Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-06-07

ltIlt potAiAt6 Sbi tAfp WiVAC oathAiASa l
through.
And this was what these several fam
ilies left the orchard, the meadow and
the deep tangled wildwood" of their
eastern homes for. For this they sold
farms. Why? Well, there may be va
rious reasons: Some because their
eastern land had become too high in
value for the amount 1t would produce;
some because they desired q change of
climate; some because they could get
land for their children and all because
they believed they would better their
condition.
Most of US had seen the efferts of ir-
rigation combined with the fertile soil
OF Idaho. We beheld the marvellous
transformation of the desert. We saw
orchards four years from planting.
bending beneath their weight Of GRIM
son fruit. We saw fields Of waving
grain and oceans of luxuriant alfalfa;
had inhaled the fragrance of its pur-
pie blossoms and smelled the incense
of new mown hay. We saw gardens
| literally piled with an endless variety
of choicest vegetables. We saw bee
hives fairly running over with the de-
licious nectar of the nearby blossoms.
We saw glossy coated cows, contented-
| ly chewing their cuds, as they lay in
the cool shade Of friendly tree We
saw comfortable homes and happy,
healthy children, grassy lawns and beds
of fragrant flowers, while on every side
streams of sparkling water gurgled by,
and we realized that only few years
before, this was all a. barren desert.
There we're just two things that effect
ed the change--work and water. And
we argued that what man had done,
man can do. We saw that Idaho might
well be called land of milk and
honey" that here the "promiscuous
horn Of plenty had poured it's OIL" SO
with these visions fresh in mind we
bought Blaine county irrigation water
stock
We beheld five years hence in the
Little Lost valley, and 10, the desert
had become a fruitful field. In place
of the sage brush, had come up the
apple tree; in place Of the shad scale
alfalfa. Happy homes and prosperous
farms filled the valley and all the peo-
Pile dwelt together in peace and unity.
But today, nearly seven years later,
how do we find il? All the fruit trees
on $4,000 acres would probably make
load for one horse wagon. Alfalfa
fields are not numerous, a shade tree Is
a luxury possessed by only ono indl-
vidual on the entire tract. Not enough
veg etables are grown in the gardens to
supply the settlers themselves; a grassy
lawn is an unknown quantity; flower
beds are conspicuous by their absence,
while anxiety, bitterness and discon-
tent fill the lives of the settlers.
Dry Farming Begins in the Little Lost.
: The summer of 1909 was dry one.
: The reservoir would not hold water
J and, of course, the 1900 inches of
water did not materialize. But as the
result of rains and an injunction COM
polling the old settlers to divide their
water for time, a few crops were
: grown. We were told that a new reser-
: voir never did hold the first year. but
we're assured that there would be plen-
ty of water the next year. Thus as
: sured the settlers continued to come
} in till the spring of 1910.
Wickham Unloads on Woods.
, In the meantime. Mr.. Wickham man
: aged to unload the project on M. H
Woods of Kansas City. This transfer
} literally, fulfilling the old adage: "To
! change the name and not the letter, is
r a change for worse, instead of better
It would be difficult to find a more
: unsuitable man for position of this
, kind than Mr.. Woods; yet. at the start
t the settlers had confidence in him and
9 were willing to make any sacrifice Gas
] subsequent events Will prove) to hell
( him get the project upon a sound and
e satisfactory basis.
t A Hard Winter Adds Misery to the
t Situation.
t The winter of 1909 10 was a sewers
( one. There was about 18 inches of cnow
I over the valley for about two months
0 the mercury went to 40 degrees below
j zero, time or two, while 20 or rs be
:. low was nothing unusual. Tho settler,
a were unprepared for such conditions
t Many of them were still living in tents
without stables for their stock ant
g short Of feed. Hay went up to SIS pei
s ton and some of them had to haul i
e from Arco, 30 miles distant. Owing I,
d drifts and the ever shifting snow, !
Q was impossible to haul q load Of wood
y Some were able to haul enough at on
: trip to last only three or four days
s consequently, II kept one person bus.
q most of the time to get wood enough
g to keep from freezing. Some Of tn
e tents had only the bare ground for
y floor and in short time the fine ash
= soil would work up into dust nearl
q shoe top deep. But few had cellars, an
h everything would be frozen as solid a
II brick every morning in the tent.
n Comforts and conveniences, there wer
mono.
The winter of 1sos-1o will be on
i long remembered by a number of tn
j. settlers in the Little Lost valley; we
q they bore II all uncomplainingly, tn
g most of them were really cheerful an
10 optimistic Of the future.
"a Settlers Send Delegates to Boise.
y Although we had been assured an
treasured that there would be plenty G
II water the next season the settlers de