The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1912-03-08
THE BIG OPPORTUNITY is HERE
idaho Reister

.
west:
The writer left this city with a
great deal of anticipated pleasure,
and with an idea that it would not
only be very interesting but educa-
tional and full of information as we'll
I have been thoroughly familiar
with the immense advertising carried
out by the great railroad corporations
and various business agencies for the
past few years toward inducing set
tiers from every corner of the earth
to set their eyes and their stake in
some part of the great northwest.
Special rates have been given to any
prospective homeseeker to hike to-
ward that country, which has been
represented to be one filled with milk
and honey, and everything else which
the heart could desire.
Commercial organizations in our
town and surrounding cities haxe ex-
pended more or less money looking
toward the accomplishing of the
same purpose, and while our various
organizations have accomplished a
great deal toward increasing the pop
ulation of the lower and upper Snake
River valleys, We have at the same
time been handicapped and compelled
to witness crowded trains pass
through our rich, fertile region for
the great northwest beyond. Privi-
leges in the matter of rates have been
given to the homeseeker from the far
eastern states to carry him on to the
farthermost points of the northwest
for less money than would have priv
LEGGED him to stop off in our own val
ley, thousand miles less in distance.
As a result of this, crowds have been
carried on and on and finally set
down upon a country of rolling hills
represented to be the greatest grain
country in the land. But is it? Let
us see. The homeseeker to the north
west for the past few years has been
taken care of in the matter of induc-
ing him to purchase land and remain
there by some of the best organized
clubs, organizations and industrial in
situations on the face of the globe.
These organizations were seeking
new settlers, went after them and Sc
cured them by the hundreds of thous-
. ands. The settlers from the middle
and the eastern states were given no
opportunity of seeing the more fer
tile and better lands of our valley,
Whisked, as they were, through to the
great beyond, and to country some
, what similar to the one they had left
Similar, l say, with reservations, but
identical so far as depending upon ma
ture to provide moisture for theil
maturing crops. They purchased
, their land and went to work toward
, making themselves new homes and an
. INDEPENDENCE. They finally learned
that they could raise grain, about 25
a b shells per acre, whenever nature
o took occasion to smile upon theil
] lands and give up the necessary mois'
| ture to mature their crops. 1t was
v very necessary that they should owr
| 10 in no ic6
| as an individual, any considerable
e quantity Of wheat. 1t did not take
g them long to discover that they coult
t not raise, speaking generally, alfal
ia, potatoes, sugar beets and engage
K in diversified farming on those roll
q ing hills, for the very reason that ma
n ture would not be so accommodating
: to them at all times and provide
2 them with the necessary moisture
just when these particular crops de
k manded it. The farmer of the north
west occupying these millions of acres
of rolling hills, is then, dry farmer
,. and he is eliminated from engaging IL
general diversified farming. He car
not produce from one acre of thi
o land one-half as much grain as il
IS raised on our own irrigated land.
d The farmer of our own valley, will
l. the huge streams of pure water pass
It ing his land at all hours, and bein
= in position to utilize it at any mo
It ment, can not only raise double tn
It amount of grain, but he can and doe
a raise all and every other character 0
It crop that is absolutely eliminates
e from his farmer friend In the grea
Y. northwest.
y On our trip we were continual
l. being referred to the capabilities o
d certain lands as fruit producers. Al