamed on. These
western men who had tried irriga-
ton and knew what it would do,
were not believed. Some other plan
had to be devised. Every land agent
of every railway running west OF
Chicago and every real estate agent
in all the towns of that country was
made agent of the passenger depart
ment of the Short Line, and they
were paid a commission upon every
sale of Idaho land made through
them. They eXerted every energy
to induce people to visit these won
derful lands. Passes were given the
agents so that they might come and
see for themselves and might know
that they were not being asked to
misrepresent They came and, OF
course, were more than satisfied.
The stream of immigration was
started
Then the new and more exten.
sive irrigation plans were made and
carried into execution.
The dreamer began to see the re
alization of his dreams.
He is dreaming again now. He
sees Idaho producing potatoes tC
feed the world This dreamer who
has the habit of making his dream:
come true, thinks nothing but pota
toes, he can talk nothing but pota
toes-he even dreams potatoes.
Satisfied that no other countI
is so well adapted to potato culture
this dreamer sat in his Office in Sal
Lake City and planned campaigI
which in the end will tax the full
capacity of the railway which he Il
part represents to make provision
for.
He got into correspondence witt
the best potato raisers the world
! knows. He studied the question un
| til Grubb, the Potato King coulC
sit down and take lessons from Bur
| ley the man who never raised {
potato. He knows to a pound how
many potatoes are required annual
ly to feed the people of America
He knows where these potatoes are
raised and he knows how man!
| bushels per acre can be produced II
every section of the world h
| knows who has raised the larges
and best hill of potatoes in the worlt
and how he did it and he know
who has raised the largest and bes