The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-08-05
TAKE A RAP AT THE MACKAY
KNOCKERS
"A Contributor Believes Irrigation
Project Should Get Fair
Treatment
Arco Advertiser

CiCO AuNcIllScT-
Dear Editor: If it would not bt
asking too much, would like to take
advantage of little space in your
columns. Not for the purpose oil
knocking, but in the interest of fail
play. am an engineer by profession
and have had some little experience
along that line, and particularly on
irrigation work. travel up and down
the valley considerably, and have had
occasion to watch the work on the
dam and canal of the Big Lost River
irrigation company from the start to
the present time, and can say, I'M
biased, that I have never seen better
work, both on canal and dam. Also
the time made on this work, under
the existing conditions, is remark
able.
Several people have asked me con-
corning the design of the dam, wheth-
er it is safe, whether it will leak.
whether it will go out, whether it is
being built according to specifica-
lions. In answer, l will say that /
nave never seen either the plans or
specifications of the dam and there
fore do not know, but l do know.
that with the class of material and
workmanship, placed to the dimen-
slons that it is, that it will never go
out and wash away any of the towns
In this valley, which the town of
Mackay is loosing sleep over The
dam may seep for some little time
but anyone acquainted with gravel
knows that it is not like a stone wall
at first. but after awhile, when the
spring run-off occurs, and the silt
Is deposited in the voids of the gravel.
that you then have dam that is safe
and secure from seepage. Some peo-
pie say, why did they not put in
masonry dam. First, the cost would
have been prohibitive. Second, ma
sorry dam would probably in several
years leak as much as the present
dam does now, and a masonry dam
can go out by turning on the axis
OF the toe something that an earth
dam cannot do and sliding on its
base,
But, do not start this letter to
make a report on the dam and sys-
tenn, but to say what | thought about
The way that certain parties in the
valley are treating the matter. no.
iced in the Mackay Miner some time
ago little phrase they used in con-
lection with another irrigation pro-
ect in Idaho. While | cannot give ,
ne exact words, it was to the effect
nat any man or men who made two
'lades of grass grow where one grew .
'efore was great This was for ,
ro]ect considerable distance from
lackay. and one that Mackay would :
ot derive any great benefit from. as .
hey would the one in their own val :.
~ But instead of boosting this pro- .
ect along they seem to take delight .
trying to kill it. ;,
All of last summer, part of the y
inter, and all of tbs year so far. =
ackay has received the benefit of "
lie large payroll of the
en- at the dam. Supplies have been :
ought there. The population has =,
zen increased. BY the extensive adj =,
'rtising of the colonization DEPART ~
ent of the irrigation company, many o
'ople have been brought to this sec ",
IN and heard of Mackay, which :
ould have been impossible other 'p
se. Many of these people have '"
ught land near Mackay. Altogeth- 81
1t is the only thing that has wax pe
ed Mackay up since the smelter ~
Ut down. Still right on the streets ~
Mackay today you can hear bust ~
SIS men say that the company has ="
done the town any good. They p'
i'm that the increase in land has .o'
en- by the natural course and not w
to the company coming in. Eyery- iu'
knows that when you have pa
ge punch of irrigated land togeth- ."'
1t is better than small tract 70 %
etched out. Before the company VII
ne IN, two years ago, land could be '"o
from $40 to $40, which same CIV
" commands from $40 to 500. pe
ere surely must be something to It au
en- land jumps that fast. That is II
the natural increase in land val any
!. True, the land is worth it, but i'o
y could not get it before. Why? :.
cause there was no one in the VI
ley to buy it. No outsiders here. ua'
no lnducement for them to come. Wv
v, things are changed. People are 'ua
e and are willing to stay. If the hoo
pie of Mackay do not make It 81 aise
pleasant that they leave. Last con