The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-09-01
Home Life On
Powell Tract

front some settlers on the Powe.
tract is found in some private CORES
pondence that comes to our hand, aal
we publish some of the items for the
information of the readers.
A Blackfoot lady, who has taken 4
keen interest in the settlers on the
tract, and especially the women ant
children, wrote inviting Mr.. and Mrs
w. F. Rathbun at Powell to come
down to the Blackfoot fair and be
guests at her home, and the letter was
In reply to the invitation. The details
showing why they cannot both come
and possibly neither of them, show
some phases of the battle with the
desert which but few people in coy
old Blackfoot realize is going on
forty minutes out" from town.
An old but interesting story of two
Kansas women who lived in a sod
house and carried water for domestic
use seven miles on foot, while they
held down two homesteads and farm
ed little patches with their hoes, and
then saw it all go up in smoke during
prairie fire, and eaten by grasshop-
pers the next year, are not duplicated
in kind nor degree on the Powell
tract, but incidents which we have
published from time to time which
some people think is knocking
show what kind of stuff is in the men
and women who stay ON the tract.
A year ago when the river
went dry and cisterns failed and wells
had not been made, water for do
nestle purposes was shipped from
Blackfoot by rail, As miles to Powell
Siding, and settlers drove five to ten
miles to fill their barrels from the
water car. When it came to that,
some of them said to theselves, "Be
damned" and they left, but others
said, BE patient" and they stayed,
ard even now it looks as If the whole
project might be abandoned and 20
to ruin-but it won't. --..-,--
Whees eetthese- two Kansas women
lived Is years ago ere ann homes
with big farms, rich fields and fine
orchards, and there are two reasons
why similar things Will be seen all
over the Powell tract in shorter
period than rs years One. reason is
that the citizenship of Idaho will not
allow the credit of the state to suf-
fer what it must if the project is
abandoned. The other Is that the
strong movement in this country to
join the landless man to the manless
land is going to populate all such
rich spots as the Powell tract regard
less of the failure of such great firms
as Trowbridge & Niver, and the
knocking of peanut politicians.
This is the letter we were telling
you about: /
Your kind and thoughtful letter
of August 22nd received. The rose
reminds me of California whete we
lived four years ago before we came
to Idaho. vi ~
It~ce, tainly would be great pleas
ure to visit youS people and clean
fair is always very interesting to u.s.
We have faith in Idaho and like it. !
Some one here has said, "Rathbuns
are still in love with the Powell tract
after Drawing the hard battles for al
most four years"
Both of us cannot leave at the
same time Mr.. Rathbun before flar-
vest built big cistern at the Butte
! stayed alone four weeks. He came
home to cut the oats and wheat which
is just splendid crop. Also our po-
tatoes and two large gardens are fine.
Mr.. Holland 1.-THE stockman) must
deliver cattle September 18th. He :
is riding now to gather the cattle.
Flowing and seeding is to be done on
his dry farm 1t will depend on how t
much work must be done before the
fair whether or not Mr.. Rathbun can !
get away to 60 to Blackfoot. |
THE goods of five families and
their homes Mr.. Rathbun has charge
of, and one home has an orchard,
shade trees and lawn to be watered
Then he has our home work too,
which / can not do. / irrigrated the
grain, gardeps and potatoes while he
was at the Butte where he is now.
Doing chores, getting vegetables
ready twice a week and delivering
them has kept me busy. But Mr.. ),
Rathbun needs the vacation more