The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-09-16

Saturday morning the excursion
train that left the yards at, Blackfoo
to make the initial run to Sterlinl
for the official opening of the sale o
lots was loaded with jolly booster
who do not stay away from new mov'
ments that bear the imprint of laying
the foundations of new enterprises o.
| placing the corner stakes of new EN-
pires.
The day was one of those windy
ones OF which we have a few, anG
as the train passed out among the
fine farms and orchards that line both
sides Of Snake river representative
of the Blackfoot Commercial clut
with his megaphone dispensed in.
formation about the various objects
of interest along the way, keeping the
excursionists advised about the bic
canals and the location of the main
projects that are making the new ter
ritory on the west side of the river
from Blackfoot to American Falls a
notable tract on the map of the Gem
State.
The train passed out over the
tracks of the Salmon river railroad to
Moreland, distance of six miles, and
there took the branch line leading
southwestward parallel to the Peo-
pies Canal and the one constructed
by the American Fails Canal & Power
company. The canals were running
full of water and the fine fields of
grain and grasses and the big stock
yards gave a charm to the landscape
which the thoughtful person could not
escape taking as an object lesson to
show what is possible on each acre
of the vast plain stretching to the
westward, where the green tracts
were less in evidence and the sombre
gray of the primeval plains beckOned
the homeseeker and home Du;l.l"r.
The. Commercial CLUB lecturer ey.
planned that to the westward and
southwestward law the American
Falls. Canal & Power company's seq
regation of $4,000 acres. a part of
which the new road is built across,
farther out, beyond the canals ard
the settlers cabins was the territory
embraced in the Blackfoot North Side
project of 10000 acres, and beyond
that the great belt of unsurveyed
plains now coming to notice for dry
farming.
To the southwestward among the
farms lining the river was pointed out
the location of the Gold Point mines,
situated seven miles east Of Pingree,
where a large reduction plant is be-
ing put into commission to handle
the great deposits Of placer gold first
by sluicing and then separating the
fine gold from the concentrates by
immersing the mass of high values in
a strong solution of cyanide contain
ed in great tanks, the gold being TAX
en- out in solution and carried into
other tanks where It comes In con-
tact with and is absorbed by zinc
shavings and the mass of zinc and
gold is afterwards retorted to separ-
ate the values.
People kept boarding the train at
the sidings along the way. and when
it reached the end Of the tracks about
three miles above the site OF the new
town of Sterling the people were met
by forty or fifty vehicles that took
them quickly to the bowery where the
people from the farms for miles
around were gathered. The train was
left Just at the edge of the great belt
of bottom lands, and the ride by team
lay along the edge of the bottoms.
the most beautiful and refreshing
landscape spreading out IN a broad
belt Of green between them and the
timbered islands Of Snake river and
the great expanse Of sage plains ly-
ing on the right with many new farms
young orchards and alfalfa meadows
In view. Cold streams fed by never
failing springs crossed the roads at
intervals, and wild ducks were to be
seen along the creeks and on the
ponds. In one pasture were eleven
spring colts that had been captured
from the bands Of Wild horses that
roam over the plains At no great dis
tance. 1t being the fun and business
Of one Of the boys TO 80 out on his
fieetest saddle horse and lie In con-
|cealment while a Wild band came IN
t. drink from some canal. and when
they had slaked their thirst and we're
water logged" ind lazy he would