The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1912-07-05

whom Brady commissioned to, exa:.
inc the structure reported it safe. The
fact that Brady was defeated and
Hawley elected would seem to indi-
cate that the weight of opinion was
on the side OF the unsafeness of the
dam. The fact that ninety-nine PEI
cent of the voting population of the
state could not recognize the distinc-
ton and difference between a concre-
tecore wall and folding bed, how
ever, negatives this presumption. As
matter of fact the Mackay dam
question has never been settled, SO
that the visit of the Press club to the
dam was timely. The newspapermen
also poked inquisitive fingers in the
gravel and scaned the upper and low
err reaches of the river. They went
further and knowingly stared at the
sky and up at the cloud-grazing peaks
To gather all the data possible, they
even went so far as to peer into the
firebox of dinky contractors engine
and examine the gears of a wheeled
scraper. While in the peering habit
they peered, some of them, through
the bottoms of certain bottles, con-
tanning. an amber-hued beverage from
Milwaukee. Then they rendered their
verdict. They settled the question
once and for all. The Mackay dam
incident may now be considered
closed. In the languages of Senator
Macbeth, there is nothing to It, Those
who care for the verdict may secure
the same from Senator Jones of the
Press club-tencents by mail.
Glorious Fishing.
There is this much to say of the
Mackay dam-this much in addition
to what has already been said, and in
previous discussions the word dam
has often been used as adjective
instead of a noun: 1t provides the
best fishing in the world. Through
the hard heart of a jutting rock cliff
on the south side of the river tun-
mel has been built, through which
Lost River now swirls. The mouth of
this tunnel is provided with three
gate valves-open to their
limit just now. From the mouth of
tunnel to the bed of the stream be-
low there is sheer drop of perhaps
fifteen feet. The water is as white
as snow when it hits the bottom.
There, is no fish ladder and all day
ong-and probably all night, too-a
1illi' or so trout vainly try to mount
The falls. One sees them start from !,
an eddy. bravely breast the white
swirl, and throw themselves madly
against the wall of white water. New
,r a one makes the rifle. They fall /
pack, scurry into still water, rest up,
md then make the absurd attempt
again. In every eddy below the falls,
n every clearwater shoal, behind ev-
,ry rock where the current Is less
witt. there are scores and hundreds
md thousands of trout They appear
o be patiently lying in wait for
to happen-for Less Dill
ngham's prophecy to come true and
he whole dam go out; for some one
O come along with a fish ladder and
install it; for a salmon fly to light on
he water. And when fellow sneaks
round the giant wheels that operate
he gates, crawls tremblingly along
he face of precipitous rock cliff
nd dainty drops fly or spinner
nto one of those clear pools or eddies
indeed happens. There is
flash of yellow-white, swirl of
pumy water, nerve-tingling tug at
he line the mersy burr of rell let
ing out line, and then there Is
asping trout ON the ocks and a
roud fisherman gloating over it.
Phiscatorial Slaughter
There really isn't much room for
ride in an achievement Of that sort.
IS too much like catching gold fish
rom a glass bowl. It's actually
laughter. Even Joe Egerten of Sol
Ter, who doesn't know a ROYAL
oachman from an Last Indian ma
out, and whose fishing experience in
ne past has been limited to srain-
lg efforts to land delinquent sub
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