Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1915-10-29
NEED SUPPORT
OF DRAINAGE
Senator Elliott Tells of Benefits Which
Drainage Will Bring to This
District
DECIDE QUESTION NEXT WEEK
Urges operation Of the Citizens Of
Boomers Ferry
To the Editor of the Herald:

To the Editor of the Herald:
Dear Charlie.-I have something
on my mind and | want you to help
me get it off and onto your readers.
You have heard something of obs
trict No. s." not No road or school
district, but "No. Drainage Dis
trict," formerly of Bonner and now
Boundary county. Well, as you may
know, District No. has been trying
to break out of it's shell since 1911.
The first stab it made brought out
the fact of good for nothing drain
age law. Then we got that fixed up
and made another attempt, when
some wise Standpoint lawyers told us
the legislature had made botch of
passing the law and the supreme
court had to decide that it was all
right after all. All this took a lot
of time, and money and energy and
lot more patience.
Now District No. 5 has reached
the deciding point in its career, for
next week the district court passes
on the project and decides its fate.
Now, Charlie, this is what is on
my mind: Do the people of Boomers
Ferry and the Kootenai Valley really
want drainage or do they prefer
to have it all remain just as it is.
Boundary county is still wearing
knee pants and just as it begins to
figure on new suit, why the big
mill shuts down, the logging camps
are unopened, lot of good people
are going away and the pay roll is
cut in two. With conditions as they
are it means tough times in the
town and the timber. We are brought
face to face with the fact that what
we thought was forty years away
that our ultimate prosperity is, after
all not to be found in the lumber
industry but in the agricultural de-
velopment of our lands.
Down here lie 10000 acres of the
richest bottom lands in the state.
In the heart of this area and right
at the side door of Boomers Ferry
lie the 5000 acres of District No.
5. 1t is proposed to protect this lit
tie body of land from the overflow
of the Kootenai and turn its marshes
into productive fields. The plan pro-
posed is we'll worked out and per-
fectly feasible. The cost is moder-
ate and the improvement will in
crease the value of the lands three
fold.
Now, Charlie, did it ever occur
to you what the reclamation of this
bit of the wilderness would mean to
Boomers Ferry and Boundary coun-
ty-especially at this critical time
1. 1t would double the amount of
land now in cultivation in Boundary
county.
2. 1t would provide for the ex-
penditure of upwards of hundred
thousand dollars right at home, much
of which would go for labor.
8. 1t would bring in a lot of new
people and you know it takes peo-
pie, real folks, and lots of them, tc
make a community.
a. 1t would promote new activ-
ity and interest in the development
of the country and show the world
outside that we meant business.
6. 1t would create large and in.
creasing amount of real agricultural
rrL 81
crops grown on these drained lands
Why, if the district was reclaimed, II
one years time more oats would be
Z produced within its boundaries thar
were produced in the entire county
the past two seasons. We would be
shipping spuds by the trainload anC
the old deserted creamery would bs
as busy as a yellow jackets nest il
the woodpile.
6. 1t would demonstrate the pos
sibility of drainage and the value Of
these lands, more than any othel
thing could do.
And yet, Charlie, there are a lo
of people right in this town wht
don't seem to care a rap whether
District lives or dies. They ma,
not be knocking it but they are doing
a poor job of boosting. A few far
seeing people have steadily stood To-
this pioneer improvement. A per
sistent bunch of settlers in the dis
trict have fought for it for years ant
now it is up to the business men O
Boomers Ferry and the people Of thi
community to encourage by ever,
means of moral support this pro
posed improvement or let the Who'll