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

Inc following sprink sctlicin pcS6h
to come in. AS the project was not
under the Carey act, they had the
privilege of filing. either homestead
or desert claim ana most of them
awaited themselves of the privilege at
once.
Sold Water Rights on Unsurveyed
Land.
But right here a new phase present.
ed itself Several settlers, when they
applied at the land office to file their
applications, were informed that their
land was unsurveyed; and, OF course,
their applications were rejected.
The company had sold water rights
| to some 1900 acres of unsurveyed land,
at the same time assuring the pur-
chasers that they could file at any
time. but incidentally, suggesting that
| 1t would be better to file when they
came out to stay. as something might
happen to prevent their return within
the six months allowed in which to es-
tablish residence, and the land was per-
| fectly safe as the water rights pro-
tected the purchaser in that respect.
This looked reasonable, and probably
not one in twenty made application to
file when they bought their water
rights. So, those settlers who had
bought water rights on this unsur-
veyed land were politely informed,
that the only thing they could no. was
to take ''squatters' rights" which sew
eral of them did. will have occasion
to refer to this unsurveyed land later,
Prosperity in the Little Lost" in 1908.
But, to go back to the summer and
/ 80 Ne M
greatest prosperity ever attained on
the Blaine county irrigation project.
Men with teams and scrapers were
busy scraping dirt from the bottom of
the reservoir and piling 1t on the dam;
a crew of men were blasting tunnel
through the point of the mountain for
the outlet ditch, while other were busy
scraping out those little bitches which
were destined to carry 1900 inches OF
water; work was plentiful, men were in
demand and wages were good. The
twice a month excursions were bringing
in constant stream OF investors
who were dined, and wined on the bev-
erage that made Arco famous; while
they were being entertained with Won
derful stories of fabulous wealth that
had been realized from irrigated land
The visitors listened to the tempter;
and like father Adam, they saw that
the land was pleasant to the sight and
a place much to be desired to dwell in
so they readily paid the initial fee of Sc
per acre; some taking 40, some 80 ano
some 100 acres; very few that failed
J to take something.
Mr.. Wickham possessed remarkable
J trading abilities, and he made 1t a poin
to see that no one left the valley with
, out carrying with him water contract
If they didn't have the money he would
, take land or town lots; If that WASH
! possible, he would take a note, aftel
some held 100 acres of the choices
] land by the investment of a few dol
| lars, while cash buyers were Obliged
J to take something less desirable.
will here state that the wate
rights were sold at s25 per acre; SIS pc
, acre down and the balance in ten an
/ nual payments of 81 per acre, with in
terest on deferred payments at 6 pc
! cent This seemed like a REASONABLE
proposition.
II Like the prospective poultryman, wh'
: figures that one hen will lay one egi
day, or 365 eggs in a year; a thou
> sand hens will lay in one year 365,00
! eggs which viii hatch $4,000 sprini
chickens to sell at 80 cents apiece; o
3 an annual income of $1S2,50e from 100
, hens, we figured that one acre of Int
4 tie Lost river land will produce fiv
e tons of alfalfa hay per year; (and
! Will 100 acres would product 500 ton
e per year, which, at SIS per ton. woul
I bring $4,000 per year; or, the price Q
I the land in one crop. Besides, in thre
I years our land would be worth at leas
a 800 per acre, and In ten years
= would be difficult to estimate just wha
: 1t would be worth. But 100 acres Q
t land under the Blaine county projec
o would be worth anywhere from $500
j to $4,000, which, added to the annua
l income of $4,000 from alfalfa ha,
s would make each and every settler
e close rival OF J. Pierpont Morgan a
!, the end of ten years.
: So, with the reclamation work goin
$ on, the steady stream of land buyer
: coming and going: the enthusiasm, tn
e constant flow of money from the Ian
: seeker to the land seller, the high It'd
: of prosperity in the Little Lost vale
e was reached in the fall of 1908, In
stead of 1913, as some would have L
: believe. that is. IL we are to judg
! prosperity by the amount of money or
II has; for l am sure the settlers hel
n now had more money in 1908 than the
y have now or have had since then. Be
II sides, they did not have mortgae
s, hanging over all they possessed wit
If a foreclosure due at any time. "Ovt
e mine and thy head. hangs the kee
II saber by single thread"
Conquest Of Desert Begins.
le In the spring of 1903, about 20 fam
" lies came in. and then began the cor
lie quest of the desert. To those who ha,
1T had the experience can add nothir
n to their fund of information; to tho,
Is who have not. I can add but little. I
ID 1t must be lived to be fully appr'
1t ciated.
We are 80 miles from a railroad: