The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-06-14

One Of the greatest show places in
the city of New York, one that at
tracts almost every visitor, is the
great aquarium at the Battery; and
yet it is said that nine out of every ten
Manhattanites have never paid the
wonder house visit.
il is Whittier who says:
lie who wanders widest lifts
No more of Beauty's jealous wells,
Than he who from his doorway sees
The miracle of bowers and Wales.
And it was for this very reason that
representative from nearly every
business house in Caldwell jumped
into an auto Friday last to become
personally acquainted with the lands
lying under the Payette- Boise Recla-
nation project. g..
Several days previous a scout had
gone out and done the work of the
pathfinder, so that the Is machines
bearing about 90 men might make the
get-acquainted trip without serious
mishap.
To those who had not seen the coun-
try for several years, the trip was truly
revelation. even knowing as they did
that great development work had been
done. One canont begin to appreci-
ate the extent. of this development un-
til he has seen it-and seen the whole
of it. ..4 t.
The party left the city and proceed
ed at once to the great dam, holding
10000 acre-feet of water. The way
laid in the main along the tracks of
the Caldwell Traction company, which
is now engaged in building an extension
to the Snake river. tapping a portion
of the valley now under irrigation be-
low the dam. -. .. a.-
sn The Great Reservoir.
= Standing on the dam a picture of
wonder stretches out down the valley.
Wide expanses of bright green, crops
waving in the bright sunlight, where
two short years ago was nothing but
desert sage.
/. The reservoir is 6 miles out of the
city and is probably the largest artifi-
cial body of water in the world. The
lower dam is nearly ~ miles in width
and this year there is 20 feet of water
over the headgate stills. The reservoir
waters now $1,000 acres and more land
is being added to this amount. The
water for Deer Flat enters into the
main low-line canal through mas
sive concrete intake of the best posi-
bic construction.
Great Concrete Siphon.
On the west side of the big dam,
the government just completed . re-
markable concrete siphon 8s7s feet
long and IS iches in diameter. This
siphon carries the water from the high
line canal on the south side of the
reservoir, to the north side and waters
$500 acres of very fine land that here
tofore was thought to be too high ia
get water on it.
The government has preserved two
sections here for a forestry reserva-
ton, and will plant trees thereon.
The south side of the big reservoir
will be Caldwells future great peach
and grape belt. This section Is par.
ticularly free from frosts. &
Crossing the dam the party proceed
ed in the northwesterly direction
through fields of alfalfa, grain and clo'
yer and umerous small orchards.
Sunny Slope.
After travelling about 8 miles the
party came to Sunny Slope, about 7OO(
acres of the finest sort of land, which
is this year enjoying water for thu
first time. On the opposite side of thu
river stretched the lands under thu
Gem Irrigation district, which is now
engaged in building An immense pump
ing plant. The district includes ovel
$1,000 acres of the very best soil.
2H miles further on the party passet
Pleasant Ridge. a section miles lonl
and 8 wide, receiving water for thu
Ca 49, Hhsa s,>ae